Inside the 2020 C8 Corvette with Product Manager Harlan Charles | Sons of Speed

This is Brendan Appel with Sons of Speed. I'm here with Harlan Charles. He's the

product

manager

for Corvette and we have the exclusive chance to talk to you here today on the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Corvette Museum, and you just gave a great presentation on the new C8. So I have some questions for you. I saw a slide, I think it was yesterday or the day before, that when C7 was being presented you were already working on C8. HC: Oh, yes. SoS: So when did the c8 start to be developed? HC: Well, it depends on how you talk about it.

When did we start working on a mid-engine concept? I mean we proposed, I mean, I worked on a proposal in 2005, in fact, that would have been the seventh generation car. In fact, at one point we had a program approved for the seventh generation car to be a mid-engined car. But, as you know, things happened at GM (financial problems) so the program was shelved. So, we had permission to, "Well, what can be done to update the sixth generation car?", and as you know, we started small and ended up making a completely new car, anyway, for the seventh generation. that became the seven.

But we always knew we were going to go back to the mid-engine concept. It's really our dream. SoS: When you launched the C7, what stage of development was the C8 car at that time? HC: At that point, we were starting to restart it again. We were doing, as you may have seen in the presentation, we were doing architectural studies trying to find the right wheelbase, just the basics of the car: what the wheelbase would be, the length, all that, the packaging, things like that. We were just beginning to think when we launched the seventh generation. SoS: Now, the C7 car made heavy use of plastics, carbon fiber, and I say plastics, I mean, you know, composite panels.

Not much... Was there fiberglass in the 7th generation car? HC: Well, the term composite (many people call it fiberglass) is an older term, but it is, you know, composite. But the most important thing we did with the seventh generation that enabled this new car was to switch to an aluminum chassis and frame for the entire car. So we moved the Bowling Green assembly factory to be able to make internal aluminum frames, and that was a big enabler because we wanted, we knew we wanted that for the mid-engine car, so we got that, even though the frames are Quite different, but just getting that experience and being able to make aluminum here in Bowling Green was a big step on that path.

SoS: Now, what about that aluminum subframe? You can see it on display here, all the different pieces that went into the engineering. As Tadge likes to say, that's the part that excites engineers: the absence of body panels. What are all the panels made of? Are they all the same material or is it something like the c7 where you have different panels and different materials? Are some of them carbon fiber? So. Can you explain to us what the different exterior panels are made of? HC: Yes, Corvette, from the beginning, since 1953, has a history of innovation and materials with fiberglass, but yes, there are different types of composites throughout the car.

Obviously, the fascias have more flexibility than the bumpers, and then the side panels are more rigid. We have a carbon fiber roof available (a carbon fiber roof panel) and for the first time in the structure (it's actually the rear part, the rear bumper beam) it is carbon fiber. So we've actually added - we've started to leak some carbon fiber structure into the aluminum structure. SoS: Is the painted roof panel that comes with the car standard? Is it also carbon fiber but painted like the C7? HC: So the standard is composite, and then we have transparent carbon and then we have visible carbon.

SoS: Is there a weight difference between the transparent roof and the visible carbon fiber roof, which is the option? Yes, the standard roof weighs about 15 and a half pounds, the carbon fiber weighs about 14, and the clear weighs about 17, so it's a little heavier, but they're all very easy for one person to get in and out of. car and in the trunk, you know, removable. It's something you can do yourself. So they are all relatively lightweight and in fact even the standard roof is lighter than the previous generation roof. SoS: I think the roof on the previous generation weighs 11 pounds on the... because it's painted carbon fiber.

HC: 16. SoS: in the C7. HC: It's 16. SoS: It's 16? HC: Mmm-hmm. SoS: Wow, I have to go weigh mine now. I have both glasses - I know the glass is a lot heavier, you can feel it when - HC: Yeah, that's a little bit more, but it's a great feature and a lot of people forget that with Corvette - and that was one of the things, you know , when we made this new car, we wanted to keep that standard removable roof panel on the car and we didn't want people to have to leave it on the side of the road or leave it. home like some of these exotic cars.

We wanted to be able to keep it in the car, which you can, you know, we-. One of the things we wanted to do was, even though we're making a mid-engine car with exotic supercar attributes, keep the things that people love about the Corvette. So you can drive it every day, it has plenty of storage. Now we have two trunks, the golf clubs, everyone, you know, you hear that from a focused audience, it's one thing if the two sets of golf clubs fit together. The roof fits in the back and stows away and you still have extra luggage space available.

So, it's a great car: it's not just a track weapon, but it's a great car to drive around the country. In fact, we have about 8,000 people here who caravanned all over the United States and Canada, who came here and they all traveled in their Corvettes. So we wanted to make sure they can still do that when they get the new eighth-generation mid-engine Corvette. SoS: So we talked about the removable roof panel, which we saw briefly at the launch of the C8, but haven't heard much about lately, is a convertible version. And are there still any planned for

2020

?

Is that something that may be happening in the future? Can you tell us something about the convertible? HC: Well, a convertible is coming and it will be beautiful. But we have a special reveal for that later this year in the fall and then we will release all the details. You are precious. HC: But it's something that should excite everyone. SoS: Now, the one thing that has been controversial for a lot of people, including us, because we are partial to manual transmissions, is that there is only one transmission available. So, some questions about this. I know it's been beaten to death a bit, but is it physically possible to put a manual transmission in this car?

On the C8? HC: Probably not. SoS: Probably not? HC: Not easily. Sos: Okay. HC: And there is no plan to do that; however, I understand where everyone is coming from. I, personally, have always had manuals, but I think once people have the opportunity (it's hard without experiencing it, but once people have the opportunity to experience this car), I mean, most of the time it I drive in manual mode. personally most of the time, but it's a lot of fun to drive. You get those quick changes with the paddles, tenths of a second. We also have: There are a lot of things you can do with this transmission that you can't do with the old style manuals, and that is that there is no loss of torque when changing gears, even manually or automatically, and that allows for a lot. 0 to 60 in less than three seconds, you know, without loss of torque.

We used to, in the manuals, set it up so that for first gear we could do 0-60 in first gear, which was great, it helped the 0-60 time, but the launch probably wasn't as quick as you might have wanted. That's why this is among the fastest 0-60 Corvettes we've ever built. It's right there, very close to the ZR1, even with 495 horsepower versus 755. That's the transmission is a big part of it, the architecture is a big part of it. The other thing, as you go through the different modes, we have the driver modes that you're probably familiar with: tour, sport, track, you can change how it shifts, how it's programmed.

So what we did in tour mode, which is like you're sailing, it might shift a little bit slower, smoother. If you put it on automatic, it will be something similar to what you are used to with an automatic. But when you get to the sport and the track as you go, especially in manual mode, you really feel those changes. So when you move it, you feel your back. We hear the sound of the exhaust and that makes driving the car a lot of fun. I think once people get a chance to experience that, you know, I understand the hardcore manual person, but if it's about having fun driving anything, they'll be very happy with this.

SoS: Yeah, that's the criticism which is usually that I'm bored to death, I don't have anything, you know, I don't have control of the car, the car does things for me. But the only thing people have a little bit of hope for is that there is that patent you guys have on the transmission: a cable-by-wire clutch system and maybe even an electric cable system, it seems like it's probably physically and technically possible. . I know you have that center console and you don't want to mess up the backbone of the car, but it sounds like it would be technically possible.

Is any of that happening right now? HC: No, we are not working on that. SoS: I'm not working on it. HC: Uh, no... SoS: We're very sorry to report that the manual appears to be dead on the Corvette. HC: Again, I would say that we still have a manual, it's just this type of manual and not this type of manual. I would say, I just... I just... I understand where every... I'm just saying keep your opinion until you get a chance to drive it, that's all I would say. SoS: Yes, and we will definitely be looking forward to that trip.

Now- HC: You know, one thing someone said, it's funny, someone in Carlisle (we just had Corvettes in Carlisle) said all about how he misses the manual and all that. And he, you know, was like...almost getting a little angry, but then when we finished talking, he said, "Well, I have one on order." SoS: Well, that's... you know, I think the car will do very well the way it is now. So yes, we would like to see a manual? Safely. But like I said, we're reserving judgment on how it drives until we get a chance to drive it.

Now, how much thought was put into the mechanics of DIY? So someone who's changing their own oil, maybe it's differential fluid, and how easy or difficult is it now, compared to the seventh generation car, to get in there and do things like that? HC: Yes, we actually think a lot; You know, the funny thing is that preconceived notions were some of the things you were talking about, it was the noise, the heat, the ease of service, that middle-aged people had. Powered supercars, and we wanted to get rid of all that, keep the Corvette's strengths. So the bottom of the car is completely sealed, which is great.

But we left access so you don't need extra tools to access the oil filter and drain plug, so it's very easy to perform oil changes. SoS: You mean a manufacturer can design a car where the engine doesn't need to be taken out to change the oil? HC: Exactly! SoS: Incredible! HC: You can do it, again, spark plugs last, you know, hundreds of thousands of miles, but you can do it from the top of the engine. You can remove part of the panel (one of the panels on the back) and you can access the drive belt. You can- you can also access the air filter through a panel in the trunk- SoS: Oh.

HC: Then it takes you to the engine air filter. So, we did a lot of things to make it relatively good; Even though the car is so new, the maintenance schedule should be what people are used to for the most part. SoS: Speaking of removing panels, I heard, and if you could verify this it would be amazing, that the high spoiler that is available requires the rear fascia to be removed in order to install it, is that true? HC: Yes. SoS: And is that the real reason you can't get it in the RC8? Is there talk of allowing it in the RC8?

HC: Yes, and if everyone is familiar with the previous Corvette, the seventh generation Corvette, it was the same situation. In fact, there was a time when we started delivering to the museum and they couldn't make any accessories. But I've been working with them on some of the easier props they can make. But the museum can do it, they do a great job, but they're not a full-service dealership, so anything that involves drilling or removing fascias or mounting wheels and tires, you know, at this point they're just not ready to handle that. . But the good news is that you can still deliver to the museum, and when you return to your dealer, you can install these accessories in your hometown.

SoS: And remove... remove theZ51 wing won't leave any holes or, I mean, how does that work? So if you have... let's say you have... what would you do... if I ordered a high wing car to be delivered to the museum, how? would the back come? Would it be simple like a Stingray? HC: No, it will come with... all cars have to come complete from the factory, so it would come with the Z51, but the high wing mounts in the same places. SoS: So, there's no- okay, so you won't be able to say he ever had that- HC: Right.

SoS: -The Z51 wing and you have something you can build in your garage! HC: Yes, you can save that. SoS: Exactly! HC: And I would say that the high wing is great because it has a little more downforce than the standard wing, but the main thing is that it reduces a lot of drag by being a more open wing. SoS: the standard wing or the superior one? HC: The highest because there is less resistance being a complete wing. SoS: So you might even get a little more on the high end. HC: Yes. SOS Call: Very cool.

One thing I wanted, we really love, is the PDR, and on the 7th generation car, in fact, that's the reason I personally waited until the 2015 model year because I really wanted the PDR, and then I lost the gray color metallic cybernetic. Which I didn't like very much, but I chose black and got my PDR. On the new one, we did a video before the launch, the launch, and one of the things that we suggested, so a lot of the things that we really wanted to see in the car, you put in the car, So you're thinking about a lot of things that already we are waiting for, including MyMode, Z-Mode.

They were things that we expected to be there. And one of the things we suggested in the PDR was what you're doing with the dashcam mode. HC: Automatic registration, yes. SoS: There was another suggestion that we have, and I think this is probably something that you could probably do now with your wireless updates, and it's kind of a sentinel mode where... there's some motion detection or bump detection. that would trigger the recording, the PDR, to at least get some kind of view: did someone just hit me? Is someone trying to get into the car? Or is someone destroying it?

HC: When you're away from that? SoS: When you're far from it. HC: Yeah, that would be great. SoS: So is it possible that an over-the-air update can be implemented and performed? HC: We've talked about things like that. It makes it a little difficult when the car is off, and one of the problems also is that there are a lot of laws that you have to recognize when you are recording. SoS: No audio, yes. HC: Yeah, that happens with audio and even in automatic recording you'll get a little screen, just click, click the button on the steering wheel, you're good, then everyone will know when they're being recorded. .

SoS: Correct. HC: But those are good ideas, obviously, and- SoS: You could even add that rear view camera and have almost front and rear- HC: Yeah, we talked about more cameras or we've even talked about adding your own cameras. and things like that. SoS: That would be- HC: -fun- SoS: that would be- the technologies that exist for that. HC: The technology is there and I am very proud of the performance data recorder. It's something I'd been working on for a long time and it took me a while to get it out there, but still, as with 2015, I think no one has really come close to it yet.

I have a fully integrated system that is integrated with the car, audio/video, and I get all the data like a racing engineer. SoS: It's amazing. HC: Valet mode is a great feature, people love it. You know, people have solved problems, figured out what happened. SoS: And that, by the way, is a deterrent. You turn it on and you will prevent problems from occurring. HC: Exactly. SoS: That's one of the features I love about the car, and I think the ability to add things would be awesome. Now, on one of the slides (it was an early rendering of the driver's screen) there was an image of a track map.

Is that something that will make it to the final car where you'll have a little map of the track on your screen? HC: We don't have it... it was a good idea, again as a sketch, but... It would be great to have it, but it's not in the car. SoS: Isn't it currently in the car? HC: For now it's just a sketch. SoS: But you've moved the - to the head-up display - you can do lap timers, it'll be there, right? HC: Correct, you have the lap timer on the head-up display, also in the group and it is all integrated.

You can also do, in timing mode, the quarter mile, 0-60 for the straight line guys. SoS: And it will be there, on the head-up display. HC: Right there in the head-up. And we even have it: we have a new autocross mode, which is point to point. SoS: Correct! HC: -instead of a full circuit, and then we're also going to be able to save the start and finish lines and create a database so that everyone uses the same start and finish line on different tracks so you can compare better. . And there'll be... there'll be a menu there and you'll be able to choose from existing tracks, and working with Cosworth, they're going to create sort of... an official start/finish line for a lot of the major ones - we'll give you a list of a few. of the tracks we know Corvette people like to go to.

SoS: That's amazing. HC: To use. SoS: That will be amazing. Is it something that can simply be downloaded? HC: Yes. That's incredible. SoS: Yes, because it's just one file, it has this extension, so you can put those files on your SD card and name them after the tracks, and then you can, when you choose your start/finish line, instead of the old way From having to get there, stop, now you can just choose the track name and go. SoS: Yeah, it's good that you're thinking about these things because that's what people who use them always have problems with.

I have files for each track and I have to reload them there. HC: And now it's Full HD, which we didn't have, we didn't have. SoS: Well, before it was 720, now it's 1080. HC: It can go up to 1080 and you can record 480 or 1080, but the card - Memory cards are so big now that it's not really that. The files are quite large, but that's probably not a problem with large SD cards now. SoS: So when will journalists be able to get into these cars and when will we start seeing some road reviews and things like that? HC: Probably at the end of this year, I mean, we're just starting to build cars that we consider a spec, a salable spec, even though they don't go to customers, they're at the level.

And when we get to that point, we'll start to see magazines and journalists get a chance to get first impressions behind the wheel. SoS: Yeah, well we're looking forward to using some of these C8s and hopefully the paddles will be good enough that we can misfire doing something, but I'm sure it will. Harlan, thank you very much for joining us, thank you. This has been Brendan with Sons of Speed ​​and another episode of Corvette Corner is in the works, and we'll see them in the next video. Thank you very much man. HC: Thank you. SoS: Awesome.

You have your dream job, my friend. HC: I think so. That's what I said. SoS: You don't feel like working, do you? HC: There are days when it seems like work but no, I mean, not today, that's for sure.