Auto Industry News: 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray FINALLY Debuts, Ford Bronco Pickup Rumors Spread, More Automakers Join Chinese Partnerships, and Amazon Alexa Is Officially Everywhere

Whispers of a Ford Bronco pickup intrigue auto enthusiasts this week, but not as much as the debut of the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray. Unveiled on Thursday, it ushers in a new era of the American icon. It’s also been a busy week for surprising joint ventures, as several more foreign automakers announce budding partnerships with Chinese companies, amid America’s trade war. Plus, the always-listening Amazon Alexa just talked her way into your car.

Let’s get right down to it.

2020 Corvette C8 Stingray Debut Turns Dreams Into Reality

After months of speculation, false starts, and fan anticipation, it’s finally officially official. The 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray is here.

The long-awaited successor in the iconic sportscar line was originally expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but was forced back into the shadows amid rumors of electrical system issues and chassis flex. And even after several confirmed sightings afterwards—including a camouflaged mule spotted broken down outside of a Detroit gas station in March—GM still waited until April to publicly confirm the model’s existence.

However, during a massive, big-budget reveal in Tustin, California last Thursday, General Motors President Mark Reuss gave Corvette fans their first look at the new and improved generation of America’s sportscar. And boy was it worth the wait.

Gimmie the Deets

The 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray is less car and more a finely-tuned powerhouse, sporting a 6.2 liter naturally-aspirated V8 engine giving drivers 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque when given the optional performance exhaust. It is the most powerful base-model Corvette ever made.

While Chevy has yet to provide some nitty-gritty numbers, the automaker estimates the new C8 Stingray can go 0-60 in less than 3 seconds (with the Z51 Performance Package), also making it the quickest base-model Corvette. That kind of power and acceleration outs the new ‘Vette on par with the Bugatti Veyron—a hypercar that starts at $1.7 million and whose oil changes cost more than a brand-new Subaru Impreza.

Another first for the Corvette line in the C8 Stingray’s dual-clutch automatic eight-speed transmission, designed by Tremec. In a surprising move that might anger some fans, there’s no manual option in the new model, however revolutionary automatic is what makes the impressive numbers up above possible.

The most important new feature on the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray, however, is obviously the mid-engine layout.

Corvette engineers have long asserted that there was simply no more juice to squeeze in the previous gen’s acceleration capabilities. “Mid-engine has always been a part of Corvette’s destiny and it’s something we’ve been looking at for a very, very long time,” Reuss said at the vehicle’s unveiling. “Mid-engine has historically posed a challenge to this mission. Not so anymore.”

Not so anymore, indeed. As Road & Track points out, “This huge improvement in acceleration puts the base-model C8 Stingray on par with the top-dog C7 ZR1, the 755-horsepower, huge-downforce, supercharged-to-hell monster of the previous generation.”

Additionally shocking is the vehicle’s price point. The 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray starts at only $60,000—an incredibly fair asking price for the power being offered. “All along, it has been absolutely paramount that we keep Corvette true to its roots of attainable performance,” Reuss explained.

Simply put, the 2020 Corvette C8 Stingray is a game changer for a new generation of sportscar enthusiasts. With progressive tech, advanced capabilities, and a power-to-the-people attitude, the C8 Stingray adds another chapter of excellence to Corvette’s incredible lineage of iconic offerings. And, we, like many other fans around the globe, wait with baited breath to see it in action.

(Click here for an exhaustive, full rundown of the new ‘Vette, compliments of the experts at Car and Driver.)

Potential Ford Bronco Pickup in the Works?

Moving from the now-confirmed back into the land of auto-industry-speculation, it looks like Ford is considering some compact truck competition for the Jeep Gladiator. And it could be coming in the form of a Ford Bronco pickup.

Expanding upon the resurrected-and-redesigned Ranger lineup, new rumors suggest the Bronco would be an option with more beef and brawn to compete in America’s growing arena of capable pickups.

While we’re not exactly sure about what a Ford Bronco pickup would look like or what specs it would feature, it’s certainly an interesting idea to kick around.

The supposed source of the information, AutoForecast Solutions, says fans shouldn’t expect to see the four-door-double-cab-only hauler until 2024. In today’s car years, that’s basically a lifetime away, so expect to see some changes to this story as it evolves.

Could this be why the rest of the world gets to play with the Ranger Raptor, while we look on in frustrated envy?!

Toyota Teams Up With China… As Do Several Other Automakers

It seems that, despite America’s current relationship woes with China, several foreign automakers are not shying away from new partnerships with Chinese companies.

Just last week, Bloomberg reported that Toyota struck a deal with BYD Co., a major global automaker and Chinese manufacturer, to develop electric sedans and SUVs, slated for introduction from 2020-2025. The venture also includes a plan to develop electric batteries.

According to Bloomberg, BYD pioneered mass-produced, plug-in hybrids in 2008. The company currently boasts the world’s highest EV sales since 2015, making them an attractive partner to Toyota, who is eager to make up lost ground in the EV sphere after years of focusing on hybrid and fuel-cell development.

Toyota is hardly the only automaker looking to the Chinese market for help in the future-tech sphere, though. French carmaker Renault, whose deal with FCA recently tanked, just announced an EV venture with China’s Jiangling Motors. BMW is teaming up with Chinese online gaming giant Tencent Holdings to launch a computing center in Beijing for autonomous car development. Volkswagen has an electric car factory deal going with Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. (JAC). And Ford has been committed to a car hailing/EV partnership with Anhui Zotye Automobile since late 2017.

While automakers have previously complained about China’s unfair trade practices and strict requirements for automaking partnerships, the country remains the world’s largest market for electric cars. As vehicle sales take sharp dips in the United States, Europe, and China, and the push for cleaner, greener cars continues to build steam, manufacturers are keeping their eyes on the prize and making deals wherever they deem necessary.

Amazon Alexa Talks Her Way Into Your Car

Speaking of advanced tech in the auto industry, it looks like Amazon is hard at work trying to incorporate Alexa, the company’s ubiquitous voice assistant, into new vehicles.

While Amazon’s AI technology has been used in some vehicles since 2016, to offer simple services like fuel level monitoring or remote car starting, the digital assistant’s presence quickly grew into on-board vehicle accessories and an infotainment center-compatible app. Now, it appears Amazon Alexa will play a bigger role in consumer’s driving experiences.

“The real North Star for us is to be embedded with all the cars,” Ned Curic, vice president of Amazon Alexa Automotive, told Automotive News. “That’s where we want to get. We’re working very hard to get there because we believe that is the best experience.”

Starting with luxury brands that prioritize connectivity and convenience, Alexa integration is already available in brands like Audi, BMW, Lexus, Lincoln, as well as the soon-to-arrive Rivian R1T all-electric pickup. More consumer-oriented names like Ford and Toyota are embracing the technology as well, providing drivers with hands-free voice control functionality to enhance new-age digital lifestyles.

While Curic declined to reveal which automakers Amazon is in discussions with, he did say consumers should expect to see “a significant number of vehicles” sporting Amazon Alexa capabilities in the coming years.

We’re not sure it’ll be the feature that sells us on our next new car purchase, but it’s an interesting addition to laundry list of hyper-advanced on-board tech arriving in today’s vehicles.

Around the Circuit

NASCAR

Monster Energy Series

Kevin Harvick finished first in New Hampshire this weekend to break his massive 21-race winless streak this weekend, edging out Denny Hamlin for the victory at Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. His fourth victory at the Magic Mile—the most among active drivers and matching Jeff Burton for most all-time–beat out Hamlin in second and Erik Jones for third.

After some contact late in the race, Harvick edged out Hamlin by only .210 seconds after Hamlin led for 113 laps ahead of his final pit stop. “I didn’t think we had the best chance to win today, but Rodney made a great call,” said Harvick, who led the last 41 laps.

Next up for Monster Energy series racers is the Gander RV 400 at Pocono Raceway on July 28.

Xfinity Series

Christopher Bell continues his dominance over the XFinity Series with another win this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Racking up his fifth win of 2019 alone and 13th win in 59 Xfinity starts, Bell dominated the race, leading 186 of 200 laps and finishing about four seconds ahead of second place finisher Cole Custer.

Next up for XFinity series racers is the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway, where Bell has won his last two races, on July 27.

NHRA

The 40th annual Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil wrapped up on Friday in Morrison, Colorado. Tommy Johnson Jr. grabbed his first Funny Car win at the Bandimere Speedway, marking his second of the year and 19th of his career.

Steve Torrence picked up a Top Fuel victory, his eighth of the last nine races. This was the defending world champ’s second win in Denver and 35th of his career. Greg Anderson nabbed his first Pro Stock win of the season, second straight at Denver and 92nd of his career while Andrew Hines continued to impress in Pro Stock Motorcycle, grabbing his sixth win out of the past eight races. This was his class-best fifth win in Denver and 54th career victory, also marking him as the first rider in the category to achieve 500 career round wins.