There’s not much more to add to ^that headline, except that it will not be sold in India. Chevrolet has released images of the interior of the right-hand drive version of the eight-generation Corvette C8 sportscar. With a right-hand drive setup, the Corvette C8 is destined to be launched in Japan, Australia, United Kingdom and other similar markets. But not in India, not unless a miracle happens.
American giant General Motors has not had the best run in India, shutting shop of its Indian subsidiary in 2017 after years of slow growth and mounting losses back home. While its lineup of cars, mostly sourced from its non-US partners, failed to make an impact on the Indian car buyer consistently, there were moments of brilliance from Chevrolet India. From the early Opel models, the Optra, Forester, Beat, Spark and the Tavera, the company has left its mark in the Indian automotive scene.
What Chevrolet India did not capitalise on was its halo car, whose popularity surpassed any mass-market product it ever envisioned for the market - the Corvette. There was a very logical reason for this, the Corvette was never designed with right-hand drive markets in mind as it was only ever bought in large numbers by the proud citizen of the United States of America. That changed with the Corvette C8.
Everything about the eighth-generation Corvette is completely new. Unlike the previous seven generations which employed a front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout, the C8 uses a mid-engined, rear-wheel setup for that classic sportscar driving characteristics. With most of the complicated bits moved behind the occupants and limiting transmission options to just a eight-speed dual-clutch unit the cabin was freed up for easy modifications - including a right-hand drive layout. Like all Corvette C8s, the right-hand models will be assembled at GM’s Bowling Green facility in Kentucky, USA.
The all-new Corvette C8 is powered by a mid-mounted 6.2-litre, naturally-aspirated ‘LT2’ V8 engine developing 489bhp and 630Nm. An optional Z51 performance package bumps power to 495bhp and torque to 637Nm, this combo does the 0-100kmph run in “under three seconds”.
Like Ford with the Mustang, Chevrolet could have had at least one aspirational product in India in the form of the new Corvette C8. But Chevrolet India is dead, and so are the dreams of owning a piece of a growling American sportscar machine.
