What Exterior Color Options Did We Not See on the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette at Launch?

When we attended the launch of the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette we only saw the new mid-engined Stingray in four of the available colors. They’re all fine choices and each gives the car a unique vibe and look, yet this limited selection only constituted about 25 percent of all available color options. So which ones were not present?

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Torch Red

Well, let’s begin with the colors we did see. The most striking of all cars shown was the Torch Red C8 with the Z51 pack and black accents (the front splitter, rear spoiler, and rims). Many have said the new C8 is gunning for Ferrari territory, and it really doesn’t get more Ferrari-esque than an example finished in this color combo. Maybe hold the black accents to make it just a bit more understated, and it could definitely pass for a Prancing Horse from a distance.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Elhard Lake Blue Metallic

Next up was the blue car - this darker of the two available blues is called Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic, and it really suits the car. We only saw the car indoors, but we’ve seen photos of C8s finished in this particular color, and it really pops in the sunlight - when natural light hits this finish, you can really see that it’s metallic (much more so than you can under artificial interior lighting).

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Zeus Bronze Metallic

Zeus Bronze Metallic is an all-new color for the Corvette. It is essentially a shade of brown, but with a reddish hint to add a bit of extra visual interest. This color may be new (and quite unusual) for a Corvette, but it’s actually a color that you can have on some Cadillac models. On Cadillacs, it’s called Bronze Sand Metallic and, apparently, its code is identical to this new C8 color. I’m really curious how many people will order a brown Vette, but those that do will have a very rare color; the color looks really good on a Cadillac CTS-V with contrasting black accents, so maybe it will compliment the C8’s shapes well too.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Arctic White

The final color that we got to see the new Vette in is Arctic White, which is pretty straightforward. It’s just pure white, and it actually looks surprisingly good on the car, although some of the more obvious color options do make it stand out a lot more. Maybe it will pop if this paint option is paired with gloss black rims and Z51 elements - the black/white contrast usually works wonders, and I’m sure it will do the same for the C8.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic

Moving to the colors we’ve so far only seen in the online configurator, we have Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic, which is really just a very light shade of grey with some metal flake action to spice it up a bit. As with all metallic paint jobs, it will probably look really good out in the sunlight and a bit flat under other (less direct or bright) lighting conditions.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Blade Silver Metallic

Then there is what Chevrolet calls Blade Silver Metallic - there’s nothing especially noteworthy about this particular color. It is about as close to a generic automotive silver as it gets - that’s not to say it looks bad on the new Vette, and I’m sure many buyers might be tempted by this particular color because it hides dirt really well and should theoretically require fewer trips to the car wash.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Shadow Gray Metallic

Next is Shadow Gray Metallic, a dark metallic grey that really gives the new Vette a distinctly stealthy look. It is probably the color that allows the C8 to pass by as discretely as possible. This is a color option for those who don’t really want to stand out as much, although since it is a metallic color finish, it’s not as subtle as it could be. But, then again, who would not want to be seen in the new (and very desirable) C8?

Now for all colors detailed above, you are not required to pay extra, yet for the last four that I’ll be mentioning below, you do. On the current C7 Corvette Stingray, the Premium colors, as they are called, add an extra $995 to the car’s price.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Long Beach Red Metallic

Long Beach Red Metallic Tincoat is not a new color for a Corvette. It’s also available on the C7, and it’s really quite special. Indoor, under artificial light, it looks quite reddish-brown, but roll it into direct sunlight, and it transforms into a brilliant shade of brownish-red, very similar to the mineral known as Carnelian. People really seem to like this finish on the C7, and there’s no reason why it won’t look just as brilliant on the new generation Corvette.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Sebring Orange Tincoat

The second premium color option is also not new, and it’s called Sebring Orange Tincoat. It is about as striking a shade of orange as you’ll ever get to see on any car and, while it worked with the C7’s body and didn’t seem that out of place, chances are the more exotic-like look of the new C8 Corvette will lend itself to this color even better - it may even look like a genuine exotic finished in this color. This is probably my pick out of all the others, simply because I think it not only genuinely looks good on the C8, but it’s also quite fitting given that a Corvette has never been closer to being an actual exotic.

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Accelerate Yellow

The third optional color is called Accelerate Yellow, and it essentially replaces the Corvette Racing Yellow Tintop finish available on the C7 Corvette. This is the color you go for if you really want your C8 to stand out, especially if orange just doesn’t do it for you and you want something a bit lighter. This color, just like the one above, really lends the new C8 the look of a genuine exotic car - it’s not exactly Ferrari’s Giallo Modena shade of yellow, but it’s pretty close and, just like Torch Red, it could help the C8 Corvette be confused for a Ferrari (from a distance, of course).

2020 Chevy C8 Corvette in Rapid Blue

Last but not least is Rapid Blue. According to some reports, this color won’t be available from the start of C8 Corvette Stingray sales, but it will be made available at some point after. It doesn’t appear to be a metallic color - it just looks glossy from the configurator photos. It’s also lighter than the other of the available blues and, for lack of a better color to compare it to, to my eyes it looks a lot like the Nitrous Blue color that Ford made available on the last Focus RS hot hatch. The Corvette color might be a bit more blue than Ford's color, but I’m pretty sure they’re very similar.

Other Things to Consider About the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette

Colors aside, buyers will also be able to opt for three different roof options: body color, transparent (featuring an actual glass part), and visible carbon fiber. Two wheel designs will also be available: the open-spoke design finished in either Bright Silver, Carbon Flash (dark gray) or Performance Pewter and the trident spoke design sold in Spectra Gray, Sterling Silver, or black - a total of six different wheels to choose from.

Buyers will also be able to choose the color of the brake calipers. Based on what we saw at the C8 Corvette's reveal venue, the standard calipers are red (but you can opt for yellow ones), and if you go for the Z51 pack that adds bigger front rotors and calipers, you’ll be able to choose to have those finished in black, Edge Red and Bright Red.