Chalk it up to bad luck.
A brand new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 is already in for a transmission replacement, after racking up just 32 miles on the odometer. According to the GM dealer tech working on the car, it's been driven conservatively, in-line with the manufacturer's recommended break-in procedure.
GM took particular care to mitigate the risk of powertrain damage during the C8's break-in period, with instrument panel programming that shows a lower engine redline, and powertrain software that limits first- and second-gear torque for the first 500 miles. But that wasn't enough to spare the transmission in this particular C8, which will see its transmission removed and sent straight to Tremec - the C8 gearbox supplier - for teardown.
The failure mode encountered by this unfortunate 32-mile C8 transmission is nothing drastic; according to Reddit user midshipmen89 - the GM dealer tech who first posted about the failed C8 transmission - the unit is leaking a little bit of fluid and has thrown a code related to the limited-slip differential fluid pressure.
Issues like these are by no means uncommon for early production examples. Some examples of the C7, for instance, experienced catastrophic engine failure within the first few thousand miles, and much has been written about the myriad issues that plagued the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator early on.
In other words, it's not fair to say there's anything much to worry about with regard to the C8 Corvette's long-term reliability. In the course of tearing down the transmission, Tremec might even learn enough about the failure mode that they can tweak the design of the at-fault component or change suppliers to make the gearbox more reliable.
This isn't the first customer-owned 2020 Corvette mechanical failure we've heard about, but it's the first without any red flags that suggest undue stress or abuse. Earlier in the month, LG Motorsport's nitrous-injected C8 snapped a half-axle after a few otherwise promising quarter-mile runs. We don't imagine GM's factory warranty will pick up the tab on that one.