Corvette makes Aussie track debut

Ahead of its arrival in Australia and New Zealand later this year, Chevrolet’s Corvette has made its public debut down under and was put through its paces at The Bend in SA.

Craig Lowndes was behind the wheel for the new, eighth-generation (aka C8) Corvette’s dynamic debut in Australia, piloting a left-hand drive example on a demonstration run in front of thousands of fans who were at The Bend on 8-9 May for the Supercars round.

The three-time Australian Touring Car Champion and seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner described the mid-engined 6.2-litre V8 sports coupe as “stunning”.

“I know that what I did was a "demonstration run", but I gave it a workout. I think it was a bit over 240km into turn one, and coupled with the paddle shift, the car all works extremely smoothly,” Lowndes commented.

"Corvette is an iconic car, understandably there is huge interest in this exciting new model and there is massive anticipation building - we have every expectation it will more than live up to its legendary status."

Joanne Stogiannis, General Manager, GMSV, echoed Lowndes’s words.

“Anticipation is building ahead of the C8’s launch in Australia and New Zealand and seeing it in the flesh for the first time - albeit it very briefly - will only add to the increasing levels of excitement,” said Stogiannis.

“Staging its first glimpse at the track speaks to our racing heritage and also provides a reminder of the legendary performance credentials of the Corvette.”

Aus Market Features

According to General Motors Special Vehicles (GMSV), who will import and retail the Corvette in Australia, the first shipment of right-hand drive units from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky will arrive here before the end of 2021.

All Corvettes coming to Australia and New Zealand will feature the Z51 Performance Package and Front Lift feature as standard.

Optional in the US, the Z51 Performance Package adds a heavy-duty cooling system and dual-mode performance exhaust to the 6.2-litre V8, as well as an electronic LSD, performance rear axle ratio, larger Brembo brakes and performance suspension with Magnetic Ride Control. Aerodynamics are enhanced, too, with the addition of a front splitter and rear spoiler.

Front Lift uses the adaptive suspension to raise the front end of the vehicle by 5cm at low speeds to clear speed bumps, driveway entries and other minor obstacles. At speeds under 38km/h, Front Lift can be engaged and disengaged with the push of a button, but if speed rises above 38km/h when the front end is raised, it’ll lower automatically.