White bolster, raw kernel
It was already announced in the summer of 2019 and since last year it has been driving around in the US: the new eighth generation Corvette – with mid-engine. Chevrolet first built concept cars with that layout in the 1960s, and engineers spent decades trying to get the turn around. It never happened, but now General Motors thought the time was right: with the engine in the front, the C7 ran against limits where competitors had already passed. They couldn’t stay behind.
After much further development work and emissions hassles, the Chevrolet Corvette C8 (here as Stingray Convertible) is now ready for Europe. Due to the mandatory particle filters and other adjustments, it has slightly less power: 482 instead of 502 hp. And where the stated acceleration time in the US is 2.95 seconds from 0 to 96 km/h (60 mph), here we measure up to 100 and without sneaking it away – ‘our’ value is 3.5 seconds.
Some cars are close to your heart. For us, the Corvette is such a car. We like his approach of much for little, his righteous blue-collar character and are somewhat clumsy, but always funny manners. In the long run-up to the European introduction, we saw reports about the C8 that worried us a bit. It would be a much better sports car than before, so good and effective that it could easily take on its competitors, which he used to have to dance around a bit.
Wouldn’t the Corvette be too good?
oh dear. A mid-engine, a DCT transmission (day manual), a racing version at Le Mans that exchanged its deep hammering soundtrack for a generic blar… Could GM have gone too far? In their pursuit of building a better Corvette, would they have built too good a Corvette? A fantastic supercar that goes beyond what once made this model great?
With that fear we approach the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible waiting for us in Frankfurt. Via a video link we briefly speak with the Vehicle Dynamics Manager of the C8, Alexander MacDonald, in Detroit. “The big challenge wasn’t getting it to drive well – we were soon satisfied with that. But we’ve put a lot of time and effort into making it feel like a Corvette,” he says.
The interior of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible
The Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray Convertible is impressive to look at: low, sharp and wickedly lined. The door handle is located in the prominent air inlet on the side. In the interior, you as a driver are built in behind a curved, pointy center console with a row of air conditioning buttons on the edge. It is a cool design, beautifully finished with leather and Alcantara. A head-up display, a large counter screen and a modest central touchscreen display slick animations and clear information. There’s some sort of mouse with a rotary controller for the riding modes, a few buttons for the transmission, and a square-shaped steering wheel that comes far out towards you. The seats – in this case the middle of three ascending sporty options – look heavier than they sit.
So far, so worryingly high-quality, we’d almost say. Then we start the engine and a weight is lifted off our shoulders. The 6.2-litre LT2 V8, completely newly developed but according to an old recipe (two valves per cylinder, one camshaft below), comes to life with a roar and immediately bombards your senses with raw charisma. Emphatic, powerful, a somewhat sloppy course that makes you feel it stirring and tossing. Not in front of you, but behind you, but still: this is correct.
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible is tractable
With an appearance like this you would expect a Lambo-like learning curve, but the C8 turns out to be surprisingly manageable. It is not even that wide and the view outside is not disappointing. There are usable luggage compartments in the front and back, and in the Convertible you can lower the roof at the touch of a button, or open the rear window separately. The turbo-less V8 has torque to give anywhere and anytime: with 1,200 rpm in four you can effortlessly climb a steep slope. The Magnetic Ride suspension nips any bumps in the bud and makes bad roads feel like, er, much less bad road. Cruising at 250 km/h on the Autobahn the Stingray is calm, solid and stable. He is by no means intimidating. Until you challenge him.
It takes us a while to reconcile the new driving experience with the fits of recognition. You are now 42 centimeters closer to the front wheels than before and so you immediately turn the corner, instead of pointing and following a long nose. The front is light, the steering fast and accurate, the chassis exchanges its compliance in the sportier modes for effective sharpness. If you put the engine to work, precisely measured via the insanely long stroke of the accelerator and fast gear changes, you get the honest, unadulterated performance of a modern small block V8 for you choose: pounding in a straight line to the red line. Despite the EU, the sound is still addictive. It is partly amplified via the Bose speakers, but that should not spoil the fun: a mechanical orchestra and hiss from the transmission aptly complement the thunder and rumble.
Is the new Corvette link enough?
A Corvette must have a hint of danger. We accelerate out of a bend on a wet surface and break out mercilessly with all the electronics switched on. Ah, as usual: the C8 helps you out, but just a little too late to feel completely at ease. Of course, everything can also be turned off – or even better: you can fine-tune things via Performance Traction Management, a close-listening series of parameters for more or less psychotic behavior. What you are left with is a wonderfully balanced beast.
It’s buffalo, frolic, handing out teasing punches and taking it. If you want to go fast, purely and efficiently, buy a Porsche. If you want to work with fists and feet for his speed, this is the place to be. Somewhat thick wood, unpolished edges, a little rough, a little link. Not a flaw – zest for life. This is the soul of a Corvette, and they kept it in this radically different, slicked-down package.
Plenty of tech
Rebellious behavior and a two-valve engine don’t mean the C8 is an old-fashioned bungler. First of all, its base is a stiff, aluminum whole with the compact block low in its belly. The transmission is Tremec’s job and not only operates quickly with the flippers, but also senses your intentions well in automatic mode. We already mentioned Performance Traction Management, which assists you in using the power as effectively as possible in different situations. European Corvettes always have the Z51 package (manually adjustable track suspension, Brembo brakes, electronic differential lock, aero gimmicks).
A built-in dashcam with performance data and a camera interior mirror are also standard. The Stingray does not know too much driving assistance: outside (non-adaptive) cruise control, blind spot recognition and warnings for crossing traffic at the rear, you can fix it yourself. And, strange but true, a rain sensor is also missing. Something with freedom, or something.
How much does the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible cost in the Netherlands?
‘Turboless V8’: you know what that means in the Netherlands. The price is not yet known, but will probably exceed 160,000 euros (against around 90 mille in Belgium and the rest of Europe). For that money, there are quite a few other good, very good cars to choose from. But if you’re a character match with this Stingray, the question is whether you’ll still consider it.
Specifications Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible (2021)
engine
6.162 cc
V8
482 hp @ 6,450 rpm
613 Nm @ 4,500 rpm
Drive
rear wheels
8v automatic
Performance
0-100 km/h in 3.5 s
top 296 km/h
Consumption (average)
12.1 l/100 km
277 g/km CO2 (G label)
Dimensions
4,634 x 1,934 x 1,234mm (lxwxh)
2,722mm (wheelbase)
1,692 kg
70 l (petrol)
luggage compartment nb
Prices
nb (NL)
nb (B)