Instrumented Test

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  Specifications >
  
  
  VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door targa
  
  PRICE AS TESTED: $66,385 (base price: $51,995)
  
  ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
  Displacement: 376 cu in, 6162 cc
  Power: 460 hp @ 6000 rpm
  Torque: 465 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm
  
  TRANSMISSION: 7-speed manual
  
  DIMENSIONS:
  Wheelbase: 106.7 in
  Length: 177.0 in
  Width: 73.9 in Height: 48.6 in
  Curb weight: 3444 lb
  C/D TEST RESULTS:
  Zero to 60 mph: 3.9
  Zero to 100 mph: 8.7
  Zero to 130 mph: 15.1 sec
  Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.5 sec
  Top gear, 30–50 mph: 11.4 sec
  Top gear, 50–70 mph: 10.2 sec
  Standing ¼-mile: 12.2 sec @ 117 mph I think `if you were driving that you'd do better 4-Sure...(in2 the eleven's @ 120+MPH)
  Top speed (C/D est): 190
  Braking, 70–0 mph: 146 ft
  Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 1.08 g
  FUEL ECONOMY:
  EPA city/highway driving: 17/29 mpg
  *Stability-control-inhibited.

<hgroup>2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51

Attention freedom-lovers: We've got to make sure evildoers never get their hands on one of these new Corvettes.

• July 2013
• BY DON SHERMAN
• PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT KERIAN

TESTED
That whiff of smoked Michelin you smell and the bawl of tortured rear tires you hear confirm that we’ve popped the clutch on the Corvette’s seventh generation. We uncorked it at GM’s Milford, Michigan, proving grounds, where we strapped our testing gear to the thing and came away feeling sorry for almost any car that meets it at a stoplight, the track, or a winding road.
But before we tell you about what it can do, here’s a primer on what makes the C7 worthy of bearing the ­Corvette flame and the Stingray name. The new LT1 V-8 c­arries over a 6.2-liter displacement and pushrod architecture but nothing else. Direct injection and optimized combustion hike the power to 460 horses while fluffing the torque curve by 50 pound-feet between 2000 and 3500 rpm. Cylinder shutdown and a mega-tall seventh gear in the Tremec manual transmission push EPA highway mileage to 30 mpg (in eco mode). A stout aluminum frame and Michelin tires are now standard for all Corvettes. The C7’s tech arsenal includes an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, aerodynamic lessons learned from racing, manual-transmission rev matching, and a patented means of sensing tire temperature to fine-tune the chassis. Inside, the cockpit is comprehensively upgraded, and the sorry C6 buckets have been replaced with world-class, eight-way-adjustable driver and passenger thrones.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>Modeled after Porsche 911 buckets, these seats don’t hinder your slide into a cockpit that’s aggressively driver oriented. An instrument cluster to make Nintendo jealous, an eight-inch central touch screen, and a sensible mix of control ***** and buttons reside on the action side of a vertical partition. The passenger gets a comfy place to sit, a couple of grab handles, and temperature-control buttons by the right-side vent. While you can splurge for an $8005 full-leather interior package, the $51,995 base Stingray’s dashtop is wrapped with a stitched and grained “protein” vinyl (a blend of  vinyl and silk) good enough to fool a cowhide inspector. Real carbon-fiber accents and a stitched-suede dash-wrap are available options, each of which adds $995 to the sticker. The center half of the instrument cluster is a reconfig­urable screen offering a choice of three tach motifs, navigation pointers, g reports, and other essential information. Even the cheapest surface material inside, a sort of powder-coat black paint, feels upscale.

Check out our Corvette Mega-Hub: C1–C7 tests, history, features, and more!
Our test day’s biggest surprise was a curb weight higher than expected. The Z51 Stingray we weighed at Milford crossed the scales at 3444 pounds, about 100 heavier than a C6 Grand Sport (steel space frame, 436 horsepower, Z06 chassis hardware). Offsetting its comprehensive weight-saving meas­ures, the new Corvette is slightly larger, structurally stiffer, and better equipped than its predecessor. The harsh reality is that every feature and function—heated and vented seats, for instance—adds pounds. The saving grace is that this is the first Corvette with a rearward weight bias (49.4 percent front, 50.6 percent rear).


Triggering the clutch at 3700 rpm drops a torque bomb on the rear tires. It produces beneficial wheelspin as the clairvoyant e-differential balances left- and right-side thrust. Without exploiting launch control, which is handy but beatable, we clocked a best sprint to 60 mph of 3.9 seconds and 12.2 seconds at 117 mph in the quarter-mile. In case you’ve fallen behind on your stat-keeping, this is elite territory: about the same as the outgoing Corvette 427 convertible, a few tenths quicker than the Grand Sport, and faster than any Porsche Boxster or Cayman we’ve tested. The foes to avoid at stoplights are the new Jag F-type packing a supercharged V-8 and the Porsche 911S, both of which smoke the Stingray to 60 and through the quarter-mile by 0.2 to 0.3 second. Continued...





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10 Awesome Things You Need to Know About the C7 Corvette

<small class="post-credits"> July 11, 2013 at 12:45 pm by Andrew Wendler | Photography by James Lipman and The Manufacturer </small>
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<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-117035" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray-202-626x382.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray" width="626" height="382" /&gt;</noscript>

Blending economics and emotion is a tricky business, and when Chevrolet began prepping the new C7 Corvette, it knew the development process would be one of give and take, where even the tiniest decisions could have far-reaching implications for the car. With our first full test of the C7 coming soon, here’s a taste of some of those decisions made real.
As with our “Five Awesome Things You Didn’t Know About the Camaro Z/28” brief from earlier this year, the Corvette C7 information collected here was sourced via official GM channels and by relentlessly pestering anyone even tangentially involved with project. So soak it up, and then go forth and drop knowledge on some fools.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter wp-image-116949" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7)" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-051-626x286.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7)" width="626" height="286" /&gt;</noscript>
1) The C7 marks the first use of a “shape memory alloy wire” in a production vehicle.
To save weight (approximately 1.1 pounds) and reduce complexity, the new Corvette uses a smart material wire to operate a cabin vent in the cargo area that required a motorized actuator on previous models. Triggered by the opening of the hatch, heat generated by an electrical current similar to that of a interior courtesy lamp is used to contract a wire, thereby moving a lever that opens the vent, letting air escape to reduce cabin pressure and make shutting the lid easier. Once the hatch is closed, the current cuts off, the wire returns to its original shape, and a return spring closes the vent to maintain cabin temperature.
GM has earned 247 patents for smart materials such as this over five years of research and development, and it figures there are approximately 200 motorized systems in the typical vehicle that could be replaced with smart materials. Typically made of copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium, smart materials can change their shape, strength, and/or stiffness when acted upon by heat, stress, a magnetic field, or voltage, and return to their original shape when the trigger is deactivated.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-115638" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 VIR" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray-Z51-VIR-02-626x382.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 VIR" width="626" height="382" /&gt;</noscript>
2) The C7 is the first-ever production Corvette with a rear weight bias.
Although Chevrolet claims a straight-up 50/50 weight distribution, our scales demonstrated a rearward weight bias, with 49.4 percent sitting over the front axle and 50.6 to the rear. And, yes, we’re aware the C6.R competition Corvette also tipped the scales to the stern; we’re talking strictly production models.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter wp-image-116951" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Rear Suspension" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-031-626x352.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Rear Suspension" width="626" height="352" /&gt;</noscript>
3) The C7′s eLSD (electronic limited-slip differential) goes from open to full lock in tenths of a second.
Dubbed eLSD in GM speak, the suggestively named diff comes standard with the Z51 Performance Package, and employs a hydraulically actuated clutch that infinitely varies the amount of engagement, going from open to full lock in tenths of a second. Fully integrated with the stability-control and Performance Traction Management systems, the system controls the differential according to an algorithm that factors in vehicle speed, steering input, and throttle position.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-116952" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Brake Rotor and Caliper Chassis" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-035-626x299.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Brake Rotor and Caliper Chassis" width="626" height="299" /&gt;</noscript>
4) Corvettes equipped with an automatic transmission or Z51 Performance Package get functional vents and rear-mounted transmission and differential heat exchangers.
Multiple heat exchangers are a given in this segment. What’s notable about the C7′s are their rear mounting positions, which moves weight rearward and eliminates some of the plumbing (and likely shaves some pounds) in comparison to the C6 pieces. The vent on the driver’s side rear fender directs air over the transmission heat exchanger, while the corresponding vent on the other side directs air over the eLSD cooler. Both exhale the air through aircraft-inspired taillamp vents and outlets in the lower rear fascia.
5) A NASA-developed insulation called Aerogel is used on the transmission tunnel.
Many owners concur that the center tunnel in the C6 can get toasty, and with the C7 now locating the exhaust in an even tighter space, the potential to exacerbate the problem is very real. To combat this, Chevrolet is using insulation made from Aerogel, a material developed by NASA for use in space suits. Considered for years to be the lightest solid material in existence, Aerogel is 99.8 percent air (thereby replacing the liquid portion of a gel with a gas), yet it insulates 39 times better than the best fiberglass. The C7’s tunnel has a 10-mm (0.4-inch) layer of an automotive grade version of the stuff applied to its sides, and another 5 mm (0.2 inch) on top. Hip, style-conscious owners may want to wear vintage space-suit pants whenever possible.
<hr noshade="noshade">

• Comparison Test: 2013 SRT Viper GTS vs. 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
• Official Photos and Info: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray / Z51
• Instrumented Test: 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible

<hr noshade="noshade">6) $50K was the price target from the beginning.

From day one, Chevrolet was eyeing $50K for the C7’s base price. Targets change, but considering the amount of tech (including new seats!) packed into the C7, drawing the final line at $51,995—just $1400 more than the 2013 C6—is more than impressive. It no doubt required some sharp pencils and tough decisions, but it’s difficult to tell where pennies were pinched. Bravo.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-116948" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7)" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-093-626x396.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7)" width="626" height="396" /&gt;</noscript>
7. It’s the 30-mpg supercar.
You may have missed the recent news that the C7 earned an official EPA highway estimate of 29 mpg, and that it will actually return 30 mpg on the highway cycle with Eco mode selected, which enables the small-block V-8′s cylinder-deactivation system. GM claims direct injection, active fuel management, variable valve timing, and an advanced combustion process all help achieve this efficiency. It helps that the Corvette team put in serious work, too: The engine alone underwent more than 10 million hours of computational analysis, including more than 6 million hours on the combustion system.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-116953" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Brake Rotor and Caliper" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-024-e1373516136484-626x536.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Brake Rotor and Caliper" width="626" height="536" /&gt;</noscript>
8. No more cross-drilled rotors.
Equipped with Brembo brakes, the C7 ditches cross-drilled rotors for new discs vented by means of shallow grooves. Race teams were reporting cracking issues with the drilled units, while the new setup also maintains the benefit of better brake feel versus solid rotors, as the gasses don’t push back against the pads.
<noscript>&lt;img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-116950" title="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP" src="http://blog.caranddriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/2014-Chevrolet-Corvette-058-626x414.jpg" alt="2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) Michelin Pilot Super Sport ZP" width="626" height="414" /&gt;</noscript>
9. It wears some pretty special shoes.
Partner Michelin was selected as the OEM supplier for C7 rubber after a tire-company shootout, and it worked directly with the Corvette team for 36 months to create tires for the base car and the Z51 package. Michelin characterizes the resultant Pilot Super Sport ZP footwear as a cross between two of its best models, the PS2 and the PS Cup. The rubber is also among the world’s first street meat to be engineered using the exact same computer models used to create tires for Le Mans and ALMS racers, and incorporates many of the same rubber mixes in its construction.
10. The tires feature asymmetrical sidewalls.
Michelin has employed asymmetrical sidewalls since the first ZR1 run-flat radials, and this technology continues in C7. The inside walls of the tires are 3 mm (0.12 inch) thicker and molded with a stiffer construction to optimize comfort and cornering adhesion characteristics. The new Michelin radials also have 150 different constituents in their tread compounds.

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Damn that's a good looking car. Hope to own one some day

 

I will own it b4 I die! I promised myself!!!

 

Michelin Pilot Super Sports... I thought that tread pattern looked highly familiar. I have Super Sports on the Monte and love them.

A neighbor of mine works for GM and he had a brand new 2014 Stingray (white with red interior) for a few days. I got to sit in it, while it was running, and man what a sick car.

 

NICE!!!

 

This is my DREAM car for sure.

 

 

Very mean looking race ready Vette!

I just was over at the in-laws yesterday and their neighbor has owned a lot of Vettes over the years. His garage is devoted to Vette collectibles. He now owns a 2010 ZR1, Punisher themed.



I was going to take some pictures of it and he told me to get in it and fire it up. I was like....... really? really? no I can't. He said just get in it, but your not driving it . Very awesome feeling siting in it and starting it up. His 2010 ZR1 has plenty of mods (he bought used). I will see if I can find a pic on the old interweb of his Vette.

 

I found photos of the Punisher Themed 2010 ZR1 Vette I was talking about above..... gotto love the old inter-web