When I drove the new Corvette I was really surprised. Such a different car from previous generations that it took me a few hours to accept that it was the iconic name we associate with the front engine American sports car. To say that this is the best Corvette to date, it’s actually not enough. This is a new level, new platform, a new benchmark. And it does not feel like the one it replace at all.
For over 60 years the world has known the Corvette as the American Icon of speed and power. Perhaps not as sophisticated as European sport cars, but delivering a raw performance like no other. This new car has changed all that.
As I started to drive a couple of things were obvious. The engine now is behind the driver seat and the dynamics and handling are more Ferrari like. The turning and braking more race car like too. The engine is quiet but powerful . Pressing the gas pedal you feel a lot more than the 490HP from its V8. This car feels at home at Angeles Crest Hwy. This is what the purist call a “proper” sports car.
The $62,000 price tag for the base model is hard to believe for what you get. It is a true bargain and I wonder if they are really making any profit. The interior is not only luxurious, but futuristic . You literally are surrounded by instruments and switches. You are looking at a heads-up display on your windshield like a military jet. And it flies !
Interestingly the V8 engine is still the 6.2 from the old one. But is has been upgraded and slightly modified to run in the back. The 8 speed transmission has a dual clutch automatic. You can still shift using paddles behind the steering wheel. How fast is it? well I didn’t dare to try. But with a zero to 60 in just 2.8 seconds and a quarter mile in 11 seconds at over 120 mph you can imagine. And that was using only 4 gears, you still have another 8 to go. The best part for me is how it handles and brakes. A lot better than many race cars i driven in the 90’s. And just for $62,000 with full warranty.
Corvette was known as the American exotic for the masses and that remains true. A great engineering job that has delivered the best American sport s car to date.
