The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Is Here and … Actually Affordable

The hype for the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, the eighth generation of the sports car which was unveiled Thursday night in California, has been unprecedented. People were so excited, they stopped buying C7 models. But as the pricing rumors ramped up, some were worried it would be too expensive even for ‘Vette enthusiasts.

Now, Chevrolet has revealed just about everything we want to know about the first ever production mid-engine Corvette. The most important fact being: the entry 2020 Stingray will start under $60,000.

In a press release, Chevrolet calls the car “a no-compromise value proposition,” and that’s impossible to argue with, especially with prices rumored as high as $170K. But as for the “no-comprise” aspect of that statement, here’s everything else you need to know about the car right off the bat:

• All the power: The engine is Chevy’s next-gen 6.2L V-8 LT2. Motor Trend writes that it’s mounted “under just over 0.1 inch of glass” and, with the performance exhaust, it will have the most horsepower and torque of any entry Corvette. We did expect that (otherwise, what were we holding our breath for?), and the specs have been worth it: 495 HP and 470 lb.-ft. of torque. Oh, and the company says it’s “the only naturally aspirated V-8 in the segment.”
• Engine showcase: About that 0.1 inch of glass mentioned before, Chevy writes that every piece “is built with appearance in mind.” That’s expected of the exterior, as the Corvette is one of the most recognizable cars on the planet — and the 2020 Stingray doesn’t deviate too far from that DNA — but now it also applies to the engine. You can see it through the rear hatch, so you no longer have to pop the hood and expose it to your prying neighbors.
• No more manual: As Motor Trend writes, “… for the first time since the original 1953 Corvette, no manual transmission is available.” All is not lost, gearheads. In its place you’ll find Chevy’s first eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which is the “first dual-clutch ever fit into a Corvette,” meaning you’ll still get lightning-quick shifting. And as the press release notes, “The double-paddle de-clutch feature even allows the driver to disconnect the clutch by holding both paddles for more manual control.”
• Harder, better, faster, stronger: It will have a 0 to 60 MPH time under three seconds (with the Z51 Performance Package), the fastest of any entry Corvette. There are two new driving modes: MyMode, a sufficiently boring name for your presaved driving style, and Z mode, a sufficiently ridiculous name for settings activated through a “Z” button the steering wheel that add engine and transmission adjustments to MyMode. 

Oh, but what about the under $60,000 price we mentioned at the beginning? Unfortunately, that’s all we’re getting for now. It’s the classic automotive bait-and-switch: officially unveiling a car, then touting both affordability and performance upgrades while still not telling us the real price. All Chevy is saying is that more detailed pricing information will be shared closer to launch, with production beginning later this year.

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