Times Colonist
The seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray was officially unveiled at the 2013 North American Auto Show this week.
Brett Snow, new-car manager for Wheaton GM, estimates Victorians will see the first of the new cars sometime in September or October. He has already had calls by people looking to order one but had to turn them down because the price has not been finalized.
“They [General Motors] have indicated that they will try to hold the price to 2013 levels,” says Snow. “The last base price for a Corvette was $60,600, so if it is anything close to that, I think it will sell very well.”
He says the dealership was the top-selling Corvette dealership in 2010 and eighth overall in Canada.
“It looks like another winner,” Snow said.
The new Stingray gets a new and more angular body, but one still instantly recognizable as a Corvette. The edges are sharper, with a more muscular and aggressive stance. To shave off weight, the C7 now rides on an aluminum frame with components such as the hood and roof are rendered in carbon fibre instead of fibreglass. Chevrolet claims the changes in metallurgy results in a weight savings of 25 per cent in the front and 20 per cent in the back of the car.
A major departure from the previous design are the addition of small side windows. One can also spot intake vents right under these windows. These functional vents supply air to cool the transmission on some models.
Most drivers on the road will probably see the back end of the car most frequently. Dare I say the back lights now remind me of a Camaro? A row of four centre-mounted exhaust tips give bystanders an idea of the car’s heavy breathing.
Chevrolet pledges the new C7 (the internal code that denotes the generation of the car) will run from zero to 100 kilometres an hour in under four seconds and, if equipped with the optional Z51 Performance Package, achieve over one G of cornering right out of the box.
The stock engine will be the 6.2-litre LT1 small-block V-8 producing 450 hp and 450 lb.-ft. of torque mated with either a seven-speed manual or six-speed automatic.
The interior was given a (much deserved) white-sheet makeover. It started with a smaller-diameter steering wheel and new seats (with magnesium frames) and spread from there. The cabin has been lavished with cutting-edge electronics of course, but also real aluminum and carbon fibre if desired.
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