A classic Corvette takes its modern, mid-engined descendant — does it have a prayer?
If you’ve been watching our videos for awhile, you’ll know full well that we enjoy a good drag race. The TFL crew has been working hard to crank out more fun drag races lately (including our latest over on TFLtruck), but this is a race with a difference. Not only is it a showdown between two iconic generations of Corvette — the C3 (“the one the astronauts drove”) and the C8 (the first mid-engined Corvette — but this is genuinely one of the most entertaining drag races in recent memory. That’s my opinion, of course, but check out the video below to see just how Tommy and Kase put this one together…with a surprise twist later on.
So, what exactly are we looking at as far as how this race shakes out on paper? We recently bought the yellow C3, a 1968 Corvette convertible that’s about as basic as you could get for the time. While there were several variants available with the 427 cubic inch/7.0-liter big-block V8, this particular car comes with the small-block 327, with a 5.4-liter displacement. Chevrolet rated output at 300 horsepower, which sounds pretty healthy for a 57-year-old classic. That said, it is more than half a century old and we’re talking about gross horsepower…so the performance isn’t all that blistering where the rubber meets the road, as you’ll see below.
This C3 is a Corvette with a difference, however, as it’s one of just a few hundred 1968 models sold with — get this — a three-speed manual transmission. The available 4-speed manual was a far more popular option, as were the larger engine variants and even a higher-output version of the L30 small-block (called the L79, with 350 hp). Someone walked into a Chevy dealer, though, and said they wanted a bog-standard drop-top Corvette with that 3-speed manual, though, and not even the optional 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic auto.
As for the C8, you already have a good idea what it’s all about. This is the “standard” Corvette you can get today, in coupe configuration with a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 mounted mid-ship. The Stingray’s base output stands at 490 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. If you spec it with the Z51 performance package, though (which this one has), then you get a slight bump to 495 horsepower. At sea level, at least, GM promises a 0-60 time under 3 seconds. We won’t get that sort of showing at a mile above sea level, but a modern car with a modern engine, modern chassis and modern tires out to smoke the classic Corvette…right?
Okay, okay, the C3 had a little bit of help. Factoring that in, one of the races the guys run is extremely close, and we certainly didn’t expect that when the guys arrived at the airstrip to film. After the two Corvettes throw down, we also bring in a third car and third driver to take on the classic Corvette in a race it can definitely win. Or can it?
You’ll have to watch the video below and see for yourself. But, if you can spare about 10 minutes, it’s well worth it: This one’s a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a fairer fight for the C3, we’ll also have another classic-versus-classic drag race coming up soon!
