Chevrolet has been promising the addition of a mid-engine Corvette to it’s a long line of Corvettes, and 2020 is the year. Moving from a traditionally front-engine set up to a mid-engine set up was a controversial departure from a long lineage of Corvettes. The choice has not been without some push-back, but whether you like the idea or not, the car has some big expectations to live up to. But now that it has been released, does it keep up with the hype?

Corvette’s are the older generation’s sports car of choice. They are sporty, fast, and affordable, not to mention domestic. They are notorious for their reliability, easy and inexpensive maintenance and can be built to produce a supercar-threating amount of power. Chevrolet has always had these things working in their favor, and the new C8 doesn’t compromise those promises.

The mid-engine design is set to appeal to a younger age of owners, and instill the love of Corvettes within new generations. In doing so, Chevy didn’t just hang original Corvette owners out to dry.

Chevrolet didn’t just tear our hopes and dreams apart by completely redesigning the C8. While many sports car companies are downsizing to smaller motors boosted by turbochargers and superchargers, Chevy chose to stay with the iconic natural aspirated V8 motor that Corvette connoisseurs have come to know and love.

The 2020 C8 is surprisingly affordable, allowing it to maintain its reputation as the ‘every day man’s car’. This is one big plus for many prospective owners but it’s affordability and availability keep this American powerhouse out of the Supercar category.

While automatic transmissions have begun to dominate the market, Chevrolet bowed under the pressure and is only producing an automatic C8. The automatic transmission runs a dual-clutch system, but this isn’t enough to satisfy drivers who are looking for that true ‘driver’s car’.

The interior of the C8 also leaves a lot to be desired. While your eyes may catch on the beautiful leather racing seats, they will quickly turn to a less-than-appetizing center console. Mounted in the dashboard is an awkward and obviously cost-cutting infotainment system that looks somewhat oversized. The thin center console is trimmed on the passenger side with a tall, overwhelming row of buttons that look neither appealing nor easy to access and use.

Regardless of any downfalls, we are excited to start seeing the new mid-engine Corvettes zooming past us down the highway – or even in our own garages.