C8 - Captain America

Pimp car, plastic bomber, dragstrip queen - the image of the Corvette is traditionally difficult and for decades the mother of all American sports cars was considered a crude power man, whose poor impression was only surpassed by the bad reputation of the owner. But with the move to the seventh generation at the latest, the US legend has blossomed into a serious sports car. And when the eighth edition of the icon is on its way here in the USA at a bargain price of almost $ 60.000 and in the spring of 2021 for an estimated 100.000 euros, it can even compete with Ferrari & Co more than ever.

To achieve this, the Americans took a revolutionary step and, after almost 70 years, turned the construction principle upside down. For the first time, the engine is no longer mounted in front of the occupants, but just behind it, just like with Ferrari, Lamborghini or McLaren. In theory, in addition to a significantly changed design with a shorter bow and a clearly larger format with more wheelbase and wider hips, this means above all a lower center of gravity, a weight distribution shifted backwards with less load on the steering and more traction on the rear axle and, on top of that, one Better overview because you no longer have to squint over the engine.

In practice, this brings one thing above all: you are significantly faster with the C8. Maybe not necessarily on the straight, where the predecessor was difficult to beat. But in curves. Because the Corvette is not only easier to steer than before, but above all it can be positioned more precisely. Regardless of whether it's a fast country road or a racetrack, the car turns in faster, stays closer to the ideal line and therefore reaches its destination more quickly.

The only thing that the Americans cannot offer is the explosive propulsion of the competitors - even if the bare numbers with about three seconds for the sprint and a top speed of almost 320 km / h speak another language. After all, Chevrolet instigated another revolution for this and installed a double clutch for the first time. But the 8-liter V6,2, which is still run as a small block with an unusual understatement, just needs a little while to get up to speed and to fully exploit its 369 kW / 495 PS and more of 637 Nm. Then, however, as a classic vacuum cleaner, it turns higher and runs more pleasurably than all the turbos that are now installed at Ferrari & Co. Only its sound sounds somehow constricted and even in track mode there is still plenty of chalk in the four tailpipes that have been pushed out again.

The second face of the Corvette is all the more astonishing in view of this pronounced tendency to perform. Because more than most other cars in its league, the US legend is also suitable for everyday life: if you turn back into tour mode with the small wheel under the palm rest in the huge center tunnel, the C8 drives back-friendly and surprisingly quiet for hours on the highways and iron even the worst transverse joints there. From curve to curve or from coast to coast - that hardly makes a difference in this car. It is not for nothing that even with the coupé you can always remove a piece of the roof and cruise with an unobstructed view of the sky - even if there is a convertible again a few weeks after the start of sales of the closed model, which - another premiere for the Corvette retractable hardtop.

The suitability for everyday use also applies not only to driving behavior, but also to the comparatively generous amount of space in the cabin and the two luggage compartments in the bow and stern, as well as to the ambience: the days when the Corvette smelled of bad plastic are finally over. There are also digital instruments, a solid head-up display and a large touchscreen and, for the first time, security features such as the cross-traffic assistant or a blind spot warning. Incidentally, this is just as unnecessary as the digital rear view mirror, with which the Americans effectively compensate for the poor rear view. Because in the eighth generation you have to look back less often than ever, because someone could be mistaken to overtake the Corvette.