Car and Driver - USA (2019-12)

32 DECEMBER 2019 ~ CAR AND DRIVER

with a ride smoother than that of many sports sedans, steering
lighter than a Malibu’s, and an engine note that’s barely a mur-
mur. The dual-clutch automatic eases through its eight gears
unnoticed, though it can be a bit lazy to downshift if you stab
the throttle. Extensive acoustic insulation has made the new
Corvette not only quieter than the old by three decibels at 70
mph, but just plain quiet. This kind of dynamic bandwidth is
almost unheard of in the mid-engine exotic species.
There are three seat options in the C 8 : GT1, GT 2 (included in
our car’s 3LT trim), and the aggressive Competition Sport buck-
ets. The GT 2 chairs were soft in the right places yet wonderfully
supportive for amped-up cornering. This is a car you can drive
anytime, anywhere—including clear across the country—with-
out it tiring you out. Plus, it has useful space in the front and rear
cargo holds. So go ahead; take it to the supermarket.
But normal driving is also where the C8 gets tripped up by
elevated expectations. More than a few of us were hoping for
more character, more drama, and more personality when we
weren’t hammering it. Ferraris and Lamborghinis snarl at you
like caged tigers even when you’re just mosey ing through down-
town. The steering of Porsches and McLarens is more vivid than
the Corvette’s. We sometimes wished the new Stingray felt a
little louder and a little more raw, a bit more like the C7. Can a
PN_aUNaY\XaUVN[T_fNPabNYYfORa\_R¼[RQ,AUNaμdUR_R the asterisk comes in: The C8 is great, but. We have few reservations about the new Stingray’s interior, though. Our car, a well-equipped example with the $11, 950 3LT package, boasted supple, tautly sewn leather on most sur- SNPR]YbRea_NYVXR"PNO[¼ORa_VZF\bVaSN_aUR_ forward compared with the seating position in the C7, though the view over the deep instrument panel isn’t as panoramic as it is in some other mid-engine cars. The wall-like cabin divider that houses the HVAC controls looks obtrusive but isn’t. The ^bN_RQ\ß aRR_V[T dURRY V b_]_VV[TYf N RNf a\ bR N N
circular one, and it provides a clear view of the digital gauges.

The steering-column stalks are a bit of a reach, and

the glare on the rear glass sometimes hides what’s

behind you. The electronic display in the rearview

mirror that comes standard on 2 LT and 3LT trims

solves this problem by showing you what’s back

there via a camera feed. Overall, this is by far the

best Corvette interior ever.

It’s also the most impressive Corvette ever.

Deleting all the fancy gear on our test car—it had

all manner of extras that didn’t make it drive any

better, including a $ 1495 front-end lift mechanism

to clear steep driveways and $995 worth of carbon-

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how we feel about it. But it would drop the price

considerably. For a base car with the Z51 package

and FE4 dampers, you’re looking at only $66,8 9 0.

This is nothing less than the democratization of

the exotic car.

And consider this: The C 8 Stingray is but the

opening salvo in Chevrolet’s supercar revolution. It’s

an open secret that several hotter C8s will soon fol-

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plane-crank V-8s starting at 6 00-plus horsepower

and ranging up to a hybrid with nearly 1000 horses.

Those should deliver all the snarl anyone could want.

That’s the future. This is now, and it’s clear that the

new C8 isn’t just a better Corvette, but a supercar for

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have to readjust your expectations to suit.

The C8 leverages the

improved launch

traction that comes

with moving the V-8

behind the driver. Its

2.8-second time to 60

makes it the quickest

Vette on record.

The C8 looks as obnoxious as an

unmuffled Harley-Davidson

sounds, but it has refinement

that belies its superhero-costume

looks. It rides well and isn’t noisy inside, and

the exhaust isn’t loud enough to piss off the

neighbors. Instead of blasting the world, the

V-8’s chorus is played for the occupants

through the intake. Aside from a cramped

interior, the C8 would be a fantastic daily

driver. Now, if you insist on a loud and

immature C8, the aftermarket will certainly

help you ruin it. —Tony Quiroga

Among the many promises of the

mid-engine configuration is an

unobstructed view forward,

where the pavement appears to be

whizzing by ahead of your toes. But compared

with a McLaren 720S’s, the Corvette’s hood

blocks four more feet of road. The Acura NSX

and Porsche 718 Cayman also provide better

visibility, but get this: so did the front-engine

C7. Not helping is an extraordinarily long

dash with much distracting topography. It’s a

rare miss in an otherwise revolutionary new

Corvette. —Dave VanderWerp

Counterpoints