Skip advert
Advertisement
Road tests

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray review

The new Stingray is a huge step forward in the history of the Corvette

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Find your next car here
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

By simultaneously improving refinement, performance and agility, the new Stingray is a big step forward in the illustrious history of the Corvette. It’s a shame that there won’t be any right-hand drive cars for the UK, initially at least, but the there’s no denying the this is a full-blown supercar for sports car money. Subtle it isn’t, and it still can’t match European supercars for quality, but for those who want power and drama, it’s perfect.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The name might be a nod to the past, but the all-new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is every inch a modern supercar. Its exterior, designed in Detroit, could have come from an Italian design house, while its interior is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessor.

Corvette news and reviews

But the biggest change comes in the way the Corvette drives. While the American version will be offered an entry-level suspension setup, UK cars will feature a sports package called Z51 as standard. That adds a limited-slip differential, bigger wheels, tyres and brakes, and firmer suspension, while magnetic ride control adjustable dampers are optional. Electric power steering (just like the Porsche 911) delivers a more precise feel than before, but communication ultimately trails the Porsche.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

More reviews

Car group tests
In-depth reviews
Long-term tests
Reviews
Road tests
Used car tests

However, at just 1,499 kg, the Corvette makes the most of its near-perfect 50/50 weight distribution on curvy roads, darting between corners with more agility than ever before. The Corvette’s 6.2-litre pushrod V8 might appear low-tech, but it features an aluminium block, direct injection and cylinder cut off on light throttle loads.

An optional sport exhaust fitted to our test car bumps power from 449bhp to 454bhp, but the biggest benefit is its NASCAR-style soundtrack. The Corvette’s seven-speed manual gearbox (another feature it shares with the Porsche 911) includes active rev-matching, much like the Nissan 370Z, which works well if you not adept with the heel-and-toe technique.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Less impressive is the optional six-speed automatic, which seemed over-eager to shift into a higher gear in our testing, leaving you out of the engine’s sweet spot. Few cars at any price can keep up with the Corvette in a drag race. Capable of sprinting to 62 mph in under four seconds and then coming to a halt in just 33 metres, the Corvette is ferocious in a straight line but also remarkably controlled in sharp hairpins.

Credit is due to both its grippy Michelin tires, which are actually narrower than the outgoing model in order to give the sports car a more nimble feel, as well as to a series of driver-selectable control modes accessed by a console-mounted dial. The five modes tailor everything from steering resistance and throttle sensitivity to ride quality (if you order the magnetic dampers) and even the way information is displayed on the TFT display in the instrument cluster.

The default Tour mode is comfortable for day-to-day use, while Sport and Track modes turn things up for more aggressive driving. Fuel-saving Eco and snow modes are also included. One glance at the vastly-improved interior and it’s obvious the Corvette has been repositioned as a more luxury-oriented model. Strictly a two-seater, its limited cargo space won’t make it a continent cruiser, but its perfectly capable on long motorway slogs.

Even in the US-only base configuration the new driver-focused dashboard uses much nicer materials, while optional full-leather trim dresses things up further. Two seats – a highly comfortable standard sport seat and a near competition-style track seat – are available, both covered in attractive perforated leather or synthetic suede. As before, coupes feature a removable roof panel that’s now formed from carbon fibre, although a full convertible will follow next year.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024