If the world actually ended in 2012,
we would have to come back from the dead to get a taste of the 2014 Chevrolet
Corvette Stingray.
There aren't many cars out there on which
songs have been written. The Chevrolet Corvette is one, the few which have had
that privilege. Since the day which we can't clearly point out in literary
history's calendar, songs and poems have all been written about women. Not all
of them, but most, so when a car takes that spot, then there must be something
special about it. There has always been something special about the Corvette.
The
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
60 years since the first one premiered at
GM's Motorama exhibit in New York City the Vette has been one of those few cars
which has consistently been good at what it does. It was a crowd-puller then
and it is exceptionally good at that now. Plus, it can pull your face off and
make you laugh like a lunatic once you get behind the wheel and take it out for
a spin on an open road or track, whichever you deem right for your share of
automotive thrills. Now we have a new Vette in town, finally after months of
teaser images, trailers and that incredible of a marketing plan to launch it as
a camouflaged car in the Gran Turismo 5 video game. And boy oh boy, wasn't it
just the car that was worth the wait! Wasn't it, just the car to usher in a new
year and to celebrate the fact that the Mayans messed up their calendar and
prophecies big time!
While Chevrolet was busy with prepping up
the current generation C6 Corvette to challenge records at the Nurburgring and
to make the new Viper GTS nervous at Laguna Seca, they were also engaged in
that sinful act of teasing us with bits and pieces of info on what was in store
for us - the C7. How many countless nights have the sketches and silhouettes
granted many a graphic artist with as automotive enthusiasts and journalists
around the world pulled every reference image, every concept study and every
strand of hair out of their head to come up with a rendering of how the new
Corvette is going to look like. Some met with success as they turned to the
Corvette Centennial Concept for filling up the empty spaces. Also known as the
Corvette Stingray Concept, it had made its debut at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show
and was instantly shot to fame with a starring role as Sideswipe in Michael
Bay's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. But amidst the chaos and explosions
on the big screen, some of us had our eyes planted on this car which combined
classic Corvette styling with modern car tech and design. But Chevrolet chose
to keep it as what it was meant to be - a design exercise and an
attention-magnet. Or that's what they wanted us to believe.
The
2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray - back
When the curtains rose for this year's
Detroit Auto Show, Chevrolet arrived heavily armed with the Firepower which
could unsettle every other sports car manufacturer from Europe to North America
from their seats. Allow us to remind you that the new Corvette has the
nameplate which every true Corvette buff would kneel down before. It bears the
name of Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Indeed, the moniker has been resurrected
for the new age and to commemorate the most legendary of all Vettes ever made -
the 1963 Stingray. And it isn't just about nostalgia and history which you'd
like to rewind and playback while you are in the comforts of a rocking chair
with probably nothing much to do other than reliving an old and pleasant
memory. To start off, it looks stunning with those sharp lines which could cut
your fingers and make you bleed if you aren't careful. The body is dominated by
sharp cuts, creases and edges which makes this piece of American sports car
madness look like the perfect weapon of choice for the urban Knight. From every
angle it looks magnificent and sinfully beautiful and we love that about this
car. It's a Vette after all. It's never understated in its looks. We have a
little complaint though. The round rear lights are gone in the new car and in
their place, the designers have drawn in a pair of taillights taken off the
back of the new Camaro. It isn't something which spoils the show. But for those
who sing about the round tail lamps which had been an iconic design feature for
decades, the absence may be a bit unforgiving. On a more pleasant note, it
comes with a detachable carbon fiber roof which when removed provides the
occupants with instant wind-in-the-hair open-top driving experience and injects
the car with a stronger dose of sex appeal.
If you are doubtful about its capabilities,
then you have to go through the spec-sheet at least once. Brace yourself,
because with a power output of 450bhp and torque peeking out at 450 pound-feet,
the new Vette is the most powerful standard edition of the car which Chevrolet
has ever made. And the 6.2 liter LT1 V8 engine isn't place there to be gawked
at. It's there under that long hood to work its American posterior off. Now
comes, the face-tearing and neck-breaking parts. Nope, it isn't the suspension,
but the acceleration figures. 0 to 92kph is achieved with the boundaries of 4
seconds and at a time when fuel prices seem to go only one way - well, up the
Corvette Stingray is reassuringly fuel-efficient too with its cylinder
deactivation wizardry. Offered with a seven-speed manual transmission (Thank
you, Lord) as standard and a six-speed auto with paddle shifters (Meh) the new
car's transmission options cater to both class of drivers - the ones who prefer
to stay old-school and the rest who prefer to have their toys hi-tech.
The interiors are incredibly well-designed
as well as futuristic. It's quite a place to be if you look at it. Everything
has got a sort of fighter jet cockpit-meets-USS Enterprise flair. With the
instrument cluster and the central console literally cocooning and wrapping
themselves around the driver, the interior design in itself merges the
occupants with the car. And you get the choice of Napa leather, aluminum,
carbon fiber and micro-suede to deck up the space to your tastes. We love what
they have done in red. It's a bit too loud and flashy, but come on, this is not
a Rolls Royce Drophead or a Continental GT. It's a Corvette for heaven's sake.
Like the Viper which is supposed to be all bulky and brutal, the Corvette is
expected to be wild and flashy. And choose your throne well from a regular GT
seat and a Competition Sport seat meant for track use.
The
interiors are incredibly well-designed as well as futuristic. It's quite a
place to be if you look at it.
2014
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray shifter
2014
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray seat
The Corvette Stingray runs on new
18x8.5-inch front and 19xl0-inch rear wheels. But if you choose to opt for the
more enthusiast-oriented Z51 Performance Package, you'll get to wear
19x8.5-inch front and 20xl0-inch rear forged aluminum wheels. The wheels come
shod with new Michelin Pilot Super Sport run-flat tires developed specifically
for the new car. Brembo four-piston calipers and steel discs provide adequate
stopping power while bigger slotted discs will be deployed in Z51 Performance
Package versions. The Z51 Performance Package is targeted at track enthusiasts
and that obviously means a sharper, faster and better version of an already
exuberant creature. With electronic limited-slip differential, dry-sump oiling
system, integral brake, differential and transmission cooling, suspension
upgrades and an aero package, the upgrade is one which will please the appetite
of more serious drivers.
We hear that the build quality has improved
too. So it won't leave dent behind if somebody leans on its boot lid and it
won't disintegrate two weeks after you bought it, hopefully.
Trust
me, a lot of people around the world are thinking of pitting the Viper and the
Vette against each other as soon as they can get these two cars on the same
stretch of road
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will be
launched in the US towards the third quarter of the year and with its
arch-rival from the same turf - the Viper GTS - already in the game we just
have to grab a burger and a coke and sit down before our laptops waiting for
the Youtube videos to pop-up. Trust me, a lot of people around the world are
thinking of pitting the Viper and the Vette against each other as soon as they
can get these two cars on the same stretch of road.
