THē-GHōST Posted October 9, 2021 Posted October 9, 2021 There are several key things you should know about the new Chevrolet Corvette Convertible. One, it’s available in right-hand drive for the first time ever. Two, it’s mid-engined and at £79,200 costs an awful lot less than most similarly configured rivals from Europe. Three, it’s a damn good car to drive compared with any European rival, at any price point. And four, unlike previous Corvettes, it’s also well made and feels like a class act inside, in this case featuring a cleverly engineered, fully electric hardtop roof and more space for your luggage than the coupe, not less. So, form a queue here if you’re interested, but be quick; on this evidence you won’t be the only one in that queue. Until now, the idea of owning and driving a Corvette in the UK hasn’t held much appeal among the masses because it’s only ever been available in left-hand drive. Step forward the new eighth-generation C8 Corvette, which has just gone on sale in the UK for a whisker over 74 grand in coupe form – or £79k as a Convertible as tested here – and which is at last going to be made in right-hand drive. Ignore the layout of the car you see in these pictures because, as of next month, you’ll be able to buy a C8 Corvette from the UK’s only main dealer in Virginia Water, Surrey, with a steering wheel on the right and a thumping 6.2-litre V8 engine sitting behind its two seats but in front of the rear axle. Just like the Audi R8 and the lower end cars from McLaren, Ferrari and Lamborghini with which it seeks to compete, the other big news about the new Corvette is that it is mid, not front-engined, as has previously been the case. It also boasts a clever new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, with no manual available, even as an option. It does have launch control, and as such can hit 62mph in just 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 184mph thanks primarily to the fact that its big V8 thumps out 475bhp and 613Nm of torque. As standard, all UK Corvettes also get the ‘Z51 Performance Package’, which includes beefier-than-normal Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, a shorter final drive ratio for the best acceleration, a sports exhaust system, what Chevrolet describes as the ‘Level 1’ aero package, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres The first UK cars will be specified in to two trim levels; 2LT and 3LT. You can then add numerous options to improve the dynamics – such Chevrolet’s excellent Magnetic Ride adaptive suspension for £1,920 – or to enhance the styling and interior spec. The 3LT test car we drove had just about everything you could wish for on it, including the adaptive dampers, carbon fibre trim inside and out and £1,780 of Amplify Orange paintwork, but its all-up price reflected this, at £93,090. But then it’s still pretty special to drive, particularly in Convertible form, which successfully marries proper alfresco motoring with seemingly zero dynamic compromises compared with the excellent coupe. Link: https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/chevrolet/corvette/356241/new-chevrolet-corvette-convertible-2021-review
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