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Mid-engine masterpiece

A Long-awaited dream

ost often, sitting as 20th place on a list of practically anything doesn’t sound like an exciting or anticipatory thing, however, for Will Frantz and his long-awaited dream of owning a 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray, 20th place was all it took to claim the prize. Now he’s in the driver’s seat of the 2020 MotorTrend’s Car of the Year that has taken the sports car industry by storm and is putting sports car producers on notice.

Turning the heads of enthusiasts and executives alike is the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray. For years there has been conjecture that Chevy would begin designing a mid-engine Corvette to rival some of the biggest names in the exotic sports car industry. The same assumptions led car enthusiasts to believe it would be priced in the same ballpark which took the affordability that Chevy is known for, off the table. So when Chevy began talking about what the price points would be for this highly anticipated mid-engine sports car, mouths dropped and faith in the brand was restored; the starting price is just shy of $60,000.

Having grown up around a used car dealership in Watertown, Frantz has been a car enthusiast nearly his whole life. His father had purchased a brand new black ‘82 Corvette with red interior as the Corvette was heading into its C4 lifespan. Frantz says that was the beginning of an addiction to Corvette that resulted in purchasing a ‘97 C5 of his own in his early 20’s. While there have been many daily drivers and automotive fun since then, he has always chosen the used car route. Until now.

Last July, when Chevy did their product launch and shared their performance numbers, Frantz knew that he’d need to do his homework in order to own the American dream. In order to do that, Frantz reached out to the local Chevy dealership that said they were starting a no-money-down waitlist. That’s when Frantz claimed the 20th spot on the list and built his dream car from the ground up.

“To have that mid-engine, dual-clutch transmission, 0-60 in under 3 seconds, that’s what made me want to do it,” says Frantz.

That performance statistic is a huge jaw-dropper as exotic cars with nearly double the horsepower are performing similarly but with a much higher price tag. For a 495HP engine to rival higher-priced competitors is amazing.

Frantz chose the 2LT trim level with GT2 heated and ventilated suede seats with leather accents, Z51 performance package, magnetic ride, and Accelerate Yellow brake calipers. There are also technology upgrades including wireless phone charging, rear-camera mirror, and navigation. A cool gray exterior accentuates the body lines and side scoops while the jet-black interior is a flawless choice. A center console separates the passenger from the driver and creates a cockpit feel. Top all of that off with a 14 speaker Bose Performance Audio System that is second to none and it’s the icing on the cake.

As the months went by, people dropped off and the waiting list grew shorter. By mid-March, Frantz was standing in front of the carrier that delivered his C8 Shadow Grey Metallic Corvette Stingray; the 4th 2020 Corvette delivered in South Dakota.

With a mid-engine, 8-speed, dual-clutch transmission that rivals an exotic car but for a quarter of the price, you’d expect that the value would be maxed out. Corvette didn’t see it this way and went further by creating a luxurious cockpit feeling to their cabin by squaring out the steering wheel and creating a center console full of programmable bells and whistles. In addition to the trim options available in the 8th generation Corvette, the specifications and performance of this car are astounding. With the 6.2L small-block V8, this car pulls 495HP to take you from 0-60 in less
than 3 seconds.

The introduction of the 2020 Stingray not only came with fanfare and enthusiasm but also a lot of drama. A GM auto worker’s strike that began in September stifled production and plant closings in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic slowed things significantly. Needing to wrap up the last generation of Corvette before retooling and beginning work on the new 8th generation has meant delays that speculators say may make this much-anticipated introduction an increasingly more valuable buy. While projections are out there, the 2020 Stingray may become rarer and much more sought after than anticipated.

Although Frantz says he is normally someone who can’t leave anything basic, he says he doesn’t have a long list of aftermarket upgrades and has done plenty of research on those options for his new ride.

“I’m waiting for exhaust and intake and possibly tire upgrades to the 20-21 sizing. I can’t leave anything stock and this is the first car that I haven’t done anything to,” he shares.

When asked what makes this car so incredible, Frantz replied, “There are so many great things about the car but it would have to be the mid-engine combined with the dual-clutch transmission and being able to experience an exotic car for a quarter of the cost.”

And that’s a value that is being noticed by consumers and
producers worldwide.

July 2020

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