A Corvette with the ‘wheel on the right side

The Chevrolet Corvette has often taunted global performance car followers.

With its dramatic design, huge V8 engine, relatively affordable price and commitment to rear-wheel drive, the Corvette has always been a potentially great alternative to more snobbish European sportscars.

The only problem is its proudly American steering wheel configuration – which is on the left. With the C8 Corvette, much has changed.

With an engine that has moved from in front, to behind the cabin and a dual-clutch transmission, there is no questioning Chevrolet’s intent with this latest Corvette: Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren customers looking for something cheaper.

Best of all is the presence of a right-hand-drive option. The move to a mid-engine layout has enabled Chevrolet greater assembly adaptability with the C8 Corvette, and righthand drive markets are scheduled to benefit.

Although the C8 Corvette has been shown with its righthand drive cabin in renderings and studio images, the first public outing has now happened. And it wasn’t in the United Kingdom or Australia – two of the world’s most established markets for expensive righthand drive performance cars.

Chevrolet chose to show debut its righthand drive C8 Corvette in Japan. The 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine might only have 16-valves, which are pushrod operated, but it does make a terrifically linear 365 kW.

Customers who opt for the performance exhaust option, as one would, will benefit from apeak power increase to 370 kW. With 632 Nm of torque and a kerb weight of only 1 527 kg, the C8 should deliver a terrifically engaging driving experience.

An indication of how focused the design brief has been, for this C8 Corvette, is the fact that it has dry-sump lubrication, for that huge V8. Because high-load cornering, is very definitely a thing, in this Corvette.

Despite the first public event featuring righthand drive C8s in Japan being celebrated by fans of the V8 sportscar genre, Chevrolet is suffering huge parts shortages with its halo model.

Waiting lists for the new C8 are growing, as Chevrolet desperately tries to deal with the production disruptions wrought by a global microchip shortage.

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