Chevy Says It's Not Bringing the 2020 C8 Corvette to the Detroit Auto Show

TopSpeed

By Michael Fira

Published Dec 11, 2018

You'll have to ride the hype train a bit longer before the new 'Vette reveals itself

Were you expecting to see the mid-engine Corvette C8 at the Detroit Auto Show in January? Well, hold your breath no more because it's not going to happen. When reached to comment about whether or not something will be unveiled at the 2019 North-American International Auto Show, GM stated that there's nothing planned for the Chevrolet brand - something that's leaving everyone frustrated.

The rumor mill's been going and going at an unimaginable speed when it comes to the upcoming Corvette generation. It's no wonder when you think that it's been the wet dream of Zora Arkus-Duntov himself to see a mid-engine Corvette in showrooms and now it's finally about to happen. But the unveiling won't happen, as many were hoping, at the final Detroit Auto Show to be held in January. Instead, the only new car that will come from the whole GM stable should be Cadillac's XT6 crossover. Not really something to cause a massive stir like the Corvette would have done.

No Corvette, no party at next year's NAIAS

The Detroit Auto Show will take place in just a few weeks but don't expect to see the grand reveal of the first mid-engine Corvette happen in Motor City. GM Authority reports that they asked GM about it and, plainly, they said that no new cars will be in the limelight at Chevy's stand. Having heard that, The Drive also reached out to GM about a possible timeframe for the C8's release to which they got this tight-lipped response: "We have nothing to announce in terms of timing for reveal of any additional future product."

So, basically, the news is that there's no news. We don't know when the C8 will drop, but GM Authority suggests the New York Auto Show that kicks off on March 30th could be where the new C8 will be seen publically for the first time without any camo. That makes sense because the original C1 Corvette was showcased for the first time during the Motorama show in New York, in 1953. Then again, before the New York Auto Show there's the Chicago Auto Show in February which could also see the release of this highly-anticipated supercar that should take on the best that Europe, and the rest of the motoring world, has to offer.

While we kick back and wait for more on the new Corvette's release date - since it might happen in a standalone event - let's check out what's new in the rumor mill. GM Authority suggests that a DOHC V-8 will indeed be available on the production model - remember the noise of the C8.R? - but an improved version of the LT1 V-8 could be retained. Some say the LT1 will push out about 520 horsepower and could come under the hood of the 'Manta Ray' version.

To add to all that, there are claims that the DOHC engine will be a close relative to Cadillac's new Blackwing LTA V-8. This unit could be the one powering a more luxurious Corvette C8 that might bear the name 'Grand Tour'. Sportier Z06/Grand Sport versions should arrive by 2021 if the base model will be unveiled this year and they should sport a twin-turbo setup. Nothing is official at the moment so take everything with a few pinches of salt.

GM's announcement that there are no car launches planned for Chevrolet follows the news that a few high-end European brands won't be making the trip to Detroit. Audi announced all the way back in May that the four rings won't be seen at the 2019 NAIAS and the same goes for both BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Let's see if a date change will help the show revigorate and, if it does, at what cost. But, before the 2020 edition comes around, remember that the highly-anticipated Toyota Supra will be unveiled at next year's edition as well as the 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the 2020 Ford Explorer.

No Corvette, no party at next year's NAIAS

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