The 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 Drew Tons of Attention at the Concours of America

The 2019 Concours d'Elegance of America was this past weekend at the Inn at Saint John's in Plymouth, Michigan, and Chevy had a fairly large building erected on the lawn to show off the new 2020 Corvette C8. Two different versions of the C8 were present, a non-Z51 car in Ceramic Matrix Gray that was parked outside and a Z51-equipped car in Torch Red parked in the building.

We were present for the reveal of the C8 earlier in July, but this was our first time seeing it outside in the context of almost real life. Even among the contemporary exotic cars and multimillion-dollar classics at the concours, the C8 drew massive crowds and tons of excitement. People were lined up all day to go inside and get a closer look, and we overheard people walking around the concours talking about the mid-engined Vette throughout the day.

Click through to see photos of the new Corvette at the Concours of America:

Outside the mini showroom that Chevy had built was this C8 painted in Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic.

This one is a "base" car without the Z51 Performance package; the lack of a front splitter is one giveaway.

It was perched on a platform that people weren't allowed to stand on, making it a bit hard to get a close look.

But not being able to get on the platform didn't stop large groups of people from gawking at the car.

This is the "trident spoke" wheel design, which is available in three finishes. Every C8 has a staggered wheel setup, with 19-inchers at the front and 20s in the rear.

The garnish on the side scoop comes in this Carbon Flash finish as standard, but it's available in body color, carbon fiber, or a lighter Shadow Gray.

Another distinguishing feature of the base car is the lack of a rear spoiler.

Once the concours was open to the public, the line to go inside the Corvette building was super long all day.

Parked inside was this Torch Red C8. As it wasn't on a platform or surrounded by a barrier, we (and the public) were able to get much closer.

This C8 has the Z51 package, which adds a different front splitter and a rear spoiler as well as a number of mechanical changes.

Surrounding this C8 were walls that showed off all of the C8's different color and trim options.

Depending on viewing angle and lighting, the multitude of lines on the hood can either look really intense . . .

. . . or like they aren't there at all.

The C8's door handles are hidden underneath the large side scoop.

The C8's large engine cover opens up to reveal the 495-hp V-8 as well as a rear cargo hold that can swallow two golf bags.

While the Z51 package adds this spoiler, a taller wing is available as a factory accessory.

As we were leaving, just when we thought we'd seen the last of the C8 for the day, we spotted an odd camouflaged prototype in the parking lot.

The flat vented decklid, flying buttresses, upright rear window, and different cutlines indicate this is actually a prototype for the upcoming convertible model.

The convertible will be a folding hardtop in the vein of supercars like the Ferrari 488 and the McLaren 720S.

We couldn't spot a button for the convertible's top when looking inside, but it's sure to be power operated.

This prototype is painted in the darker Long Beach Red Metallic.

The C8 is the first Corvette since the C5 to not have centrally mounted exhaust tips.

The Z51 package adds larger brakes, and the calipers are available in four colors, including this yellow.