M/T: Corvette C7 retrospective as we look toward the C8
Re: M/T: Corvette C7 retrospective as we look toward the C8
That Grand Sport is such a delightfully winning formula, even though the uninitiated would be like "Bah, $90k for only 460 hp??"
A few months later, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette Grand Sport to satisfy buyers who wanted Z06 handling but didn't necessarily want to pay for Z06 power. And when we finally took one to the test track, we were surprised to see it do exactly that. The 460-hp Grand Sport with a manual transmission ran the figure-eight in 22.3 seconds, tying with the 650-hp Z06. And even though the Porsche 918 Spyder, and Dodge Viper ACR posted quicker times, the Grand Sport proved to be the fastest sub-$100,000 car we'd ever tested.
"For $92,060 in the case of the manual or $92,385 for the automatic, the Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport delivers world-class performance without forcing you to sell your firstborn," we wrote. "You might still have to rent them out occasionally, but that's none of our business. If handling is your primary motivator, you definitely want to go ahead with the manual. Numbers don't lie."
For all of the Camaro vs Mustang rivalries, the 911 was WAAAY more expensive than the Corvette. Don't forget that.For decades, we've pitted Corvettes against 911s. Due to the difference in base price, it's not quite as fierce a rivalry as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, but it's pretty heated. This time around, we put the Corvette Grand Sport up against the 911 Carrera S. On paper, you had 460 hp versus 420 hp. But there was more at stake here: Front-mid-engine versus rear-engine. America versus Germany. And surprisingly, at the end of the day, there was still no clear winner. "I think that the issue of which one of these two cars is better partly comes down to a head-versus-heart battle," Jonny Lieberman wrote. "Logically speaking, I think the 911 makes great sense and would easily satisfy all of my everyday needs. The only problem is that I'd be daydreaming of driving the Grand Sport while I'm out grocery shopping in the Porsche."
To break the tie, we set Randy Pobst loose on Big Willow to see which sports car could turn the fastest lap. With a 0.82-second lead, the Corvette Grand Sport eeked out a win.
All of that is why Grand Sport.How do you follow up a big win in a comparison test? For the Corvette Grand Sport, it was the 2017 Best Driver's Car competition. And the list of much-more-expensive cars it beat was impressive. When the final votes were tallied, the Corvette ranked ahead of the Aston Martin DB11, McLaren 570GT, and the Lexus LC 500. But due in part to a comparative lack of power, it wasn't quite impressive enough to earn a podium finish. It placed 7th.
As Jonny put it, "Uphill: Needs 100 extra horsepower! What a weird feeling, but 460 hp felt slow. Downhill, the Grand Sport comes alive. It has wonderful handling, enormous stopping ability, and tremendous grip. It's a car you can trust. Graceful even, the ballerina of the group. It's very impressive. It just needs some extra zip. I wish Chevy could come up with an engine solution in between the LT1 and LT4—a naturally aspirated V-8 that makes 550 horsepower. If that were the case, the Grand Sport might have placed higher. Like, a lot higher."
Re: M/T: Corvette C7 retrospective as we look toward the C8
As you read through it, there is a clear narrative building justifying why the C8 is mid-engine. Even though the ZR1 was actually pretty good.
Last October, we staged another comparison test between a Corvette and a Porsche 911. This time around, however, it wasn't Grand Sport versus Carrera S. It was the 755-hp ZR1 versus the 691-hp GT2 RS. And with nearly 1,500 hp between the two of them, we knew we had to call in Randy Pobst to make sure we got the best out of both of these rear-wheel-drive beasts. In the end, unless you're all about machismo, the ZR1 couldn't quite impress Randy enough to win the day.
"What I see in the Corvette ZR1 is potential; what I feel is frustration," he wrote at the time. "The car is outrageously good at so much and comes tantalizingly close to providing supercar performance. Just find the secret to calming that hyperactive rear end in the lower gears, switch back to the Z06 brake pedal, and you're there, Chevrolet, at a relatively bargain-basement price for performance, complete with your own muscular, extroverted style."
Re: M/T: Corvette C7 retrospective as we look toward the C8
Another take is that Corvette whittled away at perfection over the years. The C7 represented by far the most well rounded Corvette ever. Even like a base Stingray is a good car.