Pitting the C8 Corvette Against Its C7 Predecessor on the Track

Car & Driver ran the track with the optional Z51 Performance Package, adaptive shocks, 8-speed automatics…and stability control switched off.

Car & Driver recently compared the Corvette C7 to the C8 on the track, and their report is one hell of a fascinating read. Now that the new mid-engine, eighth-gen Corvette is finally here in the flesh (er, carbon fiber and aluminum) the automotive press is having a field day testing the sparkly new machine in a range of venues, from street driving to track sessions. The results have pretty much been universally positive for the C8, which is getting high marks for its terrifically balanced handling thanks to its mid-mounted V8 paired with the usual impressive acceleration we’ve come to expect from a Corvette.

Car & Driver‘s Senior Online Editor Rich Ceppos and his crew hauled a new 2020 C8 Corvette and 2019 C7 to Grattan Raceway in Michigan for some serious track driving. According to Ceppos, in order to keep things as even-steven as possible, both examples were fitted with the factory optional Z51 Performance Package, awesome adaptive shocks, and 8-speed automatic transmissions, with the C8  running its new dual-clutch unit.

Super sticky Michelin summer tires were fitted to both, though the C8 was fitted with the latest and greatest Pilot Sport 4S tires and the C7 had to make due with some older Pilot Super Sports.

Naturally, stability control was switched off to allow more driver control at the limit and so that they could detect “even the most minute chassis difference.” And, per the owner’s manuals of both cars, the pit crew adjusted the suspension for additional negative camber that would optimize handling for race track driving.

As the two cars headed onto the track, the assumption was that–from an engineering perspective–the new-tech C8 should have the edge over the old school, front-engine C7. So, was Car & Driver correct in their theory?

#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
}
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Both cars were driven about a dozen laps on the aging Grattan’s asphalt and when the sessions were up, there was a clear winner: The mid-engine 2020 C8 Corvette took top honors with a best lap time of 1:26.1. The best that the C7 did was a 1:27.0. Granted, that’s only a one-second difference. But a win is a win, and the C8’s superior engineering approach is obviously paying dividends.

The C8 was faster than its C7 stablemate in a few key areas of the track. For instance, the C8 flashed across the finish line as the C7 was just rounding the last corner onto the main straight. The C8 was also able to brake later into corners and accelerate out of said corners sooner, thanks in large part to its better chassis balance.

The C8 also topped out at 142 mph, two mph more than the C7. The mid-engine marvel also generated higher G-forces through corners and in braking. Perhaps most importantly though is the fact that the close times don’t explain the biggest advantage that the C8 has, which is that it is far easier to drive fast.

“It cuts more cleanly into turns, and its rear tires are more planted exiting them; the C7’s tail is nervous and twitchy by comparison,” wrote Ceppos. He concludes the article with high praise for the new mid-engine monster from Chevy. “Indeed, the C8 feels as approachable on the track as it does on the road,” he notes. “That’s a rare combination, one worthy of respect. The C8 has ours.” You can add us to that no doubt rapidly growing list as well.

Photos: Car & Driver

.