Given the advanced state of computer-aided design and the sophistication of modern simulation devices, we asked Holder if the C7 required less real-world testing than previous Corvette generations. A 15-year GM veteran who worked on the previous two Corvettes, Holder says the C7 underwent the same amount of physical hardware testing as its C5 and C6 predecessors. “Cars have gotten more complex, which requires more testing and analysis,” he explained. The difference, he says, is that the predictive tools take a lot of trial and error out of the process, leading to better results. This is especially true with aerodynamics, where the use of computational fluid dynamics has made airflow management less of a black art. Still, the C7 spent over 700 hours in the wind tunnel, and there is no substitute for having a living, breathing test driver check for potential issues like wind noise.

The same is true of testing subjective aspects of the driving experience like ride quality; here, the human element is key. The IVer fleet pounded plenty of pavement—no less than 1.5 million miles, to be exact. That’s 60 times around the globe. At General Motor’s expansive Milford Proving Ground outside of Detroit, at Michelin’s Laurens Proving Grounds in South Carolina and at racetracks across the country, C7 prototypes were subjected to myriad forms of abuse. Previous tests were verified, build quality was validated, durability was proven and performance boundaries were pushed. Though IVers were exposed to temperature and weather extremes in GM’s full-size simulators—from minus 40-degree F temperatures to monsoon rain—that didn’t keep test drivers from conducting real-world tests in harsh conditions.