What We Like
What We Dislike
I get the appeal of owning a piece of Americana. I really do. I love the values on which the U.S.A was founded, I love a bit of fireworks and firepower, and I sure do love myself a greasy cheeseburger.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's no denying that this Corvette is arriving here at an inopportune time: The U.S.A's global standing and favourability is steadily declining. And there's also the fact that the Italians and Germans have been pushing out some thoroughly impressive products of late.
So, is this Corvette Stingray still something worth hankering over?
Let's start by getting something out of the way. The car you see in the photos is more commonly known as the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray - but it arrives here in Singapore branded solely under the "Corvette" name. So, Corvette Stingray it is.
Now that that's settled let’s talk a little about just how it looks. And I think it's quite safe to say that if we were to judge on design alone, it would be hard to imagine this Stingray not doing well.
Now sporting a mid-engine configuration for this iteration, this C8 Corvette Stingray has ditched the long bonnet design of its numerous and storied predecessors, but I think it's still quite the looker.
Graced with massive intakes along its front and sides, some wide hips, and quite the interesting set of creases and surfaces along its bonnet and rear, this Stingray is brimming with intent and certainly not lacking when it comes to drama.
And the cabin is no different. The first thing you notice after opening its doors is that you're separated from your passenger by a tall and wide centre console that also houses all the air-conditioning settings and controls for the ventilated seats.
It's certainly a unique setup, which works with the design of the dashboard (with its driver-facing 8.0-inch central screen and 12-inch digital driver's instrument cluster) to cocoon the driver in a cockpit-like space, even if it does leave the passenger feeling a little cut off.
A bit of practice alongside some handily placed tabs that locate the critical fan and temperature controls also means that the long row of buttons isn't difficult to work.
And neither does this Corvette Stingray require much effort to drive.
The basics first: The cabin of this Stingray offers good levels of space, and those sports seats offer just enough cushioning while being mighty supportive. Push that engine start button and you'll find its V8 strangely muted, although I must point out that the volume of its exhaust to those standing outside the car is something else altogether.
Hit the road with the Stingray in its 'Touring' drive mode and it also presents itself as quite the capable cruiser.
Its accelerator pedal offers plenty of travel, making precise control over the amount of acceleration easy. And there's an impressive level of composure even if you do take on broken roads at speed - a feat no doubt aided by the fact that this car comes with the optional Magnetic Ride Control electronic damping system. The steering is also surprisingly light and easy to operate.
But pick any of the car's sportier drive modes and push that pedal to the carpet, and it will happily oblige. That massive 6.2-litre engine comes alive once pushed beyond the 3,000rpm mark, trading a mechanical ratata-tat for a more encouraging roar.
And it's not hard to keep this unit boiling either. The Stingray's eight-speed dual-clutch transmission delivers slick shifts both upwards and down, and proved eager enough to fetch a lower gear even when the car was left in its more relaxed driving modes.
Show the Corvette Stingray some twisty roads and it continues to delight. The car exhibits eager turn-in, assisted by a steering that's quick off-centre, and there's a fair amount of accuracy and feedback to be had from that wheel as well.
So comes the matter of price, which Corvette Singapore is only revealing upon application. We don't imagine, however, that current prices would have strayed too far from the $648,000 (before COE that is) asking price when the car first made its debut here in Singapore.
At that price, the Corvette Stingray presents itself as quite a tempting proposition against rivals such as the 389bhp Porsche 911 Carrera, priced from $586,988 (before COE), and the 523bhp BMW M4 Competition, which costs $640,888 (including COE), thanks to its blend of performance and exotic appeal.
Both of these, of course, won't come close to the exotic appeal that comes with this Corvette Stingray. So, if you're really looking for something different, it will have to be the Corvette.
Looks like those Americans still know how to get certain things right.
Looking for a high-performance machine? There's also these cars to consider:
Be sure to catch what we think about the Ferrari 296 GTB here!
Or maybe you'd rather reminisce about this V10-powered Audi R8?
