All new. All-American. Also ran? No way…
There’s an empty left lane, and a white hatch with a smoky exhaust in the right. Arrogantly, we take the left: ‘Hell, I’m in a Corvette.’ That sums up the attitude of this stonking new C7, with it’s 6.2-litre V8 and bright red paintwork that stands out like the dog’s bollocks. This car is as subtle as US patriotism, Boris Johnson’s hair or paparazzi chasing a royal birth. It makes no apologies and there’s nothing demure about it: it’s the most full-on new car this side of a Lamborghini, and even in London, Gallardo owners look at you like you’ve gone just a bit too far…
What’s new about this ’Vette?
This is the all-new C7 Corvette: the entirely new generation that was first shown in Detroit, 2012. It’s the fastest, most powerful, and most fuel efficient Corvette ever. It’ll do 0-60 in 3.8sec. And it’s even better to drive, being an amazing 60 per cent stiffer than the previous Z06 Corvette.
There’s an all-new V8, too – the LT1 Gen V small-block, 6162cc of all-alloy, old-school pushrod V8 that shows Chevrolets’s new slogan, ‘Runs Deep’, is somewhat true. It’s brought with it direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation (previously only offered on Chev’s auto V8s). You may laugh, but Chev says the engine’s 18kg lighter than a ‘certain rival’s’ 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 (read between the lines and that’s BMW’s unit). Oh, and it has 455bhp… All UK cars come with the Z51 option as standard, too, which means aero add-ons, larger brakes, stiffer suspension and a limited-slip diff.
It must be an occasion to drive one… in the UK
This car is a Las Vegas show from the moment you clap eyes on it. And it only adds to the drama when you slide your hand under that door handle to open up the low, long sports car. Our test car presents you with a red and black wraparound dash, with the red dripping down the doors and bright red sport seats fighting for the limelight. The ’Vette was always a lightweight machine built of fiberglass, but of course these days it’s carbonfibre layered across the dash, those seats and of course above your head, with that removable roof.
The seats are really well bolstered: the fittings and finish of the cabin, including the leather, isn’t Porsche-like, but it’s hardly Asda either. The driving position is low, snug and near-perfect, giving you prime position to lord over that undulating bonnet. You still feel a little to close to the door – elbow room is a pinch – but the head-up display nestles neatly into the valley between the voluptuous bonnet.
This car isn’t about class, but all about showmanship. Every last inch is an event to look at – a stitch, a bulge, a cut, a twist – from the digital display to the steering wheel, which feels confident and firm to grip. Hit start, and this car doesn’t just come alive: it announces itself to the world like a lion falling through a kindergarten roof. It’s such a rumbling, old school V8 but it doesn’t have the same metallic silkiness of, say, a BMW M3, nor the cultured bark of a Maserati. The ’Vette’s LT1 V8 has a throbbing, almost industrial sound that isn’t as filtered as Euro or Japanese (read: Lexus IS F) V8s. Yet it’s wonderful.
It looks like a cartoon. Is it a GT, or a serious performance car?
It’s a stellar cruiser, and a fearsome sports car. There’s genuine difference between its drive modes – Comfort, Touring, Sport and Track. The punch and flexibility is amazing, and made all the more addictive by the weighting of the steering, clutch and gearshift. None of these are class leaders: the steering has a dead spot in the centre, but weighs up nicely if you’re in Sport mode and provides good feel. Leave it in Comfort, and it’s horrible. The clutch has weight, but it’s not for those without healthy legs, and the shift is smooth, but you may get lost in those seven gears – if you’re not used to a left-hooker (not the car’s fault, but build a RHD one please, Chevrolet).
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