DETROIT — Ever since Chevrolet promised in July that the 2020 Corvette would accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds from just 495 hp, sports car fans, gearheads and others have been trying to solve the puzzle. How did Corvette engineers achieve such speed when most other performance cars need around 700 hp for that level of performance? The Shelby Mustang GT 500, for example, goes from 0 to 60 in 3.3 seconds from 760 hp. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat takes 3.4 seconds from 707 hp.
Now we know. In a press briefing last week at GM's performance and racing center in Pontiac, Mich., GM engineers explained how they focused on maximum efficiency in all areas of the car's Chevrolet small block V-8, from the way it breathes to the way the oil circulates through the 6.2-liter engine. Weight reduction also plays a key role.
"Moving more weight over the rear wheels helps us get off the line quicker, but it's the integration between the powertrain and chassis that really takes the performance to new levels," Alex MacDonald, Chevrolet vehicle performance manager, said in a statement.
Separately, GM said last week that production of the midengine Corvette is delayed by the UAW's 40-day strike. Production was to begin in Bowling Green, Ky., by the end of 2019 but has been postponed to February.
