YouTuber Gets In-depth Look at Corvette C8.R

Chevy Dude host didn’t actually ‘see everything,’ but he nonetheless gives viewers an in-depth look at the C8.R. 

Planet Earth is still recuperating from the introduction of the 2020 C8 Corvette. Chevy completely changed the paradigm for sports cars going forward. Rival automakers are most likely scrambling to develop an answer to the C8. How long will it take for them to catch up? Who knows. Several years, if not longer.

There’s another C8-derived vehicle on the horizon though. The Corvette C8.R will usher in a new era of racing at GM. We’ll see what the C8.R is capable of at Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. But until then, videos like the one posted by Chevy Dude host Mike Davenport will have to tide us over until then. Davenport concocted a hyperbolic title for the video: “The Door was Unlocked!!! I have Seen Everything!” Despite that, it’s still worth watching him give viewers a tour of the car.

C8.R 101

Davenport traveled to SEMA 2019 to see the Corvette C8.R. Almost immediately, he shows someone else’s recording of the C8.R exiting its trailer. It’s a smart choice because that exhaust note sounds absolutely incredible. This particular C8.R technically isn’t an actual model because it’s a prototype. That being said, the production models will most likely resemble what Chevy brought to the show. Davenport explains that the C8.R’s 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 takes 45 minutes to heat up. “They have a little diesel engine that pumps air and heat into that [area], goes back to the engine, and for 45 minutes it takes them to do that. That’s when they can fire this car up,” says Davenport. Pretty cool stuff.

Another fun fact pointed out by Davenport is the different shades of yellow on the hood. The large yellow stripes are not available on any production Corvette. According to Davenport it’s the slightly darker shade of yellow surrounding them that matches what buyers will be able to purchase once the Corvette is available.

Davenport thoroughly examines the C8.R’s passenger side as well. We get good shots of where Chevy decided to let additional air pass through the car, most notably around the hood and out back. Those openings are way more aggressive than what you’ll find on a production Corvette. Davenport takes stock of the side skirts too. That’s because he’s thinking about what he’d like to put on his future C8. “I do want some side skirts for my car when it gets here and I want really, really aggressive ones,” says Davenport. That would indeed be pretty cool, especially if someone does what he suggests and turns out some carbon fiber versions.

C8.R Cabin Clickbait

The video somewhat relies on the anticipation of seeing what’s inside the C8.R’s cabin. Unfortunately, Davenport doesn’t get any details from his walk-around of the car. Chevy obviously didn’t want anyone seeing their interior-secrets, so they blacked out the windows. The team took things a bit further with the window over the engine bay. “This isn’t even window tint. This is Carbon Flash Metallic vinyl wrap,” says Davenport. No scoops here, but it’s pretty cool to see a rear window wrapped in vinyl.

Around back, we get a good look at the spoiler and the yellow painted stripes on the trunk. The spoiler is massive. Davenport remarks about the slits on the spoiler’s support arms and isn’t sure why they exist. It’s highly likely that Chevy constructed mounts inside the trunk, which is why the cut-outs are necessary. The spoiler could also be an active aero unit, which would also explain the slits.

Davenport continues to take viewers on an exterior tour of the C8.R while commenting on its appearance. Towards the end of the video, he successfully opens the driver’s side door and flirts with the idea of filming what’s inside. Fortunately, he decides against it. A wise decision, as he almost certainly would’ve been kicked out and banned from future GM events and promotions for doing it. In any event, Davenport’s exterior tour of the C8.R is worth watching, especially since we don’t have much in the way of details about the dedicated racer just yet.

.