First Drive: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Story by John LeBlanc MONTEREY, CALIF. — As the American alternative to fancier foreign sports cars, it’s been “us against the world” for Chevrolet’s Corvette since the first model debuted in the early 1950s. And now, six decades and seven generations later, the new 2014 Corvette is once again targeted at both the 'Vette faithful and snobby sports car buyers who won’t buy anything but Porsches and Jaguars. As one of the most anticipated new car debuts this year, you may already have the basic intel on the all-new (Chevrolet says only two parts carryover from the 2013 model) 2014 ‘Vette. The seventh-generation (C7) Corvette sports new carbon fibre body panels, the return of the Stingray name for the base models, a more upscale interior, new gearboxes and an all-new eight-cylinder gas engine that offers more oomph yet sips less fuel. And as General Motors’ technological showpiece, the two-passenger, rear-wheel-drive 2014 Corvette Stingray comes packed with world-class high-tech goodies that any sports car snob should appreciate. In an attempt to keep the new Corvette Stingray as light as possible, there’s a lightweight carbon fibre hood and removable roof panel (that stows neatly under the rear glass hatch), and a lighter aluminum body frame. Other standard kit includes Michelin tires, electronic limited-slip differential, rev-matching on the manual gearbox and an exclusive technology that senses tire temperature to fine-tune the Corvette’s chassis. In the past, sports car snobs looked down on the ‘Vette’s Toys-R-Us plastic interiors and gaping gaps between its Fiberglas body panels, but Chevrolet has amped up the C7 Corvette’s perceived quality both inside and outside the car. An all-leather interior upgrade is available — even the base model's interior is nicely trimmed and finished with real materials like aluminum, leather and carbon fibre. The combination of a new power tilt/telescopic steering wheel and eight-way power buckets (modelled after Porsche and Recaro thrones) also offer plenty of adjustments to fit any driver. On the outside, Chevy is bragging that the new Corvette’s composite panels are now only separated by three-millimetre gaps, comparable to metal-body cars. So the 2014 Corvette Stingray seemingly has all the latest sports car “must haves” checked off, but after a day spent driving pre-production manual and automatic transmission models in and around Monterey, Calif., it’s safe to say that the latest version of America’s sports car is by far the best. Feel free to pooh-pooh the fact that the Corvette Stingray’s “new” 6.2-litre V8 still sports pushrods instead of overhead cams, but the addition of direct fuel injection and new combustion chambers means the Chevy’s 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque out-spec a Porsche Cayman S, 911 Carrera or Jaguar F-Type S. And the result is a zero-to-96-km/h time of just 3.8 seconds, whether with the stick or the auto — more than a second quicker than all the above foreign sports cars. With new cylinder deactivation technology (that effectively turns the V8 into a 126-hp four-cylinder), the Corvette Stingray can also claim “best in class” fuel economy estimates of 12.2 L/100 km in the city and 6.9 on the highway. At the heart of the Corvette Stingray’s driver-focused high-tech package is the cockpit-mounted Driver Mode Selector. Via five settings — Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport and Track — you can tune the Chevy for a variety of driving desires. For drivers more interested in chasing Porsches and Jags, the Stingray’s optional Z51 performance package (which includes larger-diameter wheels, bigger front brakes, dry sump, lubricant coolers, more-aggressive gear ratios and an electronic diff) and magnetic-ride control system with performance traction management would come to your aid. Let’s skip right to Track mode, where the Corvette Stingray’s electronic diff, stability control, magnetic shocks and traction control are set at the car’s most aggressive levels. Add to the mix the huge grip found on the standard Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber, and Chevrolet claims the Stingray will post a 1.08-g cornering score, which is the same as the outgoing (and track tire-equipped) Z06 and ZR1. (I’d opt for the Z51 package if only to get its Brembo calipers and grooved rotors. Compared to the non-Z51 Stingray I drove, the Z51 stops were shorter and more confident inspiring.) While the six-speed autobox-equipped Stingray worked best employing its manumatic mode, the new seven-speed manual is more engaging. For those who don’t know their toe from their heel, the big news is a rev-matching feature that can be turned on or off, but improved gear synchros and a dual-mass flywheel make the ‘Vette’s seven-speeder relatively easy to manage, save for the shift from seventh to sixth, which can be tricky. Admittedly, steering aficionados will find the Corvette Stingray’s new electrically assisted steering could use more feel, but its responses are crisp and accurate, especially in Sport or Track modes. And when you’re not out Porsche or Jag hunting, the new Corvette Stingray can be tuned to be a comfortable, all-day kilometre muncher. The GM media people purposely mapped out a route that had us driving over untypically rough California pavement, and the new ‘Vette was rock solid, relatively quiet, comfortable and rattle free. That said, one dip into its throttle, and the Corvette Stingray’s two-way mufflers will create a boastful blast of good ol’ American muscle. Despite the abundance of high-tech gear and a massive increase in quality, comfort, features and gains in performance and fuel economy (whew!), the Corvette remains a stunningly good value. The base 2014 Corvette Stingray starts at $54,454 (all prices include freight and pre-delivery inspection charge) — an almost $8,000 reduction from last year. Even with the Z51 package and magnetic-ride control system, the price is still less than $60,000 — a big discount over a $74,885 Porsche Cayman S, $98,215 Porsche 911 Carrera or $91,043 Jaguar F-Type S. Perhaps the best news for ‘Vette fans (and those who may be considering the Chevy sports car for the first time ever) is that the base model Stingray is just the appetizer. This fall, a full convertible (seen above) Stingray arrives, and we can also look forward to the higher-performing Z06 and ZR1 replacements. More than a number on a GM sales chart, the 2014 Corvette Stingray is a knife-edge styled, rubber band-tired, corner-conquering, weapon of tire destruction that showcases the very best General Motors has to offer. Foreign sports car fans can still keep their noses upturned at America’s sports car, but they’ll be missing out on one of the most sophisticated and capable rides you can buy — regardless of its price.

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