The new C8.R trades its booming exhaust for big speed
It seems like there is a regular trickle of details and teasers coming from the C8 Corvette camp—some being more cryptic than others. In a recently posted YouTube video, we’re able to feast our ears on what appears to be a C8.R testing in darkness at Sebring Raceway.
The clip is just under two minutes long, but the car passes by enough times to get a good view of the overall shape and taillight outlines. However, we are more curious about the powerplant. A previous clip had an exhaust note that our ears pinned wondering if power came from a blasphemous V-6, but this latest clip has turned our suspicions in a different direction.
Given the relatively low shift point, along with how far the driver draws the engine down in the corners, we are thinking a flat-plane crankshaft V-8 supplemented by a pair of turbochargers. It certainly doesn’t sound like the outgoing C7.R, which boasted classic pushrod architecture and booming exhaust note, making it all too obvious as to who was passing you.
For now, it is all speculation. The car looks fast, but there’s not much in frame to provide perspective on its true speed. Sounds like we’ll have to wait a bit longer for real details.
