2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

A Powerful Sting

By Isaac Bouchard

While all the recent press coverage has (deservedly) been of the supercar-rivalling Corvette Z06, with its 8,600 RPM engine, even more prosaic versions of the current C8 generation are incredible machines. With sub-3 second 0-60 dashes possible, they are certainly fast enough for most. The Vette’s midengined configuration serves up is rewardingly dynamic handling, yet the ride quality and overall civility match the best of previous generations of this hallowed sports car. And now that interior quality is now world-class, there is little to gripe about.

The test vehicle was a Stingray coupe, which means no power-fold convertible; instead there’s a huge fiberglass panel to unbolt and stow in the rear trunk. Not the work of a moment, it stayed firmly attached to the windshield header throughout the test. No matter; the Vette coddled and thrilled just as it was; the Z51 performance package (uprated suspension, brakes, cooling, rear differential, gearing change, etc) gave it the chops to satisfy all carnal desires. One thing about this generation of Corvette is that it’s very benign, civilized nature can almost fool one into thinking it won’t take a good throttling. But it surely does, gripping to the pavement with over 1-g of lateral adhesion, turning in adroitly and remaining balanced up to its very high limits, at which point it becomes pushy at the front. To unstick the rear, with the weight of that glorious V8, is quite difficult at our altitude, at least with the stock alignment settings. Thankfully, Chevrolet supplies track-ready alignment settings that increase camber, adjust toe angle and lower the whole machine, granting it a much more balanced dynamic.

Braking, even on the standard steel discs, is ferocious, while also being easy to modulate and full of feel. The 8-speed twin-clutch transmissions is a wonder, just about matching Porsche’s PDK, the gold-standard. There is even joy to be had in hearing the woofles of the hydraulics as they engage/disengage the two clutches, allowing for the uninterrupted flow of power and thrills. The biggest demerit against the C8, at least to this owner of a C6-generation Z06, is its mass; this is one heavy sports car, tipping the scales at almost 3650 pounds—500 more than my own machine. Of course, there’s a boatload of equipment in this generation of Stingray: wireless Apple and Android connection, head-up display, heated and ventilated seats, 14-speaker Bose sound and more—all part of the 2LT package—but, despite the large capacity of the engine, its 470lb-ft of torque doesn’t arrive until higher up in the rev range, meaning the car takes a bit to really hit its stride at our altitude, where its sea level-spec 495hp has been reduced to only 420 ponies.

Regardless, the C8 Corvette is unrivaled in performance at its price point—as was the case with most generations of ‘Merica’s Plastic Fantastic. What’s new is the midengined config, the sense of quality in the cockpit and the sheer exoticness of the experience, now that one sits so much farther forward. There was a sense wonderful cohesiveness to its proceedings, a honed grace to its progress across the ground, that this generation of Corvette excels at. Combined with its practicality (two trunks, a comfortable ride, good refinement), which upholds the tradition that the past several generations of this machine have offered and its semi-affordable price, the C8 Corvette is truly one of a kind.

 

EPA Ratings: 16/24/19mpg
0-60mph: 2.8sec
Price as tested: $83,965
4.5 Stars

Here is what Chevrolet has to say.

Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos ([email protected]; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

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