First Drive
'America's Sports Car' improves the breed
OVERVIEW
The redesigned 2014 Corvette is more compact than the outgoing car, yet it sits on a longer wheelbase. Styling is more angular, reminiscent of an exotic Italian super car. More crucially, the new Corvette is about much more than rapid transit. It's a trimmer, sharper, altogether more sophisticated machine.

The Corvette will remain out of reach for many, as prices start at $51,000. Our test car cost $73,260 with options added. But what you get for this chunk of change is arguably the most performance per dollar anywhere.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
No longer just a brute-force machine, the new Corvette has been reborn as a tight, high-tech sports car. Performance can be civilized or wild depending on your mood. Acceleration is ferocious, handling is precise, and braking superb. Gone is the cheap interior, noisy cabin, and overall cheesiness of past 'Vettes.

Forward thrust is an eye-popping thrill. The direct-injection 6.2-liter V8 pumps out 460 horsepower and promises a 0-to-60 mph time of less than 4 seconds. From a standing start, the Corvette shoots forward like a fighter jet catapulted off an aircraft carrier, with never-ending torque and a throaty bark from the four beautiful exhaust tips.

Not every Corvette generation was known for agility, long the province of European thoroughbreds such as the Porsche 911, but the Corvette is closing that gap. The car had quick reflexes, flat cornering, and none of the old nose-heavy sensation of previous models. Of course, like any sports car of this ilk, the Corvette needs a track to explore its virtues, and as long as the rubber holds up, you could have fun there all day long.

Dial the driving-mode selector to "Track" mode, and the steering tightens, the exhaust bellow becomes more intense, rev-matching for downshifts comes into play, and the stability control loosens its grip. That turns a skilled driver into a rock star, allowing some degree of sideways slides and a smoke show while still keeping the car on its path.

Switch the selector to "Touring" mode and the Corvette turns into a civilized cruiser. The ride is decent, the steering is light enough for effortless parking, and the exhaust sound calms down, allowing you to tool around the suburbs without aggravating neighbors.

Upping the ante, and twist the **** into "Sport" mode and leave it there all day - perhaps the best selection compromise. Ascending to freeway speeds is a snap; at that point you might as well just shift from fourth straight to seventh gear and cruise. Unfortunately the mechanism that tries to make you shift from first gear into fourth remains from earlier versions. You might consider it a fuel-saver, but it's certainly a pest. One way to circumvent it is to start in second gear; it's not like there is shortage of torque here. Or just rev first gear a little longer and enjoy the tailpipe concerto.

The Corvette has comfortable, supportive, well-tailored seats. Slipping in and hoisting one's self out of the cabin still requires some agility, but the wide doors help some. Chevrolet's MyLink touch screen competently coordinates the audio, phone, and navigation functions. With the ever-present temptation to go a little faster than the law recommends, it's handy that the instrument panel shows the posted speed limit. The heads-up-display shows other vitals such as tachometer and current gear.

Interior quality received a major upgrade, with nicer materials and attractive stitching, but it's still not up to competing models. The low-effort rear hatch reveals a modest cargo area sufficient for golf clubs or groceries. It's also a simple matter to remove the optional carbon-fiber roof panel for some open-air driving.
CR'S TAKE
The new Corvette has come a long way on all counts, with sophisticated styling, a driving experience that should satisfy many preferences, and a broad skill set that make this bold sports car as at home cruising the boulevard as it is taking on a race track.

We look forward to putting it through our exhaustive test program, which will most assuredly include ample play time on our track

 

Just got my copy today overall positive. Want to hear their take on the tight seating reported by many.

 

This report along with MotorWeeks award should add more to the overall value and performance based in the 2014 Stingray.



2014 Drivers’ Choice Awards

MotorWeek names the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray as its “Best of the Year” 2014 Drivers’ Choice Award winner for delivering an exotic performance, for far less than an exotic price. The Drivers’ Choice Awards, among the auto industry’s most coveted honor, announces the awards annually at the Chicago Auto Show. The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray stood out amongst competition for its eye catching exterior design, high tech substances, honest quality and lofty performance.

"With MotorWeek's longstanding reputation for representing the pulse of the consumer and best market choices, Chevrolet is honored and delighted to be the recipient of the Drivers’ Choice, Best of the Year, 2014 with the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray," said Tim Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Chevrolet. "This is a fabulous award and one that we are exceptionally proud to call our own." “The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is an amazing effort at an amazingly affordable price, says MotorWeek host John Davis. It looks great from every angle, and is a total high performance package that is truly world class. Nothing is left out - from track-ready features, to impressive driver comfort, to the kind of fuel economy that is the envy of the sports car world.”

Recognized as the best overall among winners in 13 lifestyle categories, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray also won as “Best Sport Performance Car.” All Drivers’ Choice winners are featured on Motorweek.org, as well as on a special episode (#3323) of MotorWeek airing on public television stations beginning February 8, 2014, and on cable’s Velocity beginning February 18, 2014. MotorWeek and the 2014 Driver’s Choice Awards are nationally sponsored by RockAuto, Tire Rack, and DieHard.





Best of the Year

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray


The 2014 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award for Best of the Year goes to the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a very impressive car that delivers so much exotic performance, for far less than an exotic price. Also because it's performance doesn’t keep it from being a very comfortable street driver. Still, this new Corvette needs a race track to really show what it’s made of. The latest LT1 V8 cranks out a standard 455-horsepower and 460 lb-ft. of torque. Adding the performance exhaust option bumps those numbers to 460 and 465. A worthy upgrade indeed.

Though when it comes to bang-for-your-buck upgrades, none beats our car’s Z51 Performance Package, which adds a more track-worthy suspension, dry sump oiling for the engine, an electronic limited slip rear, bigger slotted brake rotors and black painted brake calipers, painted aluminum 19 and 20-inch wheels, lower aspect ratio tires, revised gear ratios, additional cooling, and an aero package. All of this for just 28-hundred bucks more? It’s the performance bargain of the year.

The aggressive styling certainly grabs everyone’s attention. It’s full of purposeful lines and vents, like a real bully that would likely be picking on just about every European exotic on the playground. There are composite body panels of course, but also carbon fiber for the hood and removable roof panel, and the frame is all aluminum. The interior has seen major transformation as well with better materials; including real carbon fiber and aluminum trim, more technology features like a splendid reconfigurable gauge display, and better seating.

And that’s why we chose the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray as the 2014 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Best of the Year.

 

That’s an incredible review coming from Consumer Reports, they’re usually more mini van fans than fast sports cars. Don

 

Another great read and accurate in my opinion.

 

Who doesn't like the C7...oh wait, I know of at least one here

 

SRJ?...

 

That's, (above) what I was glad to read someone else that agrees with me, write......

Good stuff!

 

I once drove a Ford Model T for a few days......SKIDDY!!!!!

 

Awesome seeing the *** loving mag liking the C7

 

After driving my C7 for 7 months it still surprises me how good this vette is.

 

Love my Corvette and nice to see "experts" can see what is great about the new'Vette too!

 

 

The good news about these very positive reviews is that they are likely to help maintain the C7 value when it comes time to sell. I know that may be a long way off, but it's still nice to know that you are driving a car that won't necessarily have a huge depreciation in 3 - 4 years.

 

It may be a positive review but it's sure obvious they know very little about how the C7 works

 

Consumer Report,they are hard to please,looks like the C-7 did.R