2022 Corvette – The Ultimate Guide
Introduction
Marketed as “the most powerful Stingray Sports Car produced, ever,” the 2022 C8 Corvette continues the legacy that started in 2020 with the arrival of the mid-engine platform. The car certainly delivers the goods: a 495 horsepower, 470 lb./ft of torque V8 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transaxle that, paired together, delivers a 0-60 time of just 2.9 seconds, a quarter-mile time of just 11.2 seconds, and a top track speed of 194 MPH!
The Powerplant
We start by looking at the heart of this beast.
Recognized as the “most powerful production Stingray ever,” the 2022 C8’s 6.2-liter engine has technology built into it that ensures immediate power and responsiveness when demanded by its driver. At the top of the engine is a composite intake manifold that has eight equal-length runners, 210mm in length, to maximize torque and airflow to every cylinder. The assembly also utilizes a massive 87mm throttle body.
Downstream of the intake is a pair of performance, stainless steel headers that are bolted directly to the engine block, and which run directly into split volume catalytic converters built to provide maximum efficiency. The header/converter setup allows the engine to move massive amounts of exhaust while meeting current Federal emission standards.
How do you pack all that performance into a mid-engine Corvette? Careful planning. Seen here is the 2022 Corvette’s exhaust system, carefully engineered to provide maximum exhaust flow in a very limited amount of space.While not unique to the eighth-generation model, the 2022 Corvette once more features a dry-sump scavenge oil system. This technology, which was originally developed for use in race cars, is now standard equipment on every eighth-generation Corvette. The benefit of a dry-sump scavenge system is that oil is pumped from the engine using three, separate scavenge pumps, thereby ensuring that oil quality and flow to critical areas occurs, even during the most extreme driving/racing conditions.
Pure and precise shifting
As with the 2020 and 2021 models before it, the 2022 Corvette can only be purchased with an automatic transmission – but when it comes to precision shifting and immediate response, there are few transmissions on the market today, even in vehicles at much higher price points, that can outperform the transmission in the latest Corvette. The 2022 Corvette comes equipped standard with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. It offers drivers lightning-fast shifts, all the while combining the immediate shift response of an automatic with the action and control of a manual. And since there’s no deceleration between shifts (up or down), drivers can enter sharp turns, run full throttle thru straights, or dive nose-first into a steep bank with the certainty that the transmission will be right in the power range where they need it most.
Inside the Cockpit
The aesthetic of the mid-engine Corvette Stingray has often been compared to the architecture of advanced fighter jets. While this is certainly true of the car’s radical exterior, with its large intakes and its low, wide stance, the same can be said for the Corvette’s wrap-around cockpit. The dashboard literally envelops the driver in a fusion of technology and craftsmanship. At the center of the driver’s cockpit is the Corvette’s racing-inspired steering wheel. Designed for maximum visibility and comfort, the flat-top/flat-bottom steering wheel includes overside paddle shifters which allow the driver to manually rake thru the gears, a Z-mode button that takes the already impressive Corvette and transforms it into an even more aggressive “beast”, and convenient audio controls, ensuring that the driver has the ability to dial in a soundtrack as rich as the driving experience that awaits him/her.
When designing a brand-new 2022 Corvette, would-be owners had the option to select between one of three unique seat profiles. The “standard” seat was the GT1. It was standard in that it came with the 1LT and 2LT trim levels, but what a seat! Each GT1 seat came wrapped in colored Mulan leather and each was designed to ensure maximum comfort and support, even over long distances.
The second seat package was the GT2 seat. A bit more aggressive than the GT1, the GT2 seat could be purchased when ordering a 2LT and came standard with the 3LT trim level. The GT2 seat featured a carbon-fiber trim with a seatback halo and was wrapped in genuine Napa leather.
The third, and most aggressive, seat package was the “Competition Sport” seat. Available to consumers looking for a seat that promised uncompromised grip on the track, the Competition Sport seat provided aggressive side bolsters for track driving, with high-endurance materials designed for the most abusive driving conditions. While this seat package lacked the comfort of the GT1 and GT2 examples, this seat delivered unmatched performance when used on a racetrack.
One of the most impressive aspects of both the seventh- and eighth-generation Corvettes is the monumental leap in technologies each car provided to its operators. The 2022 Corvette is certainly no exception. In addition to a highly immersive dashboard that’s capable of being fully customized in a seemingly endless array of configurations, the 2022 Corvette offers driver some truly remarkable “extras.” First, the available Performance Data Recorder (PDR) allows drivers to record their driving experiences in HD quality. With a series of track and performance overlays, the PDR creates a detailed video record of the drive experience, allowing owners to go back and re-visit their day on the track…of the open road. Second, if music is your driving soundtrack and volume is your thunder, then the available BOSE performance series 14-speaker audio system is certainly a must-have. Simply sync your phone to the car’s stereo, and let your music fill the cockpit. With fourteen BOSE speakers surrounding the driver and passenger, the sound quality is second-to-none. Finally, the available front lift feature finally eliminates that horrific grating sound experienced by past-generations of Corvette owners. Instead of scraping the curb, the car’s suspension lifts the front end out of harm’s way. Entering a driveway has never been easier.
But What’s New for 2022?
The 2022 Corvette C8.R Racing Edition
As a way of celebrating Corvette Racing’s monumental performance during the 2020 IMSA racing season, Chevrolet created two special-edition C8.R Corvette packages to commemorate the event. Available in either the No. 3’s Design Accelerate Yellow or the No. 4’s Design Hypersonic Gray, each car features special badging and trim to make it a truly unique special-edition Corvette.
