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Automobile of the Year: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
From the January 2014 issue of Automobile Magazine Joe Lorio - by Joe Lorio
Yes, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is the Automobile of the Year. No, this was not a foregone conclusion. The Corvette may have a special place in the American automotive pantheon, but not every new Corvette has been a big deal. The C6, for example, was a conservative effort, a safe play that didn't reach. The new C7, though, is something else.
This is a thorough redesign, and it starts with a new frame. Switching from steel to aluminum (previously only Z06 and ZR1 models used an aluminum frame), the C7's frame structure is nearly 100 pounds lighter than the C6's and considerably stiffer. The front and rear cradles -- both aluminum -- are also lighter and stiffer. The lift-off top remains, but it's carbon fiber (as is the hood). The V-8's 6.2-liter displacement is the same as before, but this is an all-new engine, backed by a new seven-speed manual transmission. There's newfound sophistication in the chassis and an interior that makes no excuses to anyone.
The car's performance is simply awesome. In today's era of horsepower inflation, the big V-8's 455 hp, or 460 hp with the performance exhaust, may not be numbers made for bar boasts -- we'll have to wait for the Z06 for that -- but you get the impression that reaching some marketing-driven power figure was not the point. The point was to smoke tires, roar out of turns, and storm down the straights -- oh, and do all that without quaffing unleaded. As it turns out, this new 6.2-liter proves to be highly effective at all those things.
Full Story: Automobile of the Year: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray - Automobile Magazine
From the January 2014 issue of Automobile Magazine Joe Lorio - by Joe Lorio
Yes, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette is the Automobile of the Year. No, this was not a foregone conclusion. The Corvette may have a special place in the American automotive pantheon, but not every new Corvette has been a big deal. The C6, for example, was a conservative effort, a safe play that didn't reach. The new C7, though, is something else.
This is a thorough redesign, and it starts with a new frame. Switching from steel to aluminum (previously only Z06 and ZR1 models used an aluminum frame), the C7's frame structure is nearly 100 pounds lighter than the C6's and considerably stiffer. The front and rear cradles -- both aluminum -- are also lighter and stiffer. The lift-off top remains, but it's carbon fiber (as is the hood). The V-8's 6.2-liter displacement is the same as before, but this is an all-new engine, backed by a new seven-speed manual transmission. There's newfound sophistication in the chassis and an interior that makes no excuses to anyone.
The car's performance is simply awesome. In today's era of horsepower inflation, the big V-8's 455 hp, or 460 hp with the performance exhaust, may not be numbers made for bar boasts -- we'll have to wait for the Z06 for that -- but you get the impression that reaching some marketing-driven power figure was not the point. The point was to smoke tires, roar out of turns, and storm down the straights -- oh, and do all that without quaffing unleaded. As it turns out, this new 6.2-liter proves to be highly effective at all those things.
Full Story: Automobile of the Year: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray - Automobile Magazine
