Car Review: 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Testing notes from northern Ontario
I didn’t want to like driving the Corvette C8 as much as I did.
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As a long-time Dodge Viper fanatic and two-time owner, I spent a lot of time smack-talking my Corvette-loving buddies over the years. They all wanted to see the new C8. If I liked it, I’d never live it down.
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So, a confession from a hot-blooded Mopar enthusiast: the new Corvette C8 is a brilliant car, and mainly, that’s because it strongly draws upon GM’s technological gene-pool to equip features and functions that give drivers the best experience possible, in the widest range of driving situations possible.
My tester was a 3LT with plenty of goodies, including a mid-mounted 6.2-litre, 495-horsepower V8 dropped in just behind the passenger cell. Power goes to the rear wheels at the direction of a Tremec-built twin-clutch gearbox and E-LSD differential whose operation can be monitored from the instrument cluster. The E-LSD is basically self-aware and works beautifully to optimize traction and power delivery, and the twin-clutch transmission shifts gears at psychotic speeds and with impossible smoothness.
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At 5’10 and 195 lbs., your writer was wearing the Corvette. Entry and exit can require some flexibility, and occupants sit deep and low within the cabin. Entering and exiting the C8 is now a little more labor intensive — a must-have part of the exotic car experience. Nearby, there’s decent storage for smaller items, but not much stretch-out space. The driver gets a tremendous cockpit effect with the tall, curved center console separating them from the passenger, literally encircling them with the Vette’s controls and displays. Much of the layout, down to the sculpted upper dash-pad that visually flows into the fenders outside, signal to the driver that they’re the star of the show.
Beneath it all? My tester’s Magnetic Selective Ride suspension system, and what I’d call a must-have feature. This optional suspension system equips computer-controlled shocks that basically become one of the C8’s vital organs. The relationship between the C8’s wheels and body is constantly monitored in real time by a computer system. Based on this information, the dampers can be controlled individually, with millisecond changes to damping force that manipulate how the Corvette rides, handles, and responds to uneven surfaces in the road. The control process is continuous, and so fast-acting that the car just absorbs most bumps and dips, rather than bouncing over them. The effect, from the driver’s seat, is one of gliding smoothly down the highway, while sitting just above it, all while surrounded by a futuristic-looking cockpit with a great forward view.
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Though tire noise can increase significantly on certain surfaces, the Corvette is a comfortable and laid-back cruiser that’s more than suitable for hours-long road tripping while driver and occupant relax and socialize.
On my highway-intensive test-drive through central and northern Ontario, I especially appreciated the C8’s highway driving experience in the dark. After hours of nighttime and early-morning driving, I noted excellent performance from the lighting system, with strong reach and peripheral illumination inspiring confidence and reducing eye strain. Notably, the high-beams offer strong engagement of reflective surfaces, even at a great distance, for early warning of possible hazards up the road. A strong lighting system is a must-have on the often-unlit highways of northern Ontario, and my tester covered me nicely for the trip. But there’s more.
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Dim the instrument panel fully, and the forward dash goes blackout. All displays and lighting go dark, leaving only a minimized digital readout for speed, fuel and temperature, and the faintly-lit gearshift pattern on the console. Here, there’s nothing to look at other than the beautifully-lit road ahead. This combination of a blackout lighting mode, and excellent forward lighting up the road, make it easier to see comfortably after dark, and drivers can expect significant benefits to after-dark eye fatigue and focus.
Though comfortable for cruising and spectacular after dark, more passionate pursuits are what draw C8 shoppers in for a closer look. On one hand, you could drive your grandmother to church on Sunday in the C8. If you like, it’s stealthily quiet, rides comfortably, and can ooze smoothly through traffic without breaking 1,500 revs. Driven like this, there’s virtually no feedback from the engine, transmission or driveline. In traffic, or while you’re not in a rush, this engine needs hilariously low revs to rocket you from a city traffic light while hardly making a peep.
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When the chance arises for full throttle, it puts on a hell of a show.
The six-point-two is is breathy. The displacement suggests a wallop of hard-hitting torque at low revs, perhaps enough to vaporize the rear tires in a heartbeat. Instead, a hard launch is met with an initial squat, leap forward, subtle wheel spin, and then a steadily-rising surge of thrust and noise that piles on and swells up towards the redline. There’s a strong feel of rising action to the power curve that’s refreshingly engaging, and increasingly uncommon as turbocharging and electrification move on to the scene.
The big V8’s soundtrack is strong, deep and smooth — and the next gear is engaged in hundredths of a second with a click on the right-hand paddle for an upshift. Delay? Contemplation? Axle lash? Forget about it.
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Even with the tires slightly lit up in first gear, a redline upshift into second prompts nearly-nil feedback through the driveline. Drivers hear the gearchange, but rarely feel a thing. The flow of power to the wheels doesn’t even get interrupted. It’s all incredibly smooth — remarkable given the response time and shift speed the gearbox is capable of. All said, drivers get the sound and sensation of shifting gears, with powertrain smoothness bordering on all-electric. Just mind the sports exhaust system, as the local police force will hear you coming if you’ve got the flaps open.
With a Bose Performance Series stereo system, drivers can flood the cabin with their desired blend of Clapton or Rise Against, complete with V8 background vocals if desired. Or, quiet the sports exhaust for the best in-car listening experience. Quiet both the exhaust and stereo, and you’ll find the C8’s cabin a relatively easy place to relax and decompress in Tour mode. There’s a tremendous variability of character to the driving experience, all right at your fingertips and based on the currently-selected drive mode.
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On handling and steering and the driving feel, it’s more good news. If you’ve ever driven a Porsche 911 or Cayman, you’ll feel somewhat familiar with the setup. The Corvette C8’s front end doesn’t have to support the weight of an engine, so it’s light, easier to steer, and very pointy as you glide the car through bends. It feels athletic and highly responsive, as well as eager to entertain. Driver’s needn’t use a racetrack to get the most out of this setup. Even maneuvering through a roundabout or on-ramp becomes more entertaining and energetic. The mid-engine setup, in a nutshell, makes the C8’s steering feel razor-sharp, and it’s a boatload of fun in a boatload of situations.
There’s no shortage of stuff that makes this extreme-looking two-door an easy thing to drive. For instance, multiple camera systems compensate for the limited outward sightlines, and the rear-view camera system was one of my favourite touches, thanks to its high-resolution display graphics and unobstructed wide-screen video feed of the area just behind the car. When parking, a 360-degree cameras system with similarly impressive graphics can be called up to keep an eye on the proximity of the Corvette (or its nose, or wheels) to nearby infrastructure. This takes a lot of the stress out of moving a low-visibility car around in tight quarters, and traffic. Another stress-buster? The optional front suspension lift. Just tap a button and it quickly (but noisily) lifts the C8’s nose for extra clearance over curbs, speed bumps, and the like. Drivers can even set the system to GPS trigger, auto-lifting in proximity to GPS markers like their driveway, rough train crossings, and the like.
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Elsewhere, my favourite handy touches included automatic climate control, a head-up display, wireless Android Auto, and a clever smartphone recharging slot in the rear firewall that keeps your phone in place and charging up, sans cord.
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From outside, you’ve even got two trunks — so whether you’ve backed into a parking space or not, if your arms are full, there’s a place for your stuff. The frunk is deep, but not very wide. Inside, there’s a handy 12-volt power outlet, which pretty much makes it the perfect space for track-day stuff like a portable air compressor, helmet, and 12-volt cooler full of ham sandwiches and Gatorade.
Gripes? Mind the leather on entry and exit — it’s a tight fit for some, and care is advised to keep from rubbing, kicking or scuffing certain leather-covered parts of the seats and doors as you get in and out. Elsewhere on leather, my tester’s steering wheel rim could do with a slight upgrade. Though the leather through most of the C8’s cabin has a high-quality look and feel, The leather on the steering wheel rim looked and felt lower-budget — a notable complaint given that you’re always touching and looking at it. The remote trunk and frunk releases on my tester’s remote were a bit fiddly, and the tires and suspension can bind and scrub at times while parking, especially in the rain. That’s par for the course for a car with performance capabilities like this one.
In all, the new C8 Corvette gives drivers a comprehensive technological toolkit that can be deployed to fine-tune the driving experience to it’s owner’s specific tastes. And while engineered for extreme feats of performance and speed, drivers can expect an encouraging, confidence-inspiring driving experience that’s easy to enjoy across a wide range of situations.