While the Chevrolet Corvette has a long history, the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is a leap ahead of its predecessors. It excels in performance as well as value. MotorTrend loved the car so much that it named it the 2020 MotorTrend Car of the Year. Here’s why the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is amazing enough to be a future classic.

The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette was the 2020 MotorTrend Car of the Year

Redesigned for the 2020 model year, MotorTrend named the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette its Car of the Year. It called the car a “mid-engine masterpiece.” MotorTrend also appreciated that the 2020 Corvette isn’t a sports car just for the superrich. It says, “never before has so much four-wheeled exoticism been attainable for so little money.”

The execution of this new design is also excellent. While this is the first production mid-engine Corvette, concept versions have been in the works since 1959. MotorTrend broke the story that this mid-engine Corvette was being designed back in 2014.

This eighth-generation Corvette is called the C8, and MotorTrend international bureau chief Angus MacKenzie said, “The C8 represents the biggest step change since the original Acura NSX in terms of being a usable everyday mid-engine supercar. It brings the Corvette closer to the Porsche 911 in terms of being an attainable and credible 24/7 supercar than any time since the ’60s.”

This is a potential future classic

MotorTrend feels the eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette “moved the sports car goalposts, changing the game for manufacturers that sell mass-market performance.” This car puts a fabulous and powerful sports car within the reach of the average buyer. MotorTrend believes this trend-setting Corvette will retain its value in the years to come, becoming a classic.

The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette

Quite a lot is different in the redesigned 2020 Chevrolet Corvette when compared to previous models. It’s a very quiet supercar with very little road noise, despite being a mid-engine car with a removable roof. (It is available as either a coupe or a convertible.)

Past Chevy Corvettes were known for cheap interior finishes, but the 2020 Corvette is certainly an upgrade, providing top build quality and comfortable seats. “Not only is the interior clever, and attractive, the ergonomics are very good,” said MotorTrend road test editor Chris Walton. Some of MotorTrend’s judges did think the interior of the Corvette features “too much bling,” but others weren’t bothered by it. The MotorTrend judges were less enamored with the exterior design of the Corvette though. While it has a good shape, there are a lot of unnecessary folds and lines.

MotorTrend gushes about how fantastic the performance of the Corvette is. “Phenomenal performance,” said MotorTrend news editor Alex Nishimoto. The 2020 Corvette has a 6.2-liter V8 engine, producing 490 hp (or 495 hp with the Z51 package), which is located just behind the passenger cabin. With the move to the mid-engine design, the car has more weight placed on the rear axle. This increases traction in the back and improves the Corvette’s power and acceleration, according to Car and Driver. Moving the engine also improves the car’s braking abilities. The Corvette provides a nice, smooth ride as well, and it’s great to drive, offering both aggression and control. It’s easy to drive too.

The C8 Corvette is able to go from 0 to 60 MPH in 2.8 seconds, which is the same as the Ferrari 812 Superfast (a car that costs about $377,000 more). The C8 Corvette is also faster than the C7 Corvette ZR1 was, and the C7 Corvette ZR1 made it to 60 MPH in 3.0 seconds. The C8 Corvette also did the quarter-mile in 11.1 seconds at 123.2 MPH, making it 0.1 seconds faster than the Porsche 911 Carrera S. Its speed is possible in part because of the quick-shifting eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. A manual transmission is not available, says Car and Driver.

It has an excellent braking distance from 60 MPH of just 97 feet. Its figure-eight time is 23.3 seconds, which isn’t as good as the 22.7 seconds from the Porsche 911 Carrera S or the 22.9 seconds from the Chevy Camaro, so there is one spot for the Corvette to be improved.

For technology, the C8 Corvette offers an 8-inch infotainment system touchscreen and also a 12.0-inch reconfigurable gauge display. The car provides Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The climate control buttons are located on a divider between the driver and passenger seats, creating the feel of a driver cockpit. On trims above the base one, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are available advanced safety features.

With a starting price of $59,995, the 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette is less than both the BMW M4 and an equivalent Porsche 911. It excels in the value it offers. As MotorTrend says, “Chevy is selling a supercar for sports car prices.” Buyers looking for a new sports car or supercar should consider the 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette. MotorTrend loved its performance and value, and it’s an easy car to drive every day and a classic in the making.