Standard internet Corvette C8 discussion:

"I never liked Corvettes but now I am willing to donate my left nut to get the C8!"

"Where do you get the other $59,999.99 from?"

"Your momma!"

Chevrolet wants to do one thing with the new Corvette! It wants to attract younger buyers to the brand. The mid-engine layout, crazy bang-for-buck, and frankly, fine styling is the way to go. Right now, if you go to any Corvette forum, you can read similar comments, and "discussions" like the one I've politely copied from another friendly automotive site. Young people are writing this. A lot of them want to donate a nut to get the C8!

That's cool, but I have one more hole to pick to be completely mesmerized by the new mid-engine Corvette! What about its interior? How does it compare with the Corvette C7's interior, and does it finally give some premium-like aura? It needs to if it wants to jumpstart the possible future of Corvette-brand!

C8 Corvette Interior vs. C7 Corvette Interior

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The central part of the dash, generously tilted toward the driver, evokes certain fighter-jet-like cockpit qualities. Fighter jets and F1 cars inspired the basic design of the Corvette C8 interior after all.

Before you reach the ambiance of the novel interpretation of the Corvette's interior, you have to get into this car.

It is easy!

Thanks to aluminum structure, and lack of high rocker panels, the ingress and egress is really easy. More so than in many (if not all), mid-engine cars of today. When you are in, the first thing you see is a massive, 12-inch display behind the steering wheel. Remember the dash on the C7 Corvette? It was a nice one, but the same as in the GM-built, Euro-spec Opel Insignia! I am not even joking!

While the configurable display looks the business, a huge deal in the new 'Vette is the strange steering wheel. It's not round. It's a two-spoke steering wheel, with new multifunctional buttons, and a somewhat sad appearance actually represents a smart solution that can help drivers on the track and during spirited driving. The digital screen directly affected the shape of the steering wheel. The squared shape of it provides an unobstructed view at the display.

Why downward orientated spokes on it?

Well, because you won't be turning lock to lock at all time, but you will turn the steering wheel for only a few degrees in fast bends. With downward orientated spokes you will still have an unobstructed view of the digital instrument cluster.

It's smart thinking and something designers of the C7 Corvette did not think about. Or they did not have any need to think about it, rather.

The Corvette C8 Interior Seems Like Perfectly Evolved Interior From The Corvette C7

According to the first reports from people who sat in the car, including our Editor in Chief, the Corvette C8 offers a completely different view outside compared to the Corvette C7. You cannot see the hood - it is short and leaned forward a bit too much. Even though engineers lowered the dash compared to the C7 as much as possible, parts of the car that you can see outside only include fender bulges above the wheels. When you see it, that's the first time you can feel that the Corvette completely changed. The front wheels and the fenders in the C7 are more than a foot further away from driver than in a C8 Corvette.

Nevertheless, the mid-engine layout did provide enough room in the cabin for you and the passenger to feel perfectly comfortable. Not only that, but you can enjoy a somewhat different view outside, and sit a tad lower, but you can move the seats front and back quite a bit to position them just right. It is something mid-engine cars struggled with for a long time. Not the Vette, it seems.

Chevy ergonomy specialists had one more thing on their mind when designing the interior. They wanted to keep the driver as free of obstructions as possible.

Plus, the central part of the dash, right under the central screen tilted toward the driver finally gives out a premium vibe. It's a much better design compared to the C7 Corvette's central dash segment. Furthermore, the right driver vent now resides under the primary infotainment screen. Not above it. It is a highly appreciated design cue achieved thanks to the integration of the floating display.

While all of this most certainly sounds completely different compared to the C7, the basic layout and framing of the cockpit remain almost the same. Even the "horns" on top of the instrument cluster cover remained the same. It gives a confident acerbic attitude to the Corvette interior I must say.

One more thing. In a conversation with esquire, Tristan Murphy, the Interior Design Manager for Chevrolet noted:

"We wanted to make sure that almost everything you touched wasn’t fake. A premium material that’s hand wrapped.”

So, if something looks like aluminum, it is aluminum. If something looks like leather, it is leather. This is, at least for me, the most crucial facet of the C8 Corvette's interior. It seems rather premium on the pics. That was the primary goal. I hope it will pass the test of time as well.

Chevrolet offered a rather extensive list of personalization options that can make the interior of the 'Vette an even more exciting place.

Options include:

-* Three seat options (base GT1 seats, supercomfortable GT2 seats for long journeys, and Competition Sport seats with thicker bolsters and carbon fiber for the track)

-* Six different interior themes (Jet Black, Sky Cool Gray, Adrenaline Red, Natural/Natural Dipped, Two-Tone Blue, and Morello Red)

-* Suade option for the headliner, doors, and on some trim pieces

-* Carbon fiber inlays

-* Aluminum inlays

-* Six color choices for the seat belts (black, blue, natural, torch red, yellow, and orange)

-* Two stitch options (orange and red)

-* Optional 14-speaker Bose premium audio system (10-speaker Bose premium audio system comes as standard)

-* The front camera and Performance Data Recorder

Where is the wireless charger?

It is a neat piece integrated between the seats and set in an upright position.

Conclusion

The space inside is good, personalization options attractive, and the technology on par with the best cars of today.

And the luggage space, at 357 liters, is decent. Two golf bags fit inside without any issues. Or the roof in the back trunk if you want a bit if open-top motoring.

Compared to the C7 Corvette, the C8 Corvette's interior seems like a much better place to be. You can personalize it as you like, the quality should be on a far higher level than before, and it seems even more driver centered than before. There's one problem, however. The interior you see on the pics in this article belong to the Corvette equipped with the top-level 3LT trim. I wonder what the sub $60k Corvette interior will reveal? Can't wait to see it!



Further reading

Wait, the All-New 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is Priced How Much?!

Read all about the mid-engined Corvette concepts that never made it to production!

Read our speculative review of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Zora ZR1

Read our full review of the 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1

Check out our full review of the 2014-2019 Chevy C7 Corvette