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2014 Corvette Stingray - As American as Apple Pie - Review by Martha Hindes

2014 Corvette Stingray Road Test Review

by Martha Hindes

Road & Travel Magazine's - American Muscle

Chevy Camaro

Dodge Charger

Chevy Corvette

Ford Mustang

Imagine driving down a street, an interstate, a country road and getting a thumbs up from every nearby driver, every hiker, every kid on a bike. Couldn't happen you say? Oh yeah? When you're top down in the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible, don’t expect anything less.

We knew we would attract attention when the Vette showed up at our doorstep in deliciously cool Arctic White trimmed with soft black droptop and a lean black spoiler that lent a rather formal, yet deliciously arrogant air. We knew it would make waves. This was way beyond trendy, or brash. It was the perfect melding of styling perfection, haunchy looks and spot on performance designed to weaken the knees without apology and make one willing to hock just about anything of value to keep it around. (We know that from the numerous offers of trade we overheard for the privilege of owning one.)

That was our introduction to the 2014 Corvette Stingray in person after being taunted and tempted at the glitzy invite-only inauguration months earlier that left us with one non-negotiable "gotta-have." And man, it didn't let us down.

We recall where the Corvette originally came from and the trip it took to get here today. Since it debuted during the golden American muscle car era 60 years ago, it has morphed from brazen-mannered sports car with dragstrip leanings and a longstanding unapologetically track-type ride to a supercar bruiser with fine-tuned manners and impeccable dress. (We can still feel the backside bumps and bruises during some more recent rides that were earned when rough roads underneath reminded us its purpose was to blow the doors off of anything sporty and American, and to grit your teeth and endure.) Testosterone it had in abundance.  Refinement, not so much.

The longed-for 2014 Stingray name revival puts such memories to rest.

Peek into the cockpit and there's a smack-in-the-face blaze of crimson that matches the custom red Brembo brake calipers that snarl out through black-painted aluminum tire spokes. Chevy calls the interior "Adrenaline Red”…about as base as a color can get, that is offset by off-black textured carbon fiber trim. Both driver and passenger get magnesium-framed, bolstered leather bucket seating designed to keep one in 8-way comfort and safely anchored while burning donuts on a track. The passenger also gets two integrated grab handles to keep one's sanity during a white-knuckle ride.

For American tastes, there's an adjustable cup holder that widens for a super slush or narrows for a standard java cup. Yes, there is a trunk—with enough room for a pair of golf bags. The other half of a foursome would have to arrive in their own Vette. That's an understandable layout, since many Vette owners who have earned enough to buy what they really want have advanced to semi-retirement age. But don't think that means it's a lost cause on the youthful reared on the idea of speed.

Our Z51-equipped test model can blast from 0 to 60 in a scant 3.8 seconds, scoot a quarter mile in 12 seconds at 119 miles per hour, achieve a 1.03 g force in corners and come to a screeching halt from 60 mph in just 107 feet. And this is an affordable production auto, not one designed to drain the royal family vault.

How does it handle? How does one describe automotive heaven? We blasted from a near standstill and it ate the roadway with ease cruising comfortably in mid-range while moving up the gear ratio. A true face plastering drive could have required a trip to Germany's famed Nurburgring track.  That wasn't our venue, but we had the tantalizing tease of the seven-speed manual aching to glue the 19-inch front and 20-inch rear Michelins to concrete on impossibly-banked arches in screaming banshee territory.

And we gave it our best shot under the restricted conditions of daily driving. Every shift gate change, every turn of the wheel, cornering, acceleration felt spontaneous, yet controlled with the kind of point and shoot accuracy one would expect from an offshore rival. Cornering stayed tight, taut and flat. Biting torque was a slight toe tap away.

Both our test convertible and the coupe models are built on a new weight-extracting aluminum frame and carbon fiber hood to accommodate all those requisite bells and whistles that put this sportscar in line (performance and accommodations-wise, but not price-wise) with the ultra-league of its sanctified Teutonic competition.

Among those amenities are the expected OnStar, and MyLink system that connects through an 8-inch infotainment video screen, with real working dials that slides open to expose a little cubby with USB charging station. Our option-added Bose premium audio can drown one out with a surround of 10-speakers incorporating rare earth magnets for advanced sound quality.

Comfort for driving to work (as some Vette owners really do) can come from dual zone heating/cooling or from heated or ventilated seats that are part of the 2LT package.

Standard pricing starts at $51,995, with a $5,000 additional bounce for the convertible model, with its folding top that disappears in a scant 21 seconds, even at speeds as high as 30 mph. The total cost of our test model was $69,975.

The heart of the beast is Chevy's all-new 455-horsepower, 6.2-liter, small block V8 that grinds out 460 lb.-ft. of torque (matching the low-end torque of the 2013 Corvette Z06). It's boosted to 465 with multi-mode performance exhaust system—listed at $1,195 out of $10,180 in options on our test model.

 A five position drive mode selector accommodates driving traits 12 ways. GM's magnetic ride control adjusts the damping of shocks for road comfort or performance demands. Aptly-named "launch control" in track mode kicks acceleration into the stratosphere. And track driving benefits from torque and braking adjustments for maximum performance, part of Active Handling "competitive" setting for those days when street legal is a snoozer and track time beckons. With cranked up road driving, a head up display can keep one alert to speed. For less challenging trips, "eco" setting allows the engine to loaf in V-4 mode for maximum fuel economy. (Who would think a Corvette Stingray could eke out 29 highway mpg of fuel economy?)
 
The lean, low proportions of this new Stingray say it all. Chevy cites the long "dash to axle ratio" that stretch out the proportions for a visual sense of speed the way a fighter jet slices the air. Advanced aerodynamic air flow that exits through taillamp and rear fascia vents ensure it will slip through the air. Gorgeous isn't a sufficient description.

During our drive, a half-dozen brief stops turned into lengthy, impromptu Corvette showrooms for all ages. And the new Corvette Stingray convertible isn't gender specific. Gail loved it. So did Casey. Nick and Ron both took photos and imagined they were behind the wheel, pushing it past 80 in second gear. A 10-year-old girl on a bike shouted out "cool car," as we drove on by with the top down.

Maybe Bobby Lee of St. Clair Shores, Michigan summed it up best when he stopped his bike riding to give it a thumbs up: "You work every day so you should be able to enjoy what you earn," he said. "When you die, you can't take it with you."