Chevrolet Corvette 2014

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Chris Harris on Cars

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[Fraga]

O carro parece brutal, mas não consigo gostar da traseira...

[rodrigoalvide]

a traseira é muito parecida com o novo camaro... acho q ficava muito melhor se continuassem com o mesmo estilo do corvette c6

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Algumas fotos em HD

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[FMVC]

Muito giro mesmo !

[FredSimoes]

[ShakesBeer]

E quando a procura é muita...

GM raising Corvette prices - Mar. 7, 2014

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E mesmo assim é uma bagatela lá nos EUA.

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Awesome !

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[FMVC]

É um desses para a mesa 5

Que espectáculo.

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[Shmee150] - Corvette C7 Z06 e C7.R no Salão de Genebra 2014

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Laguna Blue Tintcoat Corvette Stingray C7 on HRE Performance Wheels

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Arctic White Corvette C7 Stingray on HRE Performance Wheels

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[Crank and Piston] - Corvette Stingray C7. A new generation

Corvette Stingray C7. A new generation | crankandpiston.com Car Culture Lifestyle

We’ve finally got our hands on the new Chevrolet Corvette C7 at home in the Middle East. So, is it any good then?



Rewind six months. I’m processing my thoughts about the new Chevrolet Corvette following the international launch event near Washington DC. And I’m frustrated. Despite spending several hours in the car, on roads that initially looked fantastic, they turned out to be full of blind crests and turns, as well as farm machinery, which meant I couldn’t really lean hard on the latest version of an iconic American sports car. It was a long way to fly for a mere flavour.

But back to now. The seventh generation of Corvette is finally in the Middle East, and I can now get my hands on it properly.

The history of the Corvette is something of a rollercoaster. They’ve always been popular cars, but my first experience of one in person, a C6 in the mid-2000s, left me reeling at the terrible interior quality compared to European and Japanese cars, and a general lack of sophistication for which the imposing, brawny looks couldn’t compensate. Still, there was a certain allure for a young man raised on a diet of European cars and American television. Those looks screamed action, and that engine… well, let’s just say that America does V8s like no other. And there’s another big plus point – the price. Compared to the cream of European sports cars, the Corvette is a bargain.

So, will the new C7 fix the issues without compromising the previous cars’ charms? The early signs, as I found last year, are more than promising. While the front bears slightly too much of a resemblance to the Ferrari California for my liking, the profile and the rear are pure American muscle, with a horn section of four flared tailpipes ready to blow a fanfare. Overkill? Perhaps, but there’s no mistaking what this is.

This particular car has already been around a few members of the local press, who have clearly treated it with their usual care – the nearside alloys are kerbed and someone has clearly left the removable carbon fibre roof panel upside down on gravel and scratched the life out of it. That’s pretty unforgivable – if you’ve invested the effort into unclipping the roof from inside the cabin, and then hoiked it out, then you could at least store it in its rightful place under the tailgate.

Thankfully the interior has thus far remained unsullied by the ham-fisted efforts of the peninsula’s less respectful scribblers, and is a vastly improved place compared to the C6. Gone are the squidgy plastic panels and horrible switchgear, replaced by swathes of brown leather, a carbon fibre dash surround and a fine-looking eight-inch touchscreen in the centre. Everything screams driver focus – the controls are all tilted towards the driver, who is cocooned from the passenger by the design of the dash. The guy on the right gets his own controls by the door to control his temperature and cooled seat – everything in the middle belongs to the chap on the left.



I’m not a particularly short man, but I still wish the seats adjusted lower – its not a handicap, but my eyes are level with the top of the windscreen, looking down over the long bonnet. A few weeks earlier I drove a Caterham, and the Corvette has a similar feeling of being sat right at the back of the car, over the rear wheels.
While the seats are too high, they are comfortable, and surprisingly tight for an American car – those of a more generous physique may struggle to fully sink into their embrace. But once you’re in, you’re held in place.

We’re on the hunt for photo locations, heading out into the desert and then the mountains where we know there will also be fun roads to test the Corvette. Tradition holds that Chevrolets powered by big V8s excel only in straight lines, but recent forays with the Camaro and my limited experience of the Corvette in the US suggests to me that there’s more to the C7 than that.

To begin with though, there’s a long cruise along the freeways, and a chance to get used to the surroundings. The Corvette has all the modern toys one would expect, and the Bluetooth phone connectivity gets an early workout as the kilometres pass by, as does the cruise control. So far, so user friendly. I particularly like the head-up display projecting information onto the windscreen, which by default shows just the speed, but a flick of a toggle to the left of the wheel flicks between different options. I find a rather splendid option that shows speed, a colour rev counter and a G-meter, and make a mental note to test that out later.

Under the Corvette’s bonnet is a 6.2-litre V8 that pushes 455bhp to the rear wheels. Not bad for an entry-level car – a Z06 model with 625bhp has just been announced, which will satisfy those craving super power, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see further mentalist versions arrive after that. Still, in the regular car 0-100kph takes 3.8 seconds, which is a fast in anyone’s book.

Our test car is the top-of-the-line model with the optional Z51 Performance Package fitted, which adds larger alloy wheels (20s at the rear, 19s at the front), a tweaked aero package for better stability and sticker Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP tyres.

It’s not just a visual upgrade though – there’s also an electronic limited-slip differential, larger brakes, a dry sump oil system for better performance while thrashing around and magnetic dampers. This all fits into the available set ups of the car, controlled via a twisty dial next to the gearstick – choose between Eco, Touring, Sport or Track, as well as a Weather setting that is unlikely to see much use here in the Middle East. In the centre of the dial is the traction control button. Unlike in a lot of modern cars, one stab of this and off means off, leaving you to slide around to your heart’s content.

Not yet though. At general cruising speed the cockpit is relatively quiet, but squeeze the throttle and those trumpets at the back rasp out a booming overture. Mid-range acceleration is pretty blistering, with bags of torque that wafts the Corvette forward smoothly but with firm insistence. Once you’re off the throttle, there’s some clever fuel saving technology that shuts down half the cylinders, indicated by a V4 display on the dashboard. It’s not exciting, but the Corvette drinks through gas pretty rapidly, so on a practical level it’s useful to be able to extend the car’s range when not pushing.

We head out of the city and into the countryside, where desert meets mountain, and turn off the highway. After parking it up among some trees so that photographer James can get some pictures, it’s time to hit the twisties and really see what the new Corvette can do. Any old American machine can impress in a straight line, but I’ve had a suspicion that the C7 is more capable.



I was right. The squiggling map on the satellite navigation shows myriad twists and turns, but the Corvette, far from being a lumbering mess, is sharp and direct. The nose is the C7’s most impressive attribute, diving into corners superbly with barely any roll from the body. It’s immaculately composed at all times, nimble and sharp, and the steering is a world away from the gloopy, feel-less systems of old. This is full of feedback and nicely weighted, which means a great connection to that razor-sharp front end.

That’s not to say the back is feisty though. Big wide tyres glue the rear to the road as I attack the bends, squeezing on the brakes hard. The pedal is progressive enough to brake into the corners with no stability worries, and the level of grip from the Michelins is prodigious; I keep an eye on the G-meter and register 0.85 with very little effort and not even a squeak from the tyres. I’m no engineer, but Chevrolet’s decision to stick with the Corvette’s traditional transverse leaf spring suspension set up doesn’t, on this evidence, seem to have adversely affected the way in handles – indeed, it’s a really nicely judged set up that matches stable cornering with impressive damping over bumps.

With the electronic diff working its magic, the Corvette can change direction beautifully. It’s entirely possible to hustle with considerable vigour through these bumps and not worry about unexpected loss of traction – bumps through the corners are soaked up with ease, and the back only starts to break grip if I provoke it hard with the throttle. I refrain from doing that too much though, as the narrow mountain road is lined on both sides by solid-looking concrete barriers. It’s more than satisfying enough to bang into a corner hard on the brakes, clicking down the gearbox using the paddles, guide the nose into the apex and get hard onto the throttle, revelling in how quickly it hooks up and begins the fanfare anew. The only slight fly in the ointment comes from the paddles themselves – the gearbox is fine, but the paddles feel more like buttons and could use better haptic feedback to give more involvement.



Nevertheless, I finish the mountain run exhilarated. The new Corvette is excellent – there’s no other reasonable to conclusion at which to arrive. It makes huge strides in all the areas where the previous model lacked, particularly interior quality and handling, but retains that all-American brute strength, power and charisma. At $74,870 for this Z51-equipped model, it’s a hell of a lot of car for the money, and as sales have already shown, it’s destined to be a big hit. The prospect of the big power, even more focused models that will be forthcoming is mouth watering.

Engine:	V8, 6162cc
Power:	455bhp @ 6000rpm
Torque:	460lb ft @ 4600rpm
Transmission:	Seven-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive, electronic limited-slip diff, ESP
Front suspension:	Double wishbones, transverse leaf spring, adaptive dampers
Rear suspension:	Double wishbones, transverse leaf spring, adaptive dampers, anti-roll bar
Brakes:	Vented discs, 345mm front, 338mm rear
Wheels:	8.5 x 19in front, 10 x 20in rear
Tyres:	Tyres: 245/35 R19 front, 285/30 R20 rear, Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP
Weight (kerb)	1499kg
0-100kph:	3.8sec
Top speed:	305kph

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New Chevrolet Corvette Variant Coming to New York Auto Show

The always exciting New York Auto Show 2014 is just a couple of weeks ago and with the latest confirmation from Chevrolet, we’re even more excited for the epic show to roll through.

It has been confirmed that a new variant of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will be revealed at the show. While General Motors is remaining silent about specific details of the latest Corvette variant, it has certainly got us very excited! It will be displayed alongside the Corvette Z06 and C7.R.

However, if our sources prove to be correct, it is possible a Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible could be heading our way in just a matter of days. When the Corvette Z06 coupe was revealed, we revealed soon after that for the first time since the mid-1960’s, a drop-top version could become available.
On the other hand, this new “variant” of the Corvette could simply be one featuring a unique livery and wheels. Either way, we won’t have to wait very long with the auto show just a couple of weeks away!

As for the current, range-topping Corvette Z06, it features a new LT4 supercharged 6.2 litre V8 engine which delivers at least 625 horsepower and a staggering 861 Nm of torque. The engine leverages direct injection, active fuel management, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing to produce that performance. The gearbox choice is between a traditional seven-speed manual or an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for manual control.

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Oficial: Corvette Stingray vai oferecer em 2015 nova caixa automática de 8v

Nota de imprensa:

2015 Corvette Stingray to Offer Eight-Speed Automatic
Paddle-shift gearbox rivals dual-clutch performance, enhances efficiency

DETROIT – An eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission will be offered in the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray for 2015, enhancing the performance and efficiency of the 2014 North American Car of the Year. Designed and built by GM, the new transmission delivers world-class shift times that rival the best dual-clutch designs.

The all-new, GM-designed 8L90 eight-speed is expected to contribute up to 5-percent greater efficiency, when compared to the previous six-speed automatic. EPA fuel economy test results are pending and will be announced later. It also makes the Corvette Stingray one of the few sports cars to offer the choice of a conventional manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic.

"Corvette Stingray's new eight-speed automatic delivers the comfort and drivability of a true automatic transmission, as well as lightning-fast shifts and the manual control that enhance the performance-driving experience," said Bill Goodrich, assistant chief engineer for eight-speed automatic transmissions. "It was designed to enhance the Stingray's driving experience, with performance on par with dual-clutch designs, but without sacrificing refinement."

The available 8L90 transmission is based on the same eight-speed automatic that will be offered on the supercharged 2015 Corvette Z06, but with unique clutch and torque converter specifications matched to the torque capacity of the Stingray's LT1 6.2L naturally aspirated engine.

For performance driving, the transmission offers full manual control via steering wheel paddles. A new transmission-control system and unique algorithms deliver shift performance that rivals the dual-clutch/semi-automatic transmissions found in many supercars – but with the smoothness and refinement that comes with a conventional automatic fitted with a torque converter.

The transmission controller analyzes and executes commands 160 times per second. Wide-open throttle upshifts are executed up to eight-hundredths of a second quicker than those of the dual-clutch transmission offered in the Porsche 911.

Smaller steps between gears, compared to the previous six-speed automatic, keep the engine within the sweet spot of the rpm band, making the most of its horsepower and torque to optimize performance and efficiency.

With four gearsets and five clutches, creative packaging enables the new eight-speed automatic to fit the same space as the previous six-speed automatic. Extensive use of aluminum and magnesium make it more than eight pounds, or 4 kg, lighter than the six-speed. Design features that reduce friction contribute to the expected 5-percent greater efficiency.

The 8L90 is built at GM's Toledo, Ohio, transmission facility.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.9 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at Chevrolet Cars, Trucks, SUVs, Crossovers and Vans.