The Chevrolet Corvette is easily one of the most popular and desirable cars in the world and, in fact, in automotive history. It is therefore expected that whenever General Motors’ bread-and-butter American brand unveils an all-new generation of the sports car, all those with a passing interest in motoring simply have to stop whatever it is they’re doing and pay attention.

Which is exactly what we’re doing now: We’ve set aside an entirely unrelated task to put together an article about this, the eighth iteration of the Corvette Stingray.

While the general shape of its predecessor is still somewhat recognizable in the new model, it is immediately apparent that the latest version looks sportier and angrier—almost as if Michael Bay was intimately involved in its design development so that the Hollywood director could cast it again in another Transformers installment as a gorgeous Autobot. And while the car has a lot of angular creases, the overall styling appears sleek and clean especially when you realize that the door, hood and hatch releases are hidden from plain sight.

The ferocious vibe of this Corvette is understandable when you learn that serving as inspiration for its exterior design are Formula 1 cars and fighter jets like Lockheed Martin’s F-22 and F-35, according to a press statement.

View the car from a high vantage point and you will quickly spot the engine peering through rear hatch window, a sight that informs the observer of the exact placement of the powerplant underneath that aggressive-looking sheet metal. Yep, this Corvette boasts a mid-engine layout—the first in model history. And so, Chevrolet isn’t wasting the chance to brag about the car’s “better weight distribution.”

The all-new Corvette brings back one of the model’s best-loved features: the removable roof panel. Which essentially makes this speed machine a coupe that doubles as a roadster.

Besides this model being the first-ever Corvette to have a mid-engine configuration, it is also the first Chevrolet to be equipped with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and the first Corvette to be offered in right-hand drive.

Powering the new Corvette Stingray is the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine that produces 495hp (at 6,450rpm) and 637Nm (at 5,150rpm). It is said to be capable of catapulting the car from rest to 100km/h in less than three seconds. Chevrolet says that’s the fastest acceleration time of any Corvette model.

The eighth-gen Corvette will officially go into production at the end of the year, and start distribution in the US by early next year. The price in its domestic market is expected to be set under $60,000 (P3.06 million). Of course, that figure is sure to balloon once the car reaches our shores due to duties and taxes. The question now is the time of its arrival in the Philippines: As it is, Chevrolet Philippines still has a few units of the current (seventh-generation) model in its inventory, according to company marketing boss Lyn Buena.

Well, that should give you more time to save up for the car. No more nightly bar-hopping, we guess. You can start this weekend.