It's a joy watching the looks on Corvette enthusiasts' faces as the next chapter in a revered history washes over them. Books will be written. Collections will be joined. Races will be won. Fantasies will be fulfilled. Ask any journalist what they thought of the seventh-generation ( C7 ) 2014 Corvette during its Detroit Auto Show premiere last January: they'll pause, take a deep breath, and slowly let it out before answering. It's that smokin' hot.
By far the most controversial features of the new Vette are its quad rectangular taillamps. I prefer four round lights, but LEDs give the rear a futuristic finish. The car's shape is incredibly aggressive, but recognizably Corvette. Designers broke with recent tradition by trashing the glass hatch, instead penning proper windowlines and subtle flying buttress styling. Both the hood and removable targa roof are carbon fiber.
Chevrolet thought enough of the car to re-apply the cherished Stingray label.
Looking over a Corvette's bulging fenders from behind the wheel is sexy as hell, but Corvette rarely enjoyed interior refinement to equal its performance. With relatively-affordable prices, you could always convince yourself that "compromises had to be made somewhere." F-that! No more excuses.
A choice of two multi-adjustable seat designs replaces the old flabby chairs. Stitched dash and door materials would impress Michael Kors, as would authentic aluminum and carbon fiber trim. Peeling off Benjamins allows owners to upgrade from plain black to an array of colors and trim. Mercifully, Corvette drivers no longer suffer a Chevy Cobalt's steering wheel: the new multi-function, leather-wrapped gem is divine.
Corvettes are about feeling like you're piloting high-tech machines. In the Stingray, drivers can re-configure the LCD instrument cluster with a selection of gauge layouts, swipe through the gesture-recognition touchscreen, and choose from several color heads-up displays. Chevy MyLink infotainment, Bluetooth calling/audio, Bose speakers, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated/cooled seats, and 3D navigation maps turn the Corvette into a 21st-century rocket ship.
Twenty years ago, the legendary "King of the Hill" Corvette ZR-1 had 405 horsepower. Weak! The C7's 6.2-liter V8—with variable valve timing, direction injection, variable-displacement ( runs on four cylinders at cruise to conserve fuel ), and none of that 32-valve nonsense—delivers 455 horsepower ( 460 with free-flow exhaust ) and 17/29 mpg city/highway. That's adequate to run 0-60 mph in 3.8s.
Beyond thrust, engineers refined the car's chassis and steering to be more precise. A knob in the center console selects among five driving modes: Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport, and Track. Each adjusts the gauge cluster configuration, electronic stability control, variable-displacement, exhaust sound ( try it in Track mode to wake Ethyl Merman ), steering effort, and Magnetic Ride Control suspension damping. The car can transform from commuter to track star with the twist of a knob.
Corvettes must evolve to stay relevant. Think of the departure earlier generation Vettes were from their predecessors. My '80s-vintage C4 was highly criticized for its aerodynamic body and digital gauges. ( Imagine! ) For the C7, designers didn't settle for another trite update. While respecting history, the C7 is cutting-edge, relevant for a new generation of buyers, and renews a bloodline that has survived over 60 years.
One of the best moments during the launch party for the C7 was walking around the car while chief designer, Tom Peters, stood quietly gauging reactions. By then, I could honestly tell him I liked the taillamps—and he spent considerable time explaining their shape, depth, and lighting technology. No decision was made lightly. No decision on a Corvette is ever.
Amazing. Beautiful. Breathless.
The base price is $51,000. As tested with the Z51 Performance Package, heated/ventilated seats, Premium Bose audio, heads-up display, multi-mode exhaust, NAV, black wheels, and yellow calipers, it came to $62,085.
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