Chevy Corvette C8 Can Be Driven Away And Restarted Without Key Fob

Does Chevrolet have a specific reason for this functionality?

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Christopher Smith

By: Christopher Smith

Feb 7, 2022 at 1:16pm ET

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Once upon a time, if you wanted to drive a car you needed to put a physical key into an ignition cylinder, usually located on the steering column. You then needed to twist the key, thereby engaging the starter and bringing the engine to life. Now, most vehicles use a remote fob that allows the engine to fire up as long as that remote is detected inside the cabin. In the C8 Corvette, there's a bit more to it than that.

A recent YouTube video from Rick Corvette Conti shows the current-generation Chevrolet Corvette can be driven away without the fob being in the car at all. That's not an uncommon thing with many modern vehicles, at least for short distances while the fob is still within detection range. However, commenters to the video stated the car can be driven away without a range limit. Not only that, if the car is shut off without the fob being detected, it can still be restarted. As the video shows, a red screen pops up once the car is off, stating that the key is missing and one restart is allowed.

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Full disclosure – we don't have a C8 Corvette sitting in the garage, and our numerous Corvette experiences never presented an opportunity to drive en masse without a key in our possession. We do know the previous-generation Corvette was capable of driving indefinitely without the key fob, but to get a better handle on all of this, Motor1.com contacted Chevrolet for some explanations on these keyless functions and why they exist. More than a few commenters on the video wonder why the car continues to run without the key in proximity, never mind the ability to do a keyless restart just once.