2014 Corvette Stingray
Alright, already. Enough with the tease. Enough with General Motors dishing out details of the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette in dribs and drabs. It feels like a burlesque and I am ready for Chevy to strip bare the all-new 'Vette. Throw off the tassels, please.
We know, for instance, that the new LT1 V-8, all 460 horsepower of it, delivers 74 horsepower per litre. And we're told it will do 0-100 km/hour in around four seconds.
"Drivers will experience more power and acceleration than ever before with the standard engine – in fact, its power and torque surpass many up-level engines offered by competitors," says Jordan Lee, chief engineer of what is the fifth-generation small block.
Promises, promises.
We also know that Chevy says its internal braking tests show you can haul down this sports car from 60 miles per hour to 0 in just 107 feet. Awesome. The Corvette Stingray, as it's being called, has also been testing for cornering. The car will pull 1.03 g. I've not driven the Virginia International Raceway's (VIR) 4.2-mile "Grand Course," but again Chevy is telling us the new Corvette Stingray lapped it in 2:51.78.
Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer, says his 'Vette has a VIR "that places the new Stingray in the upper echelon of all sports cars."
Oh, you boast, Tadge Juechter. Stop playing with us.
We even know what this car is going to cost: $52,745 for the coupe and $58,245 for the ragtop, plus a $1,700 destination fee, taxes, title, and license fees.
If the 'Vette delivers in the real world what Chevy has been promising in press releases, then we're talking about what must surely be dollar-for-dollar the best high-performance car anywhere in the world.
So bring it on. Bring on the lightweight magnesium seat frames, the new seven-speed manual transmission with "Active Rev Matching," the carbon fibre hood on all models, the aluminum frame, and LED lighting. I am ready to roar away and be deafened by the optional Bose 10-speaker, surround-sound stereo.
Truthfully, I have my first test of the Corvette Stingray slated for Mid-August, and the car hits showrooms in the fall. Between now and then, no more tempting me with visions of something I cannot have for weeks, yet. Not fair.