We got the chance to test the crown jewel of GM, the new mid-engine Corvette, allowing us to let the 6.2L burble its way on asphalt. Under the hood of this engine are 495hp and 470 lb-ft of torque mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch. With all this power, the new Corvette gets to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, and yes, it will get to 100 mph in 7.6 seconds; Ferrari-like performances without the Ferrari price tag. We could say that at a starting price of $71,748.00 CAD (USD 59,900), the Corvette democratizes supercars.
The Corvette is surprisingly comfortable in Touring mode thanks to the magnetorheological dampers; they will firm up in Sport and even more in Track. You can customize these settings to your preference in "Z" mode, which lets you adjust, the transmission shifts, exhaust notes.
The C8 provides driving dynamics similar to a vehicle three times its price tag. The move to a mid-engine layout has greatly helped with cornering and stability. Something I would not have expected Chevrolet to get right is the break-by-wire system. Often, these feel like on and off switches, even on more expensive cars than the Corvette. But they somehow managed with all the technology to make it feel like a true enthusiast track-ready monster.
Taking place inside the Corvette, you will notice immediately that the interior is focused around the driver. We felt comfortable enough to manage longer distances with the vehicle in our version with the bucket seats. The seat adjustability provides several adjustments that will fit different drivers. So if your loved one is as much as your self a car nut, they'll be able to take over on road trips with just a push of a button. One of the downsides is rear visibility, especially when the roof is down. And the blind spot monitoring seems to take a good second before realizing that there is an actual vehicle in your blind spot. However, once the roof is up, you can set up your rearview mirror to use the camera on top of the vehicle. This way, visibility is dramatically improved. Finally, the copilot seating provides a lovely view of the drive, but it comes with the constraint of having slightly less space due to a large central console.
The infotainment is simple to use and geared towards the driver. If you're using Apple Car Play or Android Auto, you can use them wirelessly. The initial setup was quick, and we did not come across any hick-ups during our use. We appreciate that the wireless charger was placed behind the driver, taking away any type of distraction possible with a handheld device. On the other hand, we forgot our phones twice; it would be interesting to have a notification reminding us that the phone is still on the charger when exiting the C8. Oh, yeah, the central console has many buttons like a lot, while it's nice to have these physical buttons, we are unsure about their placement, and in harsh light, you can't see if any of these are active.
We tried to install car seats; however, it wasn't possible to attach them to any latch due to bucket seats. Hence, the only recommendation we have is to be extremely prudent, use a booster seat for your little ones, and review your local laws regarding having a child in the front seats. This did not stop us from bringing our children one at a time for a short joyride of American performance.
Our average fuel economy over 380km was 20.9L/100km. Yes, this average is a lot higher than what GM announces; this is mainly because most of our driving included city driving/traffic and driving it in a very enthusiastic way. On the Hwy, we saw it dip into the low 8L/100km with the help of cylinders deactivation, and a fellow journalist was even able to fall as low as 6.6L/100km. If driven in a sensible way, you can drive over 800km as per GM's estimates. Chevrolet announces 15.4L/100km in the city and 8.7L/100km on the Hwy.
It was nice to be able to operate the convertible roof while in motion. Yes, there are still some convertibles today that requires you to stand still; yes, I am talking to you, Mustang. This feature is quite convenient as it gives you the freedom to open and close at any point the weather changes. And it looks so cool, especially in this Metallic Yellow; for a moment, you can almost feel like a transformer.
Chevrolet has lent us this vehicle one week as a press vehicle. We have no affiliation with Chevrolet Canada. The above is a recollection of our personal opinion of the car referred above.
