2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 Coupe Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited September 2014 in Chevrolet

image2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 Coupe Road Test

Edmunds' full test of the 2014 Chevy Corvette Z51. Includes instrumented test data, specs, on-road driving impressions, photos, video and more.

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Comments

  • ahightowerahightower Member Posts: 539
    Not digging that light gray interior... but otherwise, sounds about perfect.
  • blackadder5639blackadder5639 Member Posts: 31
    "Even Porsche's do-all 911 can't match the ride/handling balance available in the Stingray. "
    That's some praise for the Corvette! Wow.....Well done, GM!
  • otto_driverotto_driver Member Posts: 2
    I want badly. Very, very badly.
  • jederinojederino Member Posts: 0
    Great news. Having read this, I feel the Corvette has achieved all it set out to do with this design, and more even than we hoped for!
  • jederinojederino Member Posts: 0
    Even the gray interior looks exceptionally good, and I really don't like gray interiors. GM, you done good!
  • thedream32thedream32 Member Posts: 5
    So...it's time to sell my E92 M3 and finally own my first Vette. Hell of a job GM, now bring on the Z06/ZR1!
  • ansibeansibe Member Posts: 7
    very nice.
  • john1168john1168 Member Posts: 10
    WOW!!! I want one... NOW PLEASE!
  • ugnautugnaut Member Posts: 1
    huminah huminah!!
  • agentorangeagentorange Member Posts: 893
    Goes well, but I'll reserve judgement on the styling until I see one in person. It does look a bit busy in places in the photos. I am a fan of the C5 and its restrained styling, and if we use Richard Hammond's criteria, the C5 is better because it has pop-up headlights. That said, Richard has probably never seen the crappy plastic gears that GM used.
  • empoweredbcempoweredbc Member Posts: 50
    Love the 7-speed manual, the price, the performance, and the tech.
    Hate the amateurish styling inside and out, particularly the rear end.
  • josephjoejosephjoe Member Posts: 5
    2014 Chevrolet's performance id really amazing...
    auto body repair Toronto
  • 2013gs4lt2013gs4lt Member Posts: 1
    Looks like waiting fifty years to get my first corvette was one year to soon. I should have waited fifty-one years. I can't wait to see the 2014 ZO-6 and the ZR-1. So far the new C7 is looking like a big winner to me.
  • bankerdannybankerdanny Member Posts: 1,021
    Overall love the car, would have one in a second. However, not digging the gauges. No car built for US roads should have 70mph at the lower 1/4 of the speedo. GM should have made the whole gauge cluster TFT so normal touring mode could have a reasonably sized speedo with a 150mph limit say in a conventional side by side arrangement. Then a FULL gauge package (that means oil pressure and temp gauges) with center tach for sport .
  • wdrauchwdrauch Member Posts: 22
    I've seen a number of C7s now around the Detroit area in many different colors. So far, I like the blue exterior best. It also looks great in dark gray and black. I didn't like it so much in white since the black trim pieces around all the cooling doo-dads stand out way too much.
  • engineer_mbaengineer_mba Member Posts: 11
    Impressive sports car with impressive performance for the price. Always just out of reach....even when I was briefly in management. Regarding the styling.....it would be nice if the black inserts in the vents on the hood, front and rear fenders were colored to match the car. The car would look better IMO. (The hood vents on the Mustang are body-colored.)
  • coolb944coolb944 Member Posts: 0
    I REALLY want this car!

    It seems that not only has GM addressed every point of contention with the Corvette that has been raised in the past, but has also gone on to surpass expectations and build a sports car that will genuinely make its competitors take pause, sit up, and notice.

    To say that the Corvette surpasses even the 911s ride/handling balance is no faint praise.

    I agree with the closing sentiments of the article. Whatever the stigma has been that has built up around the Corvette, this car is so good it overcomes it. And while some might find the styling too busy, I personally find it sharp and purposeful, aggressive, and a really demonstrative indicator of the car's intent. I actually find the styling much more high-end feeling than the C5 or C6.

    The Europeans a few rungs up on the price ladder should be taking a good hard look at the Corvette. The Z06 and ZR1 should prove quite formidable against the likes of the 911 Turbo, GT3, and GT2, any Aston Martin, and give the 458 Italia, Gallardo, and MP4-12C quite a scare. And I really don't think that's reaching. If the "normal" grade Corvette is this good, imagine what it's more elevated permutations will yield.
  • joefrompajoefrompa Member Posts: 64
    So....it's slower than a current generation cadillac CTS-V?

    :)

    All kidding aside: insane stopping, slalom, and skidpad results. Pretty darn good acceleration - I'm guessing the base corvette will be a dead on match for the about-to-be released BMW m3 in a straight line.

    The only thing that doesn't impress me is the weight - that's a bit hefty for a 2-seater sports car IMHO. That and the backside.

    Otherwise: Yes, first corvette I'm ever actually kinda longing to own for some period of time.
  • xterrobrandoxterrobrando Member Posts: 9
    What an accomplishment. This Corvette Stingray even eclipses the mighty Carrera S (equipped with a similar 7 speed manual) in all facets of performance, ride, balance, and efficiency - at half the price! Styling is very progressive. I love it, but know it is highly subjective, if not polarizing, in terms of affinity for it's looks. I do hope that Chevrolet creates a dual clutch 7 or 8 speed automatic transaxle for this car, then even the PDK equipped Carrera S honks can't claim acceleration advantages because of faster shifts! perhaps a modified version of the 2014 CTS's 8 speed? Even so, a manual for me please.
  • blogzillablogzilla Member Posts: 2
    That's the first thing that came to mind when I saw the brakes. Seriously? They put brakes like that on a $60,000 car? GM will never get it. They really won't.
  • blogzillablogzilla Member Posts: 2
    The 75 mph speedometer limit looks really cheesy on this car. But then again, that's probably some government mandate
  • istrangelove_istrangelove_ Member Posts: 2
    The Z06 is going to be incredible.
  • clarkgclarkg Member Posts: 0
    The new C7 makes me pleased that I did not pre-sell my C6 ZR1 in anticipating of ordering a new C7 - was a design department given orders to add an over abundance of creases, plastic vents, a metal fish emblem and 1967 Pontiac Bonneville taillights straight from the GM parts bins? - what's wrong with "evolved styling" instead of "boy racer" stuff that ruined the Firebird - oops! - I forgot that GM kept the Pontiac stylists which explains the tail lights and other screaming chicken bits
  • shatnershatner Member Posts: 176
    The interior still looks like it belongs in a 1980 Cavalier... Great performance though if you don't care about how cheap the interior is.
  • billd64ebilld64e Member Posts: 1
    Not sure what stigma there is. The C4/C5/C6 cars have carried the Corvette banner quite well over the years easily surpassing their competitors many times. Even now you show up at a road course with a C5/C6 and the other guys know they will be trying to catch up. Not much of a stigma. My C5Z made me feel like a king on the track, my C6Z makes me feel like one of the Greek Gods. C7 will just be more icing on the cake.

    Bill
  • 330i_zhp330i_zhp Member Posts: 55
    I love nearly everything about the car... Looks, price, performance. Maybe it's my age (30), but I don't appreciate the "Stingray" name. It may have held clout with the generation that remembered the originals fondly, but it doesn't do anything for me. I think it should just be called "Corvette", and reserved any additional names for model variations. I'm probably the minority, but that's just my humble opinion.
  • montero2003montero2003 Member Posts: 1
    It's 1968 again..........................
  • jkbmw550jkbmw550 Member Posts: 2
    Looks good from the outside. But those grey interiors...The day GM starts making interiors onpar with the Germans, is the day I might consider one. But till then, I'll stick with my BMW550 until I buy the Audi RS7 next year.
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