Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2019 review

[RiZ3R!]

The new, eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette delivers many impressive statistics. But none is more remarkable than the one with the dollar sign in front of it.

Persuade an American dealer to sell the base car at its official MRSP list price - unlikely for several months at least - and it will cost just $59,995. This for a mid-engined 490 hp sportscar with performance that gets it close to supercar territory. Bargain is an overused term, but it's hard to think of any better way to describe the C8.

Of course, there is no chance that any Corvette would ever officially reach the UK with the direct sterling equivalent of that pricetag; currently translating to around £49,000. Context is everything here, and in the 'States that means the entry-level C8 is cheaper than the $60,250 base Porsche 718 Boxster.

Even selecting the plushest available 3LT trim package for $71,495 and adding both the $5000 Z51 performance pack (which brings a sports exhaust, a limited slip differential, bigger brakes, upgraded aero and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres in place of standard all-seasons) and adding adaptive dampers for $1895 still brings in a fully laden 'Vette for less than the $81,950 Porsche charges for an unoptioned Cayman GTS 'Stateside

While supercar makers can afford to throw exotic materials at structures, the C8 has been built around a far lower-cost aluminium structure. There are two carbonfibre parts to add strength in critical areas, one being a panel underneath the central "backbone", the other the rear bumper beam. Chevrolet claims the C8's structure is 19 percent stiffer than that of the C7.

It is bigger, too. Indeed big, full stop: the 2723mm wheelbase in 248mm longer than that of the Cayman and the overall length of 4630mm makes it longer than almost any other mid-engined two-seater and 134mm longer than the front-engined C7. The advantage of that is the relatively spacious cabin and the added practicality of the rear luggage compartment. The C8 has also lost the transverse rear leaf spring of other recent 'Vettes, now having coil springs at each corner.

Chevrolet has been talking about a mid-engined Corvette for several decades; the original plan was for the previous-generation C7 to make the switch until GM's bankruptcy in 2009 saw the project cancelled. While much about the C8 is new beyond the novelty of reversing the order of passengers and powerplant, much is familiar as well. Design riffs hard on the same themes, with a very similar sharky front end to that of the outgoing car and familiar rear lights. Exterior bodywork is still made from glassfibre, and the core of the mechanical package is the time-honoured 'small block' pushrod V8, this driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed twin clutch gearbox.

First impressions are overwhelmingly positive, the new Corvette looking smart and well-finished, its cabin lacking the powerful aroma of resin and cheap plastic that characterised its predecessors. The car I drove in Michigan was a top-spec 3LT, with pretty much every easily-touched non-glass surface in the cabin being made from Alcantara, leather or carbonfibre.

Ergonomics aren't entirely successful, the long row of switches for heating and ventilation between the front seats are hard to see and the driver's seat is mounted higher than the passenger's; even its lowest position feels too high. Headroom is also limited for taller drivers although - another Corvette trademark - the C8 remains a targa, with a lift-out roof panel. (A full convertible will be offered later.) The steering wheel is probably the squarest fitted to any car since the Austin Allegro and - to get the niggles out of the way - the long dashboard and shallow windscreen angle throw up lots of distracting reflections.

Such grievances make a very modest heap next to the Corvette's considerable virtues; it is a hugely likeable car. GM's decision to stick with the pushrod V8 for the entry-level car is vindicated within a couple of minutes; while short on technical sophistication it is effective, willing and hugely charismatic. Despite the relocation, noise levels have actually fallen slightly, the C8 having much less of the low-frequency hum of previous Vettes. Throttle response is instant, mid-range is keen and although the engine only revs to 6600rpm, it sounds better in proximity to its limiter than some posher alternatives do hundreds or even thousands of revs higher.