PAHRUMP, Nev. — Well, we finally got to drive the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette in anger. The putative car of the year, and certainly the most talked about car of 2020, and we finally got the C8 on its natural habitat. Located on the outskirts of California’s Death Valley — near sunny, downtown Pahrump, Nevada, home of the world famous Chicken Ranch — Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch was the perfect place to test Chevrolet’s first mid-engine supercar, all rollicking pavement and tricky decreasing-radius switchbacks. So without further ado, here’s what new C8 is like to drive flat-out.
Expectations
As it turns out, the key to C8 Corvette happiness will be to manage expectations — as in, what exactly does the new Corvette compete with? Are we meant to judge it — as would be logical, if we’d all stopped to put some logic to the hype from the last year or so — as a improvement on the C7? Or do we — and even I have to admit, I got carried away with this — really think that The General has waved some form of magic wand and created a car super enough to take on the might of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche for three, four, or even five times less money? Managing those presumptions is crucial if you’re going to be happy in the new C8: This is, by quite some margin — and in so many ways — the best Corvette ever. Compare it with the Ferraris and Lambos of the world, however, and it’s — as had we been thinking straighter, we’d have already surmised— a little disappointing.
The good, the bad, and the just plain tricky
Mat the C8 coming out of any corner — be it a long sweeper or hairy little switchback — and all that mid-engine weight distribution works its magic. The rear plants, the front sticks, and the Vette tracks as if on the proverbial rails. It’s so far ahead of the C7, it’s as thought they’re different cars … which, of course, they are. Anyone looking for an abject lesson in front-versus-rear-engine vehicle dynamics will find no better exemplar than the C7 and C8 Corvettes. The C8 shares so much — an engine, general chassis construction, and rough sizing parameters — with the C7, and it yet feels like a completely different, ruthlessly efficient animal from apex to corner exit.
On the entry to corners, not so much. In fact, the C8 feels almost as tail-waggy as the C7 while trail-braking into corners, the rear end getting so “light” that it’s hard to believe there’s an engine back there. Compared to every other mid-engine supercar — at least, every other mid-engine supercar I’ve driven — it is much more prone to off-throttle oversteer. I won’t claim it’s as bad as an older-generation Porsche 911 Turbo, but it certainly doesn’t feel as glued to the pavement as, say, an Audi R8. At first I thought this was because …
Chevrolet is a little sneaky when it comes to the definition of what constitutes as “stock”
The test cars we usually drive are supposed to be totally production-ready. Dropping a “ringer” into the mix that you might gain advantage is considered a righteous no-no. So, when it came to our attention that the cars we were driving on the track actually had more camber built into all four wheels — more angled tires, like you sometime see on rice rockets, generate more grip at maximum cornering speeds — a nefarious plot was suspected. Had Chevy’s engineers cranked in the camber to get more side grip, and the resulting compromise was poorer stability during braking?
In the end, there was no subterfuge, the Corvette’s service manual detailing to owners how they can set up the car for maximum track grip. But let’s understand this: This resetting of tire angle is not some push-button adjustment made from the comfort of the driver’s seat. Nope, this is good ol’ manual labour of the type NASCAR race engineers perform just before they send Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick out for their final qualifying run. Essentially, you have to remove all four tires, take a few suspension bits apart, change some shims and then bolt it all back together. It’s not something you should be doing in your driveway with your Vette up on blocks.
Nonetheless, it turns out it’s all above board. Carp all you like that it’s hardly the kind of thing that most track day enthusiasts will do, or even the liability General Motors is opening itself up for by having owners fiddling with suspension hard bits, but the C7 had a similar adjustment available and Chevy’s tech types swear up and down owners actually take their cars half apart when they’re heading to the track. Which is why I think …
The C8 is still very much a Corvette
According to Steve Padilla, the lead in charge of vehicle dynamics, ride, and handling for the C8 Corvette, the real reason that all that tail-happiness was built into the C8 is because Corvette owners wanted it that way. The longtime vehicle performance engineer confirmed that GM could have easily tuned out all the slippy-slidey, but most of the Corvette’s traditional clientele would have considered that a neutering too far. So, unlike any other mid-engine supercar — or, at least, any mid-engine supercar I’ve tested lately — the mid-engine C8 likes to tap dance a little when it’s charging at an apex. It’s also why …
The engine remains resolutely traditional
If the hoi polloi wanted no part of any of that stinking stability stuff, you damned well know they weren’t going to accept some namby-pamby, double-overhead cam hybrid in their Vette, either. Hence the LT2, as high-tech a smallblock as we’ve seen, but archaic nonetheless. Pushrods and overhead valves haven’t been state-of-the-art since before Zora Arkus-Duntov ran all things Corvette, so sticking to GM’s traditional cam-in-block V8 is definitely a sop to the diehard at the expense of modernity.
So, how does that compromise work out?
Pretty darned good, actually. The numbers speak for themselves. Zero to 96 km/h (60 mph) takes 2.9 seconds, and considering the Corvette’s gearing, a full 100 km/h should take but scant milliseconds more.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Handout, Chevrolet
That’s seriously world-class performance, as is the 310 km/h top speed and the C8’s 11.2 second quarter-mile time. Nor does it feel any less super in the real world, the 495-horsepower — if you order the $1,375 Performance Exhaust system — 6.2-litre V8 catapulting the C8 with serious intent, despite it weighing about 40 kilograms more than the C7. If you were raised on good ol’ American V8s, it also sounds like a good’un, all basso-profondo pomp and circumstance spilling out of its (totally) tubular headers and quad-tipped muffler.
That said, that traditional sound — a loyal Vette owner would be more likely to describe the exhaust as “righteous” — did cause me some issues. Used to high-revving Ferraris and Lambos any time pistons are combustion behind me — rather than in front — I kept forgetting that the LT2 is redlined at 6,600, not 8,500 rpm. Lost in the mayhem of all that acceleration and cornering Gs, I ran into the rev limiter more than a few times and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get used to shifting when the motor right behind my right ear sounded like — or so my “European” programming kept insisting — had lots more revs to go. That’s not a criticism of the motor, so much as message to loyal Ferrari and Lamborghini owners that you may have a little trouble adjusting to the Corvette’s rhythm should you choose to go “native.” Which brings us right back to…
Expectations
So, where does that leave the new Corvette in the pantheon of cars claiming to be super? Well, this first track test certainly puts paid to the false assumption — admittedly championed by Yours Truly, as well as others — that Chevrolet wanted to build an American Ferrari. It was probably also a bit foolish of us to think a $69,998 Corvette could take on Lamborghini. One look at their respective Nurburgring times — a top-of-the-line C8 recorded a much-more-than-respectable 7:29.9 recently, but a Huracan Performante bests it by more than 30 seconds — should be enough to convince anyone that the Corvette — at least, this Corvette — is not quite ready to dethrone Italian supercar superiority.
But it’s, by far, the best Corvette ever, the most amazing sports car under $70,000 and an epic achievement stylistically and dynamically. And what you get for less than $100,000 — a fully-loaded Z51 with all the bells and whistles, says Jamie Dewhurst, Chevrolet Canada’s national marketing manager — is simply amazing. Bowling Green loyalists everywhere are no doubt rejoicing.
But, hear this: The new C8 is much more a mid-engine Corvette than it is mid-engine supercar.
Although no one likes a know-it-all, they dominate the Internet.
The Internet began as a vast repository of information. It quickly became a breeding ground for self-proclaimed experts seeking what most people desire: recognition and money.
Today, anyone with an Internet connection and some typing skills can position themselves, regardless of their education or experience, as a subject matter expert (SME). From relationship advice, career coaching, and health and nutrition tips to citizen journalists practicing pseudo-journalism, the Internet is awash with individuals—Internet talking heads—sharing their “insights,” which are, in large part, essentially educated guesses without the education or experience.
The Internet has become a 24/7/365 sitcom where armchair experts think they’re the star.
Not long ago, years, sometimes decades, of dedicated work and acquiring education in one’s field was once required to be recognized as an expert. The knowledge and opinions of doctors, scientists, historians, et al. were respected due to their education and experience. Today, a social media account and a knack for hyperbole are all it takes to present oneself as an “expert” to achieve Internet fame that can be monetized.
On the Internet, nearly every piece of content is self-serving in some way.
The line between actual expertise and self-professed knowledge has become blurry as an out-of-focus selfie. Inadvertently, social media platforms have created an informal degree program where likes and shares are equivalent to degrees. After reading selective articles, they’ve found via and watching some TikTok videos, a person can post a video claiming they’re an herbal medicine expert. Their new “knowledge,” which their followers will absorb, claims that Panda dung tea—one of the most expensive teas in the world and isn’t what its name implies—cures everything from hypertension to existential crisis. Meanwhile, registered dietitians are shaking their heads, wondering how to compete against all the misinformation their clients are exposed to.
More disturbing are individuals obsessed with evangelizing their beliefs or conspiracy theories. These people write in-depth blog posts, such as Elvis Is Alive and the Moon Landings Were Staged, with links to obscure YouTube videos, websites, social media accounts, and blogs. Regardless of your beliefs, someone or a group on the Internet shares them, thus confirming your beliefs.
Misinformation is the Internet’s currency used to get likes, shares, and engagement; thus, it often spreads like a cosmic joke. Consider the prevalence of clickbait headlines:
You Won’t Believe What Taylor Swift Says About Climate Change!
This Bedtime Drink Melts Belly Fat While You Sleep!
In One Week, I Turned $10 Into $1 Million!
Titles that make outrageous claims are how the content creator gets reads and views, which generates revenue via affiliate marketing, product placement, and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. Clickbait headlines are how you end up watching a TikTok video by a purported nutrition expert adamantly asserting you can lose belly fat while you sleep by drinking, for 14 consecutive days, a concoction of raw eggs, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar 15 minutes before going to bed.
Our constant search for answers that’ll explain our convoluted world and our desire for shortcuts to success is how Internet talking heads achieve influencer status. Because we tend to seek low-hanging fruits, we listen to those with little experience or knowledge of the topics they discuss yet are astute enough to know what most people want to hear.
There’s a trend, more disturbing than spreading misinformation, that needs to be called out: individuals who’ve never achieved significant wealth or traded stocks giving how-to-make-easy-money advice, the appeal of which is undeniable. Several people I know have lost substantial money by following the “advice” of Internet talking heads.
Anyone on social media claiming to have a foolproof money-making strategy is lying. They wouldn’t be peddling their money-making strategy if they could make easy money.
Successful people tend to be secretive.
Social media companies design their respective algorithms to serve their advertisers—their source of revenue—interest; hence, content from Internet talking heads appears most prominent in your feeds. When a video of a self-professed expert goes viral, likely because it pressed an emotional button, the more people see it, the more engagement it receives, such as likes, shares and comments, creating a cycle akin to a tornado.
Imagine scrolling through your TikTok feed and stumbling upon a “scientist” who claims they can predict the weather using only aluminum foil, copper wire, sea salt and baking soda. You chuckle, but you notice his video got over 7,000 likes, has been shared over 600 times and received over 400 comments. You think to yourself, “Maybe this guy is onto something.” What started as a quest to achieve Internet fame evolved into an Internet-wide belief that weather forecasting can be as easy as DIY crafts.
Since anyone can call themselves “an expert,” you must cultivate critical thinking skills to distinguish genuine expertise from self-professed experts’ self-promoting nonsense. While the absurdity of the Internet can be entertaining, misinformation has serious consequences. The next time you read a headline that sounds too good to be true, it’s probably an Internet talking head making an educated guess; without the education seeking Internet fame, they can monetize.
TORONTO – A new survey says a majority of software engineers and developers feel tight project deadlines can put safety at risk.
Seventy-five per cent of the 1,000 global workers who responded to the survey released Tuesday say pressure to deliver projects on time and on budget could be compromising critical aspects like safety.
The concern is even higher among engineers and developers in North America, with 77 per cent of those surveyed on the continent reporting the urgency of projects could be straining safety.
The study was conducted between July and September by research agency Coleman Parkes and commissioned by BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX division, which builds connected-car technology.
The results reflect a timeless tug of war engineers and developers grapple with as they balance the need to meet project deadlines with regulations and safety checks that can slow down the process.
Finding that balance is an issue that developers of even the simplest appliances face because of advancements in technology, said John Wall, a senior vice-president at BlackBerry and head of QNX.
“The software is getting more complicated and there is more software whether it’s in a vehicle, robotics, a toaster, you name it… so being able to patch vulnerabilities, to prevent bad actors from doing malicious acts is becoming more and more important,” he said.
The medical, industrial and automotive industries have standardized safety measures and anything they produce undergoes rigorous testing, but that work doesn’t happen overnight. It has to be carried out from the start and then at every step of the development process.
“What makes safety and security difficult is it’s an ongoing thing,” Wall said. “It’s not something where you’ve done it, and you are finished.”
The Waterloo, Ont.-based business found 90 per cent of its survey respondents reported that organizations are prioritizing safety.
However, when asked about why safety may not be a priority for their organization, 46 per cent of those surveyed answered cost pressures and 35 per cent said a lack of resources.
That doesn’t surprise Wall. Delays have become rampant in the development of tech, and in some cases, stand to push back the launch of vehicle lines by two years, he said.
“We have to make sure that people don’t compromise on safety and security to be able to get products out quicker,” he said.
“What we don’t want to see is people cutting corners and creating unsafe situations.”
The survey also took a peek at security breaches, which have hit major companies like London Drugs, Indigo Books & Music, Giant Tiger and Ticketmaster in recent years.
About 40 per cent of the survey’s respondents said they have encountered a security breach in their employer’s operating system. Those breaches resulted in major impacts for 27 per cent of respondents, moderate impacts for 42 per cent and minor impacts for 27 per cent.
“There are vulnerabilities all the time and this is what makes the job very difficult because when you ship the software, presumably the software has no security vulnerabilities, but things get discovered after the fact,” Wall said.
Security issues, he added, have really come to the forefront of the problems developers face, so “really without security, you have no safety.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
As online shoppers hunt for bargains offered by Amazon during its annual fall sale this week, cybersecurity researchers are warning Canadians to beware of an influx of scammers posing as the tech giant.
In the 30 days leading up to Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, taking place Tuesday and Wednesday, there were more than 1,000 newly registered Amazon-related web domains, according to Check Point Software Technologies, a company that offers cybersecurity solutions.
The company said it deemed 88 per cent of those domains malicious or suspicious, suggesting they could have been set up by scammers to prey on vulnerable consumers. One in every 54 newly created Amazon-related domain included the phrase “Amazon Prime.”
“They’re almost indiscernible from the real Amazon domain,” said Robert Falzon, head of engineering at Check Point in Canada.
“With all these domains registered that look so similar, it’s tricking a lot of people. And that’s the whole intent here.”
Falzon said Check Point Research sees an uptick in attempted scams around big online shopping days throughout the year, including Prime Days.
Scams often come in the form of phishing emails, which are deceptive messages that appear to be from a reputable source in attempt to steal sensitive information.
In this case, he said scammers posing as Amazon commonly offer “outrageous” deals that appear to be associated with Prime Days, in order to trick recipients into clicking on a malicious link.
The cybersecurity firm said it has identified and blocked 100 unique Amazon Prime-themed scam emails targeting organizations and consumers over the past two weeks.
Scammers also target Prime members with unsolicited calls, claiming urgent account issues and requesting payment information.
“It’s like Christmas for them,” said Falzon.
“People expect there to be significant savings on Prime Day, so they’re not shocked that they see something of significant value. Usually, the old adage applies: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Amazon’s website lists a number of red flags that it recommends customers watch for to identify a potential impersonation scam.
Those include false urgency, requests for personal information, or indications that the sender prefers to complete the purchase outside of the Amazon website or mobile app.
Scammers may also request that customers exclusively pay with gift cards, a claim code or PIN. Any notifications about an order or delivery for an unexpected item should also raise alarm bells, the company says.
“During busy shopping moments, we tend to see a rise in impersonation scams reported by customers,” said Amazon spokeswoman Octavia Roufogalis in a statement.
“We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance. We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe.”
Falzon added that these scams are more successful than people might think.
As of June 30, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said there had been $284 million lost to fraud so far this year, affecting 15,941 victims.
But Falzon said many incidents go unreported, as some Canadians who are targeted do not know how or where to flag a scam, or may choose not to out of embarrassment.
Check Point recommends Amazon customers take precautions while shopping on Prime Days, including by checking URLs carefully, creating strong passwords on their accounts, and avoiding personal information being shared such as their birthday or social security number.
The cybersecurity company said consumers should also look for “https” at the beginning of a website URL, which indicates a secure connection, and use credit cards rather than debit cards for online shopping, which offer better protection and less liability if stolen.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2024.
