After many months of repeated teasing, Chevrolet has finally unveiled the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray a day before the 2013 Detroit Motor Show officially opens.
The entire car has been redesigned for the 2014 model year, with cues taken from market rivals. Chevrolet hopes this redefinition can help push the Corvette into a completely new supercar league. The redesign has been so massive that the company has named the car after the legendary Stingray from the 1960’s.
The new car boasts 450 bhp from an all new LT1 GM V8, making it the most powerful ‘base model’ corvette of all time. It also has 65Nm more low-end torque than the outgoing model. The exhausts are also less restrictive than the previous Corvette; the four exhausts each measuring 2.75 inches, compared to 2.6 inches on its predecessor. This results in improved air flow of up to 13%. All this adds up to a century sprint time of less than 4 seconds.
With its 18/19 inch wheels mated to Michelin Pilot Super Sport run-flat tires, the car is able to generate over 1G when cornering, and goes from 100km/h to naught in about the same time it takes the Z06, thanks to its factory fitted Brembo brakes.
The gearbox comes in the form of a seven-speed TREMEC manual transmission with Active Rev Matching. The Active Rev Matching helps the driver perform seamless up and down-shifts. A six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission would also be available for those who prefer a more relaxed drive. Just like its manual sibling, the auto box will utilise Active Fuel Management system. The automatic has a launch control function, designed to launch the car at the optimal rpm no matter what the driver’s skills are.
Gone is the cheap plastic interior of the old Corvettes. A combination of Napa leather, microsuede, aluminium and carbon fiber accents lavishly furnishes the highend, handcrafted interior. It features with two seating options, Touring and Competition, which are offered to customers. The car also comes with 21st century driving technology, which includes 12 different driving configurations to perfectly suit any road surface or driving style, including Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport and Track; these options can be changed on the two 720p eight-inch screens fitted inside the car.
With modern materials and advanced 21st century technology, the corvette is sure to turn the world of supercars as we know it upside down. It sure is a worthy competitor to some of its closest rivals, with all the tech to match. Personally, I feel the car has been too overly redesigned; a car should undergo evolution and not revolution. That said I do hope the drastic changes are for the better.
