2022 Chevrolet Corvette

Overview

With a lineage that stretches back to the 1950s, the Chevrolet Corvette is a mainstay of performance-car culture, and the current C8 model takes that tradition to a new place with a thumping V-8 mounted behind the passenger compartment and a still-affordable price tag. Performance in the supercar range and surgically precise handling make the Corvette a track day darling when equipped with the Z51 package—but its ride over rough stretches is unexpectedly smooth and its cabin is comfortable enough for daily use. Both a coupe and a convertible are offered, and the coupe has a lift-off roof panel for open-air motoring. Storage areas behind the engine and in front of the cabin offer enough cargo space for a weekend away, and its attainable price, exceptional performance, and surprising practicality make it a 10Best winner and earn it a spot on our Editors' Choice list.

What's New for 2022?

To celebrate the C8.R race car's inaugural season, Chevrolet is offering a limited-edition appearance package on the Corvette which was inspired by the IMSA GTLM championship-winning competition version. Only 1000 will be built, and the package adds $6595 to the base price of the 3LT trim. The package combines Accelerate Yellow or Hypersonic Gray exterior paint with Carbon Flash colored mirror caps and rear spoiler. The Corvette racing logo appears throughout the design and the cabin is done up in a yellow and gray scheme to match. Other changes for 2022 include a new optional low-profile rear spoiler, three new colors, and a few changes to the Corvette's mechanicals including a new fuel pump and fuel injectors.

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Pricing and Which One to Buy

The Corvette is available as either a coupe or a convertible with a folding hard top. Since the coupe's roof lifts off for open-top motoring anyway, we'd stick with it. We'd instead spend the money to upgrade to the 2LT version which adds a number of features, including a head-up display, a wireless smartphone charging pad, heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a 14-speaker Bose stereo system, blind-spot monitoring, and much more. The Z51 performance package is also a must-have as it brings all of the Corvette's best performance-oriented gear.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Although the engine is in a new location—now behind the passenger compartment instead of in front of it—it remains a 6.2-liter V-8, albeit one making 490 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. With the dual-mode performance exhaust that is part of the Z51 package, it makes 495 horsepower. The Z51 option also adds an electronic limited-slip rear differential, more aggressive brakes, and summer tires. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (a Corvette first) is the sole transmission. It is controlled either by a push-button gear selector on the center console or by using two large steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. A manual transmission is not available. In our testing, we recorded a zero-to-60-mph time of 2.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds at 122 mph in a car equipped with the Z51 performance package and the optional FE4 magnetorheological dampers. We managed a braking distance of 149 feet from 70 mph and recorded 1.03 g's on the skid pad. Even in base form, however, the new Corvette is capable of heroic handling and delivers big thrills on both road and track.

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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The Corvette earns EPA fuel economy ratings of 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined. We subjected it to our own 200-mile highway fuel-economy test and recorded 26 mpg, 2 mpg better than expected. The last generation–remember the Corvette with the engine in the front?–managed a 27 mpg result in the same test. For more information about the Corvette's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

The Corvette remains a pure two-seater, and the futuristic interior is lined in materials such as leather, real metal trim, and imitation suede; it even has a fancy stitched headliner. Speaking of the roof, it's removable on the coupe, just like those of previous Corvettes, and it fits inside the trunk that's just aft of the engine compartment. The rear trunk also can accommodate two golf bags, and a front trunk offers space for luggage or cargo while the roof is stowed. The driver sits behind a squared-off steering wheel and a 12.0-inch reconfigurable gauge display; a large infotainment touchscreen is angled toward the driver for ease of use. The interior design takes the driver-focused concept to the max, bisecting the cockpit with a tall bank of switches for the car's climate-control system. Overall, the new Vette's cabin is quite good. Upgrading to the 3LT package gets you upgraded materials such as sewn leather on most of its interior surfaces, plus carbon-fiber trim. The new Corvette offers two trunk areas, one ahead of the passenger compartment and one behind the engine, for a total of 13 cubic feet of storage space. Chevrolet says the Corvette can fit two sets of golf clubs in the rear compartment when they are stacked on top of each other. In our testing, we were able to fit our set of clubs easily, so Chevy's claim seems valid. When it came to seeing if there was room for our carry-on-size suitcases, we were able to fit one in the Corvette's front trunk and two in the rear compartment.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

The new Corvette uses Chevrolet's Infotainment 3 Plus system, which features an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth audio streaming, a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The system is easy to use and quick to respond to commands.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Corvette can be had with a limited number of driver-assistance features, and none are standard on the base model. For more information about the Corvette's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

While its performance is amazing, the Corvette's warranty coverage is strictly average. At least the first maintenance service is covered at no cost.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance is covered for the first visit

Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51

VEHICLE TYPE
mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa

PRICE AS TESTED
$88,310 (base price: $64,995)

ENGINE TYPE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement 376 cu in, 6162 cc
Power 495 hp @ 6450 rpm
Torque 470 lb-ft @ 5150 rpm

TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): control arms/control arms
Brakes (F/R): 13.6-in vented disc/
13.8-in vented disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S ZP, F: 245/35ZR-19 (89Y) TPC Spec 3120 R: 305/30ZR-20 (99Y) TPC Spec 312

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.2 in
Length: 182.3 in
Width: 76.1 in
Height: 48.6 in
Passenger volume: 51 cu ft
Cargo volume: 13 cu ft
Curb weight: 3647 lb

C/D
TEST RESULTS
Rollout, 1 ft: 0.2 sec
Zero to 60 mph: 2.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.2 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 13.2 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 19.4 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 3.5 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 1.9 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.2 sec @ 122 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr’s claim): 184 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 149 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.03 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
75-mph highway driving: 26 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/city/highway: 19/16/26 mpg

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