C8 Corvette Tuning: Hunting For More

Top angle side view of a white c8 corvette stingray at the New York Auto Show.

The C8 Corvette already has a slew of aftermarket parts to increase power!

Topics discussed:

C8 Corvette

Side angle view of an orange c8 corvette stingray hard top convertible at the New York Auto Show.

The Corvette lineup stretches back to the 1950s, often referred as a mainstay of performance-car culture. And, the current C8 model takes this culture to the next level at an affordable price tag. Furthermore, the performance and precise handling of this car makes it a track day darling, but its ride over rough stretches is incredibly smooth. Also, the corvette C8 is comfortable enough for daily use. 

As the C8 Corvette is now being mid-engined, people usually wonder how capable it is as compared to the older front-engine platform. Here, we will take a look at the Corvette C8’s specs, its advantages over the older front-engine platform, and the various custom parts to make it faster and louder.

C8 Corvette Specifications

Rear side angle view of an orange c8 corvette stingray hard top convertible at the New York Auto Show.

The Corvette C8 gets a 6.2L V-8 engine, capable of producing up to 495 hp and 470 pound-feet of torque. It comes with an eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission that allows the car to achieve a top speed of 194 MPH. Also, it can accelerate from 0-60 MPH in just 3 seconds and 0-100MPH in 6.7 seconds. It can stop from 60-0 MPH in 106 feet.

This car offers a fuel economy of 15 MPG city, 27 MPG highway, and earns a combined EPA fuel economy rating of 19 MPG. Furthermore, the Corvette C8 features a futuristic interior, equipped with leather, real metal trim, imitation suede, along with a fancy stitched headliner.  

Talking about the wheels, the Corvette C8 gets 19 inches front alloy wheels and 20 inches alloy wheels at the rear from Michelin. Rear-wheel drive is standard for all the variants. The car also has an astonishing aluminum body structure.

How Mid-Engine Placement Helped the C8 Corvette with Performance?

side angle view of a white C8 Corvette stingray with random people observing it at the New York Auto Show.

Since its inception, the Corvette always had three core attributes: front engine, rear wheel drive and fiberglass bodywork. From the first ever Blue Flame inline six-cylinder corvette to the stunning 755 hp Corvette ZR1, the Chevrolet has always followed their basic formula. But the C8 Corvette gets a new engine placement to the middle, behind the passenger seats. 

Does engine placement really matter? Well, it does matter for multiple reasons, especially in case of the high-performance cars. Usually, this practice is done to enhance the braking and handling of the car. Shifting the engine rearward puts more weight on the rear axle. This results in a higher rear-end traction and allows the car to put down more power and accelerate quickly.

Moreover, when you make powerful engines with more horsepower and torque, the overall mass of the car also increases. In this case, the worst thing you can do is putting less weight on the rear wheels and maximum weight on the front wheels. As, the C8 Corvette gets a more powerful engine and a heavier body design so it was necessary to change the engine placement. 

Additionally, a mid-engine layout also enhances braking capability of the car. This is because, additional weight helps the rear brakes do more of the stopping. Also, the mid-engine placement reduces the polar movement of inertia, so the mass of the Corvette C8 is now more centralized as compared to the front-engine Corvette. This contributes to the overall handling of the car and allows it to change directions with ease. 

Aside from performance, mid-engine layout provides a different look to the vehicle. Moreover, it enables the car to have a steeper hoodline and improved forward visibility. And, we can say that mid-engine placement makes the Corvette C8 a true supercar that promises exhilarating performance on the road as well as track, though the electronics can isolate the driver. 

Custom Parts to Enhance C8 Corvette Performance

Tire and rim shot of a c8 corvette stingray showing brake rotors and calipers at the New York Auto Show.

Procharger:

Procharger is one of the first supercharger manufacturer, offering intercooled kits for the Chevrolet Corvette lineup. With the Procharger accessories, you can add extra 180-225 horsepower to your Corvette C8. Doesn’t it sound fascinating? The car that’s winning the hearts of almost every car enthusiast with the performance figures can now get a massive boost in the performance. So, if you are a true car enthusiast and speed freak then it would be great idea to upgrade your Corvette with this amazing Procharger kit.

Procharger offers three major tuner kits for the Corvette C8:

Borla Exhaust:

Rear view of a white C8 Corvette stingray with random people observing it at the New York Auto Show.

Borla Exhaust is a popular aftermarket exhaust system brand. They offer a variety of exhaust systems for different types of cars, known for delivering the highest quality products. You can upgrade your Corvette C8 with these exhausts to make it even louder and stand out from the crowd. Also, these exhausts will enhance your car’s overall look, so it will definitely attract everyone’s attention towards it. 

The Borla Exhaust’s S-Type Exhaust system may cost you between $4,000 to $5,000 depending upon the type and color of the exhaust. 

Concluding Thoughts

Front face view of a c8 corvette stingray at the New York Auto Show.

This was a detailed overview of the Corvette C8’s specifications and performance. Also, we have discussed the various reasons the changing the engine’s position. 

In the end, we can say that Corvette is an absolute beast when it comes to performance and comfort, the best thing is that it is affordable as well. However, some people may want to upgrade its performance to the maximum capacity, so you may consider using some aftermarket custom parts as mentioned above to enhance the performance of your Corvette C8. 

So, would you rather keep the C8 stock because it has more than enough stock power or you are power-hungry?

author avatar
Javaughn Barrow
Hello! My name is Javaughn Barrow, a young car enthusiast who writes all the articles for Karcandy.com. I’ve written over 50 articles about automobiles. With each article, I deepen my understanding and expertise in writing and the automotive world. Ever since childhood, I’ve always had a strong passion for cars. All types shapes and sizes were interesting to me. I’d spend most of my time after school researching cars and the more I found out about them the more exciting it was. In my teens, I created a fan page about corvettes posting content at least ten times a day! Yes, I was crazy about it. The page ended up garnering over 40k followers! After a while, I wanted more than a fan page. I wanted to express my passion differently. I wanted to create more helpful content, higher-quality content. My first car was a 2013 VW CC Sport. Learned very quickly car ownership wasn’t as expected. I spent a lot of time replacing control arms, cam position sensors, brake rotors, brake pads, etc. Walking away with more information than I knew before. As I was growing in my automotive journey I was learning about writing. Starting by writing a detailed outline about 300 words long then I would pay a professional to write a full 1000-word article and learn from them getting familiar with the process of writing. The moment I realized I could use my writing skills to express my passion for cars and help people simultaneously, I started Karcandy.com. I realized with my unique perspective coupled with my hard work discipline and work ethic I can create a space online to help bridge the gap between the complicated and simple in the automotive world. I’m motivated by the challenges and work it will take to create such a space. My work ethic is something I choose to refine and make better each day. I think it’s important to push myself and stay committed to my evolution as a human and this website is only one of the results of that.