The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette has finally been revealed, but there are still some mysteries surrounding Chevy’s radically overhauled sports car. Chevy hasn’t released official performance figures, but a poster on Corvette Forum managed to get a peek at an engineer’s booklet of specs during the annual Corvettes at Carlisle show. The numbers indicate the 2020 Corvette will be as fast as it looks.
The information comes with an asterisk, though. The car’s specs haven’t been finalized yet. Another Corvette Forum poster noted that, during a presentation on the car, Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter said his team is still doing final testing and calibration. So the numbers you see here are subject to change.
Those numbers look pretty good so far. The initial forum post listed a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.0 seconds for the base model, and 2.9 seconds with the optional Z51 package. A 2019 Corvette with the Z51 package took 3.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, according to Autoblog. The more powerful Z06 and ZR1 models took 2.95 seconds and 2.85 seconds, respectively, the website reported. Chevy will likely introduce more powerful versions of the new Corvette as replacements for the outgoing Z06 and ZR1, so expect the 2020 Corvette’s 0 to 60 mph time to tumble eventually.
The forum post also included a quarter mile time of 11.3 seconds at 121 mph, although it didn’t say whether that time came with or without the Z51 package. Autoblog noted that Chevy’s official estimate for the previous-generation Corvette with the Z51 package was 12 seconds at 119 mph. The estimate for the previous-generation Z06 was 10.95 seconds at 127 mph, while the ZR1 was pegged at 10.6 seconds at 134 mph.
The post also included a top-speed estimate, but the information was incomplete. The number quoted was 193 mph, but the post didn’t specify whether that was with or without the Z51 package. That’s important because the Z51 package includes extra aero elements that create more downforce, but could also limit top speed. The effect of those aero bits is apparent in the lateral-grip estimates included in the forum post: 0.9g for the base Corvette, and 1.0g with the Z51 package.
Braking distance hasn’t changed much, according to the forum post. The Z51-equipped 2020 Corvette will brake from 60 mph to 0 in 108.4 feet, while Autoblog noted that a Z51-equipped 2019 Corvette will do the same in 107 feet. The estimated braking distance for the base 2020 Corvette without the Z51 package is 115.1 feet.
Chevy still has time to tweak these figures before 2020 Corvette production starts in late 2019, but it looks like owners will get a lot of performance for their money. Despite adopting a mid-engine layout that is normally the purview of supercars, the 2020 Corvette will start at $60,000 — close to the price of the old, front-engine model.
