See Chevy Corvette C8 Rip A 10-Second Quarter-Mile On Drag Tires
When the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette was unveiled, the automaker said adopting a mid-engine configuration was the only way America’s sports car could go faster. That seems to be absolutely true, as the base model C8 Stingray is just as fast to 60 mph as the range-topping C7, the 755-horsepower Corvette ZR1. Bolt up a set of drag radials, and it’s even faster.
By now we’ve seen a few videos of Corvettes at the drag strip. This particular video from Complete Street Performance on YouTube is a bit different, in that the car rips a 10-second quarter-mile blast in bone stock trim. By that, we mean the mechanicals are said to be factory stock, but this C8 is running a set of sticky drag tires. That extra grip combined with more weight on the back wheels is a win-win combination for hard launches, as this clip clearly shows.
The racing takes place at Cecil County Dragway in Maryland, which is only 340 feet above sea level. That means naturally aspirated engines have plenty of oxygen to breathe, and this Corvette makes the most of it on several runs. The very first past was actually the best of them all, delivering an elapsed time of 10.92 seconds at 124.95 mph. On that run, the Corvette winkled the pavement with a 1.61 60-foot time.
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This wasn’t merely a test and tune session, however. The C8 pilot entered a bracket racing competition, where running consistent times with quick off-the-line reactions are necessary to win. The Corvette won the first round and then the second round, with times slowing to 11 seconds flat in the heat of the day and shorter breaks between runs. The C8 makes it to the final round, but does the driver triumph in the end? We’ll let the video tell that story.
Though impressive, these 0-60 and quarter-mile times aren’t far off from Chevrolet’s official numbers of 2.9 seconds and 11.2 seconds. As more powerful factory Corvettes arrive in the years to come, it should quite exciting to see just how fast the C8 ultimately goes.
