Wanna know how to launch the new 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray? Instructions are here.
Computers do everything these days. They can make your coffee, tell you the weather, and even simulate the vast complexity of space travel. They haven’t quite figured out the ineffability of human emotion, but just give it time--they’ll get there.
As for performing the perfect car launch every time? That’s child’s play to a computer these days, and the C8 Corvette is filled with the latest silicon brains to make launching from a standstill a breeze.
For video instructions, head on over to MotorTrend where you can see all these knobs, buttons, and paddles in action. They’ve got exclusive footage that the rest of us are going to have to wait for the car to actually release before we can replicate.
If you're a C7 Corvette owner, then the process to launch the C8 will be fairly familiar. Step one is to put the car into Track Mode through the mode selector knob, then double-tap the ESC (electronic stability control) Off button just above the knob. This will bring up the PTM (performance traction management) menu on the instrument cluster to select one of 5 different modes: Wet, Dry, Sport 1, Sport 2, and Race.
It doesn't matter which one you pick as launch control can be used in any mode. The higher up the list you go, the less traction and stability assistance the computer will provide, but you can still get a perfect launch in any of them.
After you pick one it's time to get serious. Press the brake with your left foot while flooring the gas with your right. Wait for the revs to reach 3,500, then release the brake and hold on to the steering wheel like you're about to go back in time with the Professor.
The C8 Corvette also comes with a burnout mode that’s even easier to use. Just put the car in drive, hold the brake, and pull both paddles to open the clutches. Then mash the accelerator to begin your burnout. Release the paddles to stop spinning your wheels and actually go somewhere.