2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe Z51 Manual
Months in Fleet: 3 months
Current Mileage: 5,911 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 19 mpg
Range: 350 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
With the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette’s seventh-gen make over one of the boldest in the nameplate’s historyalong with the C7 Stingray’s awesome track performance, multiple comparison-test wins, and 2014 10Best Cars nod—the calls around the C/D HQ for a long-term study were loud and persistent.
General Motors answered our pleas and dropped off this 2014 Blade Silver Metallic coupe, complete with our own personalized plaque on the console, for a 40,000-mile evaluation. Not wanting to stuff it into a late-season snow bank before we could unleash the new Gen V LT1 small-block V-8, we immediately fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires, which facilitated the completion of a proper break-in despite the slush.
Heavy Artillery
Even in base 1LT trim, the $53,995 2014 Stingray comes well-equipped, packing a carbon-fiber hood and removable roof panel, an eight-inch touch-screen in the center stack, another eight-inch display—this one for driver information—in the cluster, supportive sport seats, advanced stability control, a seven-speed manual gearbox, and much, much more. (You can read a full rundown of the Stingray’s basics here.) Our example went a step beyond with the $4210 2LT package and its heated and ventilated seats, head-up color display, 10-speaker Bose stereo, auto-dimming mirrors, Corvette logos on the seats, and color-keyed console and door trim.
The Real World Cometh
Despite the tall seventh gear and EPA ratings of 17 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway, our initial exuberance for the direct-injected small-block V-8 has limited our observed fuel economy to just 19 mpg. Part of that is also due to the car staying relatively close to home thus far, its most distant journey being a quick jaunt to Virginia International Raceway in support of our annual Lightning Lap event. Initial logbook comments have praised the C7’s overall driving experience and the old-school forward view of the front fenders rising above the long, vented hood. Although some drivers have chided the manual shifter as being too notchy and the engine’s idle as too lumpy, others find them to be part of the ’Vette’s muscular charm. The new seats are vastly more supportive than the flimsier chairs of previous Corvettes, yet some drivers are still coming to terms with the firm, movement-restricting design.
Our car has yet to receive its first scheduled service (due at 7500 miles), but we’ve already had to visit the dealer for the central infotainment screen, which would occasionally flash wildly between menus and freeze up entirely. It turned out that carbon trim on the dash was in contact with the touch-screen: the dealer easily fixed the issue by shimming the trim away from the display. Our Stingray also has been flagged by one of GM's many recent recalls, specifically for the side-impact airbag modules in the optional competition seats, which may not deploy in the event of an accident. As of this writing, new airbag modules are on order at our local dealer and will be installed under warranty. GM is instructing owners of affected Corvettes to keep small children from riding in the car until the modules have been replaced.
The new Stingray is arguably the best Corvette in history. While we can already say the new car has effectively addressed our main qualms with the C6—namely, the poor seats and interior materials, and a lack of tactility when driving below the car’s limits—the remaining 34,000 miles in our C7 test will reveal how well GM has adapted its American icon for the modern age
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Months in Fleet: 3 months
Current Mileage: 5,911 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 19 mpg
Range: 350 miles
Service: $0
Normal Wear: $0
Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
General Motors answered our pleas and dropped off this 2014 Blade Silver Metallic coupe, complete with our own personalized plaque on the console, for a 40,000-mile evaluation. Not wanting to stuff it into a late-season snow bank before we could unleash the new Gen V LT1 small-block V-8, we immediately fitted a set of Michelin Pilot Alpin PA4 winter tires, which facilitated the completion of a proper break-in despite the slush.
Heavy Artillery
Even in base 1LT trim, the $53,995 2014 Stingray comes well-equipped, packing a carbon-fiber hood and removable roof panel, an eight-inch touch-screen in the center stack, another eight-inch display—this one for driver information—in the cluster, supportive sport seats, advanced stability control, a seven-speed manual gearbox, and much, much more. (You can read a full rundown of the Stingray’s basics here.) Our example went a step beyond with the $4210 2LT package and its heated and ventilated seats, head-up color display, 10-speaker Bose stereo, auto-dimming mirrors, Corvette logos on the seats, and color-keyed console and door trim.
We want to exploit the full potential of the C7, so we opted for the Z51 performance model ($57,995 base), which adds more aggressive suspension tuning, an electronic limited-slip diff, closer-spaced gear ratios, larger slotted brake rotors, 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, aero tweaks for improved high-speed stability, and dry-sump oiling for the 455-hp 6.2-liter V-8.
To reach full-attack mode, we also specified the new Competition seats with additional bolstering ($1995), Magnetic Ride Control with Chevy’s Performance Traction Management system ($1795), and the dual-mode exhaust ($1195), which gives the LT1 a menacing roar while boosting output to 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Other bits contributing to the $66,575 as-tested figure include carbon-fiber interior trim ($995), MyLink navigation ($795), black painted wheels ($495), the personalized ID plaque ($200), and the spoiler and mirrors painted in “carbon flash”($100).
Although $67K pushes our test car beyond bargain-shopper territory, the Corvette is loaded with technology
To reach full-attack mode, we also specified the new Competition seats with additional bolstering ($1995), Magnetic Ride Control with Chevy’s Performance Traction Management system ($1795), and the dual-mode exhaust ($1195), which gives the LT1 a menacing roar while boosting output to 460 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. Other bits contributing to the $66,575 as-tested figure include carbon-fiber interior trim ($995), MyLink navigation ($795), black painted wheels ($495), the personalized ID plaque ($200), and the spoiler and mirrors painted in “carbon flash”($100).
Although $67K pushes our test car beyond bargain-shopper territory, the Corvette is loaded with technology
and is fantastic while blasting down back roads or just cruising the boulevards. The color scheme adds a smidge of modesty to the jet-fighter exterior shape, while the overall cockpit feel is more intimate and welcoming than was the C6’s. The C7 is a driver’s car through and through.
Our initial track data assuaged the sticker shock even further, with the 3436-pound Z51 dashing to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.2 at 118 mph, its quad tailpipes snarling madly up to its drag-limited 181-mph top speed. With the run-flat Michelin Pilot Super Sports—sized 245/35 in front and 285/30 in back—lending flypaper-like grip, the car clung to the skidpad to the tune of 1.03 g and tried to detach our retinas with a fade-free 137-foot stop from 70 mph, one of the best performances we’ve ever recorded.
Our initial track data assuaged the sticker shock even further, with the 3436-pound Z51 dashing to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.2 at 118 mph, its quad tailpipes snarling madly up to its drag-limited 181-mph top speed. With the run-flat Michelin Pilot Super Sports—sized 245/35 in front and 285/30 in back—lending flypaper-like grip, the car clung to the skidpad to the tune of 1.03 g and tried to detach our retinas with a fade-free 137-foot stop from 70 mph, one of the best performances we’ve ever recorded.
The Real World Cometh
Despite the tall seventh gear and EPA ratings of 17 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway, our initial exuberance for the direct-injected small-block V-8 has limited our observed fuel economy to just 19 mpg. Part of that is also due to the car staying relatively close to home thus far, its most distant journey being a quick jaunt to Virginia International Raceway in support of our annual Lightning Lap event. Initial logbook comments have praised the C7’s overall driving experience and the old-school forward view of the front fenders rising above the long, vented hood. Although some drivers have chided the manual shifter as being too notchy and the engine’s idle as too lumpy, others find them to be part of the ’Vette’s muscular charm. The new seats are vastly more supportive than the flimsier chairs of previous Corvettes, yet some drivers are still coming to terms with the firm, movement-restricting design.
Our car has yet to receive its first scheduled service (due at 7500 miles), but we’ve already had to visit the dealer for the central infotainment screen, which would occasionally flash wildly between menus and freeze up entirely. It turned out that carbon trim on the dash was in contact with the touch-screen: the dealer easily fixed the issue by shimming the trim away from the display. Our Stingray also has been flagged by one of GM's many recent recalls, specifically for the side-impact airbag modules in the optional competition seats, which may not deploy in the event of an accident. As of this writing, new airbag modules are on order at our local dealer and will be installed under warranty. GM is instructing owners of affected Corvettes to keep small children from riding in the car until the modules have been replaced.
The new Stingray is arguably the best Corvette in history. While we can already say the new car has effectively addressed our main qualms with the C6—namely, the poor seats and interior materials, and a lack of tactility when driving below the car’s limits—the remaining 34,000 miles in our C7 test will reveal how well GM has adapted its American icon for the modern age
Click Here For More Information