C9 Corvette: Release Date, Engine, Price and What We Know

Every number on this page is labeled as either something GM has said on the record or something an outlet has reported from unnamed sources. That split matters, because a lot of C9 coverage blurs it. I own a C8 ZR1 and have owned two C8 Z06s and a Stingray, and I plan to buy a C9, so I am tracking every confirmed detail as a future owner. This page gets updated as GM confirms details.

What GM has actually confirmed about the C9

Almost nothing, officially. GM has not named the C9, shown it, priced it or dated it. What GM has put on the record points at it from the side:

• The Corvette CX concept sets the design direction. Chevrolet revealed the CX and the track-only CX.R Vision Gran Turismo at The Quail on August 15, 2025, and said in its press release that neither is meant for production but both will inform Corvette design language for years to come.
• The “leaked C9” from the Mary Barra interview was the CX. In June 2026 Chevrolet told Motor1 that the car glimpsed in an NBC News segment with GM’s CEO was the CX concept, not the next-generation Corvette.
• GM is still investing in the small-block V8. In January 2023 GM committed $918 million to four US plants for its sixth-generation Small Block V8, including $579 million at Flint Engine Operations. The new 6.7-liter LS6 already went into the 2027 Stingray and Grand Sport.
• A manual is unlikely. Tony Roma, GM’s executive chief engineer for Corvette, said on The Drive’s podcast that engineering a manual for the mid-engine transaxle would cost too much for the number of buyers who would choose it. He was talking about the Corvette in general, not the C9 by name. His full comments, plus what he said about an electric Corvette and a Z06X, are in Tony Roma on the next Corvette.
• GM’s Corvette chief engineer has named the C9. On The Drivecast on October 14, 2026, Roma said: “The C9 needs to be a Corvette at its core.” In the same interview he said “we’ve got runway left on C8, so stay tuned.”

What has been reported (not confirmed by GM)

These come from outlets citing their own sources. Newest first; where two reports disagree, both are shown.

The two timelines differ by one model year. GM Authority’s 2023 report said a 2028 debut for model year 2029. MotorTrend’s July 2026 report, the newer of the two, says production in 2029 for model year 2030. Full report: MotorTrend’s C9 preview.

C9 Corvette release date: how the timeline lines up

The C8 is the best yardstick. Chevrolet revealed it on July 18, 2019, and the first 2020 cars came off the Bowling Green line in early February 2020, roughly seven months later. Apply the same gap to a 2029 production start and you get a reveal in the second half of 2028.

• August 2025: Corvette CX and CX.R concepts revealed (confirmed).
• 2027 model year: Grand Sport and Grand Sport X arrive, filling out the C8 lineup (confirmed).
• Late 2028: C9 public reveal (reported).
• 2029: production starts, cars on sale around summer (reported).
• 2030: first C9 model year (reported).

That would give the C8 ten model years, 2020 through 2029. The C7 ran 2014 to 2019 and the C6 ran 2005 to 2013.

C9 Corvette engine: what to expect

The base C9 engine is most likely already in showrooms. The 2027 Stingray and Grand Sport switched to the 6.7-liter LS6, which makes 535 hp and 520 lb-ft and pairs with the eight-speed dual-clutch. MotorTrend expects that combination to carry into the base C9.

The hybrids are the part to watch. The C8 already runs one front motor on the Grand Sport X and ZR1X, and MotorTrend expects a C9 hybrid could add a second. A fully electric Corvette is not expected at launch. The CX concept’s four-motor EV setup is a design study, not a C9 spec.

On the gearbox, the dual-clutch is the safe bet. Roma’s comments on The Drive’s podcast make a three-pedal C9 look unlikely, mainly because a manual would need an all-new transaxle for a small slice of buyers.

C9 Corvette price: what will it cost?

MotorTrend’s estimate is $78,000 to $220,000. Set that next to what a C8 costs today and the range reads differently.

C8 prices are 2027 MSRP including the $2,495 destination charge, after Chevrolet’s $300 increase of September 28, 2026.

The low end of the estimate is about $4,200 above today’s Stingray. The high end is about $7,700 below today’s ZR1X. Our read: the base figure is plausible, but $220,000 looks low for a C9 flagship that arrives years later than a C8 that already costs more. Treat the top of the range as a guess, not a ceiling. For how C8 prices moved, see the ZR1X price history.

Is the Corvette CX concept the C9?

No. Chevrolet has said the CX is not going into production, and it is built around hardware no road Corvette is expected to use. It is, by every report, the shape the C9 will borrow from.

• Four electric motors, one per wheel, for more than 2,000 hp with four-wheel torque vectoring.
• A 90-kWh battery mounted in the chassis.
• A roofline under 41 inches and a forward-opening, fighter-jet-style canopy instead of doors.
• A fan system that pulls air through the body for downforce, plus an active front diffuser and rear wing.
• The CX.R Vision Gran Turismo track version: a 2.0-liter twin-turbo V8 making up to 900 hp and revving to 15,000 rpm, plus three motors, for 2,000 hp total.

Both were designed at the Chevrolet Performance Studio in Warren, Michigan. What carries over, per MotorTrend’s sources, is the look: the long, low nose, the horizontal chine line and the dual-element taillights, softened for production. The full CX and CX.R spec sheet is in the Corvette CX concept explained.

Should you buy a C8 now or wait for the C9?

It depends on which Corvette you want, because the C9 will not arrive all at once. The C8 shows how a generation rolls out:

If the C9 follows that pattern, a buyer who wants a C9 Z06 or ZR1 is looking at the early 2030s, not 2029. Someone who wants a base car with the new body has the shortest wait.

C9 Corvette FAQ