Nobody likes to wait – especially for one of the most highly anticipated all-new sports cars on the planet.
But the world waited five years for the details.
It was back in 2008 when rumors about a future all-new C7 Corvette first started swirling. However, it wasn’t until early 2012 when the first heavily cloaked test mules were spotted in the wild. But even with physical prototypes running in the public eye, Chevy was able to keep its upcoming flagship under impressively tight wrap. Finally, at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show in January of this year, the automaker officially lifted the covers off the 2014 Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray and revealed its inner workings.
And then everyone waited half-a-year to drive it.
Yet all of that pent-up frustration, mental anguish and years of misguided speculation immediately vanished this week when I climbed behind the wheel and laid two fat strips of molten rubber down on the asphalt. The agonizing was so worth it.
There is no need to embellish or sugar coat its past. The Corvette, America’s iconic sports car for the past 60 years, has always fallen short of perfection. While late model versions have generated plenty of horsepower and delivered impressive cornering grip, the Corvette as a complete sports car package – styling, performance and passenger appointments equally weighed – has never left enthusiasts speechlessly impressed. That is, until now.
But before I get ahead of myself with driving impressions, let’s take a brief refresher course on the all-new seventh-generation C7. (For an excellent in-depth look, check out “2014 Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray: Everything There is to Know” that we published earlier this year.)
Like its ancestors, and despite endless rumors of a mid-engine successor, the new 2014 Corvette continues to use a front-engine, rear-wheel drive architecture. But in contrast to its predecessors, the all-new model has abandoned much of its heavy steel construction in favor of a lightweight aluminum frame. Thanks to innovative build techniques, including plenty of structural adhesive bonding, the new chassis is 99 pounds lighter than last year’s model and 57 percent stiffer. Continuing that trend, there are new featherweight body panels, including a standard carbon-fiber hood and carbon-nano composite underbody panels, which assist in keeping weight to a minimum. The new bodywork is sleek (Cd of just .29), stylish, distinctive and light, boasting a curb weight of just 3,298 pounds.
The Corvette’s eight-cylinder tradition continues, but with an all-new, and thoroughly modern, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. The all-aluminum LT1 small block features direct injection and continuously variable valve timing to generate 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. As such, it is strong enough to be called the most powerful standard engine Chevrolet has ever offered on a Corvette.
Thankfully, and despite the recent trend of dropping manual transmissions, Corvette buyers are again offered the choice of whether or not to row their own gears. Gone is last year’s six-speed gearbox, replaced by a new seven-speed manual gearbox (Tremec TR6070) with Active Rev Matching (ARM) as standard equipment. Those who choose only two pedals in the footwell will receive a carryover six-speed automatic (Hydra-Matic 6L80) with standard wheel-mounted paddle shifters. In both cases, the gearbox is incorporated into a rear transaxle that helps to improve overall vehicle balance, and models equipped with the optional Z51 Performance package also receive a three-mode electronic limited-slip differential.
The suspension has also been significantly overhauled. Even though the short/long-arm configuration returns, its componentry is all new with hollow lower control arms and new aluminum rear tow links that combined save nearly 11 pounds compared to the previous design. Standard models arrive with 35-millimeter piston Bilstein monotube shocks, while the aforementioned Z51 upgrade includes 45-mm dampers. GM’s third-generation Magnetic Ride Control (MRC), now reportedly reacting 40-percent quicker than its predecessor, is offered as an option.
Car pictures:2014 Chevrolet C7 Corvette Stingray
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