RapidC84B

Agree... it's gotta have 500 horsepower as this may be the last ICE Corvette.

NytmereZ

So what tracks do you race at? , What are your lap times at those tracks?

sunsalem

It may be the last non-hybrid, but I don't think Corvette can go full electric any time soon.
At the moment, there are just too many old guys with long memories who wouldn't accept the idea.
GM will have to build towards that (assuming they want the Vette to be one) one step at a time if they hope to convince fans.

B747VET

I believe it was either Dave McLellan or Dave Hill who once said that 500 HP is probably the optimum power for a Corvette. Of course he was speaking of a Corvette street machine that could also safely be competitively tracked occasionally by above average Corvette owners.

Back when I was much younger, I thought I was a pretty good driver. That was confirmed to my mind when I got hired by a manufacturer to do track tire testing. At first I was disappointed that our track cars only had about 410 HP. But, after I did a few laps with the chief driver who was a former Indy car driver, I realized that HP has little or nothing to do with track driving and that I had a lot to learn about high speed track driving.

All that having been said, I would be surprised if the marketing team didn’t demand at least 515 HP from the base engine C8 design team. Very, very few Corvette owners have any real ability to optimally handle more HP than that. Anyone who thinks 500HP in a C8 isn’t easily capable of pushing street driving beyond safe limits, let alone track safety, is confusing playing with racing.

But, when bragging rights are added to the C8 development considerations, 620-700 becomes the minimum number for the first performance upgrade (Z06?) that will actually sell. Will they then later bring out a AWD ZR1 type model with esoteric aero and handling packages and maybe close to 900-1000 HP and a supplemental electric motor? Of course they will.

DaveFerrari458

Most people that think 500 HP is not enough probably want a $65K base Corvette as well. They want exotic looks, exotic type performance, reliability and quality but yet they want to pay $65K for it! LOL....perhaps go to another car and find all those attributes. Oh wait, there is none!!

bandctaylorare

500 HP is for little bitches like you.

faninc

The base will have 500+ guaranteed! Rooting for 520-525hp...my price prediction for 1LT is 59999-62,000 not a penny more we shall see.

spinkick

High horsepower matters more on the street than the track on the base car because everyone spends most of their time in the low and midrange, where having high torque and power coming on early is the most fun. I certainly do not need 660 hp in my supercharged car, but the added midrange is where all the fun is.

jimbob8915

500 hp is a great starting point for a base C8 IMHO. I know my C6Z was when it came out an still is way too much car for the road. So what did I do? Put a cam in it an got it tuned to 540rwhp. Do I ever use this power? I do take it to the 1/4 mile track. I was running 11.80 before the cam an hoping to run 11.30 now. I currently am trying to figure how to pay off my daily an give it to my kid so I can sell my C6Z an get me a base C8. 500 horses is plenty.

stief

Classy

pdiddy972

5-100 would be the best measure, IMO. Take launch control BS out of the equation.

pdiddy972

Huh? Isn't that the point of a DCT having two clutches? You never stop applying torque to the rear wheels.

traind

That is a good measure. But you can also just look at the trap speed in the quarter mile to have a good sense of how fast a car is.

JerryU

Originally Posted by LIStingray
You are giving far too much credit to the DCT - a modern torque converter automatic in a high hp car is probably faster in acceleration because there is no decoupling of the drive train during a shift, which a zero power aerodynamic slowing event (especially in a high downforce vehicle) is a substantial negative.
Once we get the 335/30/20 rear tires on the up level C8, acceleration will be fantastic - I am not as convinced with the smaller width tires on the upcoming base C8 that it will be more than 0.2-0.3 seconds faster 0-60 than the current GS's 3.6 second time
I agree with LIStingray, a “slushbox” torque converter is always connected and those two clutches in a DCT have a finite time, albeit very small, as one releases and the other engages. But a “slushbox” does have to disengage a set of clutches on one gear just before engaging those on the next, albeit again very small time where the DCT is already in the next gear!


I also agree a few more % weight on the rear tires of a ME is a help BUT won’t compensate for the C8 305 section width tires compared to the 335’s on my Grand Sport. The 335 tires are also traction limited even with my LT1, just not as much as the 285’s with on the skinny tire C7 cars.

Skid Row Joe

That's exactly right-on.

.Another truism is that those bleating invariably cannot control their 455/460hp C7s, (if they even have one..).. Which is, eternally funny to me.



.

JerriVette

Since when did FIVE HUNDRED HP become a just 500 hp?

we as consumers are quite lucky during this period in automotive sports car history

jmo

sly1

Just wonder how many drivers have the skill set to utilize "just 500 HP" on the track.