How to Properly Break In a New C8 Corvette

Whenever your C8 Corvette arrives, you’ll need this document to make sure your ride is ready for the long road trips to come.

The madness of March is upon us! Time sprang forward an hour, the spring equinox will lead us to longer days, and the first Corvettes of the C8 era will, at last, arrive at Chevy dealerships around the country. You might be one of the many waiting to pick up your Corvette.

What will do once you turn up at the dealership, though? If a big, smoky burnout is off the lot is what you had in mind, you might want to wait. One of our Corvette Forum forum moderators, Zymurgy, posted a few guides related to the all-new C8 Corvette. This includes a handy guide to breaking in your ride.

For the first 1,500 miles, you’ll be working towards building your Corvette into a fun machine. The first steps involve brakes and tires. For the first 200 of the 1,500 miles, no burnouts, no hard braking, and no hard cornering. Moderation is key, in speed and stopping.

During the first 500 of the 1,500 miles, cruise control stays off, and sticking to one speed is not advised. You’ll also want to avoid (again) hard, abrupt stops, and exceeding 4,000 rpm. This all to stretch out your Corvette’s new 6.2-liter LT2 V8 for the fun to come.

Once you’ve crossed the 500-mile break-in milestone, you’ve got 1,000 miles to go before your Corvette’s first track day. Before then, Chevrolet recommends you check your ‘Vette’s oil every time you fuel up. The LT2 is likely using more oil during the break-in period, meaning you’ll be pouring a few quarts more often. Better to have that problem than a borked V8 blowing up on your local track (or on the way).

After the first 1,500 miles are logged on the odometer, you and your C8 Corvette are ready to let it all hang out. How long it takes to get to that magic milestone is up to you. Once you cross the finish line, though, it’ll be a moment worth treasuring for all time.

Photos: Chevrolet