Chevrolet Corvette Stingray review | The Car Expert

Make and model: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible
Description: Mid-engined convertible, 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine
Price range: £95,065 (plus options)

Chevrolet says: “The new Stingray is a Corvette for a new age and will no doubt entice future generations of Corvette enthusiasts who seek a driving experience like no other.”

We say: The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a genuinely impressive sports car, offering plenty of performance without any pretensions. It’s well equipped, it’s enormously fun to drive at any speed and you get a lot more car for your money than with European brands.

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Introduction

This is the latest Chevrolet Corvette and, in the long history of America’s most famous sports car, it’s quite the revolution. There are two reasons for this 

Firstly, Chevrolet moved the engine from the front to the back, making it the first ever mid-engined Corvette. This completely changes the character of the car, elevating it from a GT-style cruiser to a proper supercar.

Secondly, it’s the first Corvette to be built in right-hand drive, which means we can properly enjoy it in the UK. It’s officially on sale here through a limited number of dealerships, and it’s certainly worthy of your consideration if you’re in the market for a new sports car.

But how does an American sports car really stack up on European roads? We took a Corvette Stingray to Stuttgart – the home of Porsche – to find out.

What is it?

If you’re new to Corvette world, here’s a quick guide to get you up to speed. This is the eighth-generation model, known as the C8, which first appeared in 2019. It’s available in the UK in three levels of performance and specification, ranging from very fast to insane: Stingray, E-Ray (an all-wheel drive hybrid model) and Z06. All versions are powered by thumping great V8 engines

It’s available as either a two-seat coupé or convertible, although you can manually remove the roof panels of the coupé, making it an open-roofed targa. On the convertible, the roof is electric and can be operated at speeds up to 30mph.

Chevrolet’s inspiration when designing the latest Corvette was the Ferrari 458 Italia – one of the great modern Ferrari models. Like the Corvette, the 458 was powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine, meaning no turbochargers or superchargers.

Who is this car aimed at?

It’s pretty much a given that the global car industry is at (or already beyond) the point of no return in moving from fossil fuels to electric vehicles. But there’s still demand around the world for big, loud, petrol-powered sports cars, and at least a few car companies are continuing to make them – although that number is declining.

In many ways, the C8 Corvette is reminiscent of the now-departed and much-missed Audi R8. It packs a supercar punch but, at the same time, it’s perfectly comfortable and easy to drive while pootling along in traffic.

There will certainly be people who have been put off a Corvette in the past because it was only available in left-hand drive. The new model finally sorts that problem, which will certainly make it more attractive here in the UK.

Who won’t like it?

American sports cars have had a poor reputation in Europe for many years, often without good justification, so there will be potential customers who won’t even look at the Corvette because they assume it will be inferior. That’s a shame, because it’s absolutely not the case. It may have been in the distant past, but the last few generations of Corvette have improved markedly, and the latest one is a worthy alternative to the usual European choices.

First impressions

My first surprise on seeing ‘my’ Corvette Stingray for the first time was that I thought it looked a lot better in the metal than in photos. The very angular lines and massive air vents look awkward in photographs, but seem to melt away when you have a Corvette parked in front of you. It’s low, wide and long, with a menacing stance.

The second surprise was how easy it was to jump in and get comfortable. Mid-engined supercars often require a gymnastics routine to get in and out of the car, but the Corvette makes it easy. There’s also plenty of room, rather than feeling like you’re being squashed into a cabin that’s two sizes too small.

The third surprise was how easy it was to pootle around town in a 480hp, mid-engined sports car. It’s all well and good to sing the praises of how well a sports car drives on a deserted open road or motorway, but most real-world driving takes place on local streets. Here, the Stingray is perfectly comfortable and easy to drive, whether it’s navigating a shopping centre car park or peak-hour traffic (both of which we spent more time in than we’d like!).

• Looks better in the metal than in photos
• Surprisingly practical for a mid-engined sports car

What do you get for your money?

The starting specification for the Corvette Stingray is very good, plus there’s a long list of optional extras you can add to make your car truly unique. Here in the UK, you have a choice of 2LT or 3LT trim levels (over in America, there’s also a cheaper 1LT version), both of which are powered by a 6.2-litre petrol V8 engine driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There are various differences between UK-spec Corvettes and US-spec cars, so check the details with your dealer. The Chevrolet UK site only carries basic information, which is disappointing, but don’t assume that the info on the US website all applies to cars sold here. Pricing in the UK is also somewhat opaque since the Chevrolet UK website doesn’t mention prices or specifications at all, simply referring you to the three dealers that sell Corvettes here.

However, all cars in the UK get the ‘Z51 performance package’ as standard, which is optional in America. This includes upgrades to the brakes, suspension, exhaust, cooling system, aerodynamics and tyres, among other things.

There’s also plenty of opportunity to customise your Corvette with plenty of colour combinations, wheels, optional extras and dealer-fitted accessories. If you’re familiar with choosing your exact specification for a Porsche or Ferrari, this is nothing new. But many European car manufacturers are now streamlining vehicle specifications to reduce costs and meet EU regulations, so the ability to choose from so many different extras may be a bit of a novelty.

The car I drove was a Stingray convertible 3LT, which has a starting price in Europe of €113,500. But it also featured premium paint, nappa leather/suede upholstery with red stitching, carbon fibre interior trim and exterior accents, optional wheels (same size as standard but a different pattern and painted gloss black), magnetic ride (we’ll cover that later), front lift (to get over kerbs and speed bumps), red seat belts, ‘stealth’ interior package (no idea), and contrasting black roof. All of these extras bumped the price up to nearly €130,000.

Expert tips:

• All UK cars get Z51 performance package as standard, which is a $6,000 option in America
• Plenty of options to wade through for customising your Corvette, but they quickly jack up the price
• Remote engine start is endlessly amusing when a crowd of onlookers has gathered around the car

What’s the Corvette Stingray like inside?

For a mid-engined, two-seat sports car, the Corvette is surprisingly roomy. The seating position is comfortable and well arranged, so you’re not twisted around or banging your head on the roof. The seat and steering wheel both have good ranges of adjustment so you should be able to get comfy. The seats are also comfortable for longer journeys.

Once you’re set, you should find that the driving position is excellent. Forward visibility is panoramic, helped by a low nose thanks to there being no engine in front of you. Side visibility is also good although there are substantial blind spots in your rear three-quarter view, which is quite typical for a mid-engined car.

In terms of dashboard and interior layout, there’s a lot going on – both good and bad. Let’s start with the good. The dashboard displays (small screen in front of the driver and larger central screen, also angled towards the driver) are easy to read and easy to use. Apple CarPlay connects quickly and displays well – enjoy it while it lasts, as GM is killing CarPlay in every new model it launches in favour of a Google-based system, and the Corvette is one of the last models across all of GM’s brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC, although we don’t officially get any of them in the UK) to offer Apple’s easy-to-use operating system.

There are real buttons for most functions so you don’t have to use the touchscreen to adjust everything. The head-up display in the windscreen is outstanding, with one of the clearest displays I’ve ever used. Chevrolet is also smart enough to only use this displays for critical information like vehicle speed, rather than trying to cram less important information in there as well.

But it’s not all good. The dashboard layout is very much a matter of style over substance. There are a lot of buttons and they are scattered all around the cabin. You’d get used to the layout eventually, but it’s not particularly clever. There’s a central ‘spine’ between the driver and passenger that contains a long column of buttons for a variety of different functions, but the arrangement is haphazard and you have to take your eyes a long way off the road to find what you’re looking for.

The C8 Corvette has two boots – one behind the engine at the very back of the car, and a decent-sized ‘frunk’ in the nose – so you can carry a decent amount of luggage for two people. Chevrolet claims that the rear boot can swallow two sets of golf clubs, but I didn’t have any clubs on hand to back that up. It certainly looked like it, though.

The folding roof is fully automatic, takes about 16 seconds to raise or lower and can be operated at up to 30mph, which means you can easily pop it up or down according to changing weather. The small rear window can also be operated independently of the roof, so you can drop the window with the roof up to hear that big V8 engine in all its glory whenever you want – even if it’s raining.

With comfortable seating and decent luggage space, the Corvette is a surprisingly good grand tourer as well as a sharp-driving sports car.

Expert tips:

• Head-up display is excellent, with one of the clearest read-outs I’ve ever seen
• Cabin is spacious and comfortable compared to similar sorts of cars
• Storage is decent for a mid-engined convertible, both inside the car and in the two boot spaces
• Switchgear layout takes time to become familiar, not that convenient for using on the move

What’s the Corvette Stingray like to drive?

American sports cars have long suffered a reputation for poor handling and, for a long time, that criticism was well deserved. But the reality is that the Corvettes of the 21st century (the C6, C7 and C8 generations) have all been massive improvements on earlier generations and can stand comfortably alongside European sports cars of the same era. No, the latest Corvette is still not as nimble or light on its feet as a Porsche 911, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable car to drive across a wide range of roads.

Chevrolet may have been benchmarking the Ferrari 458 during the Corvette’s development, but the car it reminded me of most was the original (2007 to 2015) Audi R8 V8 – which was another excellent junior supercar and a similarly revolutionary step for the brand at the time. In particular, the Corvette and the R8 both share the same quality of inspiring plenty of confidence in the driver in any situation.

It’s also worth pointing out that my Corvette press vehicle was fitted with winter tyres (compulsory in Germany in February) rather than regular tyres. While these are designed to maintain safe levels of performance in very cold/wet/snowy/icy weather, they don’t offer the same levels of grip as traditional ‘summer’ tyres. It’s fair to say that I wasn’t trying to explore the outer limits of the car’s handling on a cold, wet couple of days in Germany, but the Stingray remained perfectly poised throughout.

Expert tips:

• Dead simple to drive slowly in urban environments, but plenty of performance on tap when you need it
• Very well-rounded abilities, giving a driver plenty of confidence in the car
• Maybe not as sharp as a Porsche 911, but probably more comfortable most of the time

How safe is the Chevrolet Corvette?

This is a bit of a theoretical discussion, as the Corvette has not been put through its paces by Euro NCAP. That’s not unusual, as the safety group is more interested in testing family cars than sports cars and supercars. it also doesn’t test Porsches, Ferraris, Aston Martins, etc. To buy and then destroy up to four Corvettes in crash testing is simply not a priority for Euro NCAP or the equivalent American safety organisations.

Obviously, the Corvette complies with all European and UK safety regulations and is fitted with a comprehensive suite of safety systems. The one you’ll use most regularly is the blind-spot assist, as rear three-quarter visibility is compromised on any mid-engined car. Likewise, rear cross-traffic alert is very helpful if you’re reversing out of a driveway or parking space.

Verdict

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a genuinely impressive sports car, offering plenty of performance without any pretensions. It’s well equipped, it’s enormously fun to drive at any speed and you get a lot more car for your money than with European brands.

Whether it’s navigating peak-hour traffic, blasting along a deregulated German Autobahn at well over 100mph, or slicing through some winding B-roads in drizzly weather, the Corvette never put a foot wrong or even felt like throwing up any surprises. Its range of abilities is very broad, so even if it still doesn’t best a 911, it’s still a mighty fine sports car.

Being a rare sight anywhere in Europe, it will also draw a crowd wherever you go. Every time I returned to the car, even parked up next to an über-expensive 911 GT2 at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, the Stingray was like a people magnet. For situations like these, you can remotely fire up the V8 engine with a button on your keyfob to make them all jump, which is endlessly amusing.

The exterior styling is still a bit hit-and-miss in its details, and the same goes for the interior ergonomics, but the overall impression is overwhelmingly positive.

Now that the Corvette is finally available from the factory in right-hand drive, it has become a genuinely viable option for UK customers – although you still have to overcome a very limited number of dealers for sales and after-sales support. Currently, you can buy a Corvette from Arnold Clark or Lumen Automotive, and hopefully we’ll see more dealers added in coming years.

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, you might also be interested in these alternatives.

Aston Martin Vantage | Audi R8 | BMW M8 | Maserati MC20 | McLaren GTS | Mercedes-AMG GT | MG Cyberster | Porsche 911

Key specifications

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