Sports car drivers expect snug cockpits, but the previous Corvette seemed
to confuse snug with cramped. Thanks to its stretched wheelbase and increased
width, the new Vette corrects that problem. There's more room to squirm
in the excellent multi-adjustable bucket seats, more room in the footwells
and, at last, a driver's side footrest.
Another significant improvement, in our view, is the return to basic
analog-style instruments in place of the previous liquid-crystal display--easier
to read at a glance, and better looking. The center stack controls--climate
and audio--are nicely marked, with knobs and swtiches big enough for easy
adjusting when the car is moving, and all control locations are logically
arranged.
Climbing in and out of the previous Corvette, with its high door sills,
was a chore. The new car corrects this problem by lowering the sill 3.7
inches and expanding the door openings. It's also easier to get at the
luggage space, and there's more space to get at--enough for the obligatory
two golf bags--thanks in part to the new run-flat tires, which eliminate
the need for a spare.
Standard equipment is plentiful--air conditioning, leather, a very good
sound system, power seats, locks, mirrors and windows, plus a standard
removable roof panel that no longer requires special tools.
Upgrade options include two more performance-oriented shock absorber
packages with automatically adjustable damping, fancier sound systems and
an automatic transmission, but the basic Corvette Coupe, our test subject
here, is basic in name only.
You expect eyeball-flattening performance from a Corvette and that's
what you get. It takes less than 12 seconds to reach 100 mph, and top speed
is just north of 170 mph, almost as fast as the old ZR1.
The handling that goes with all this speed is pure joy--decisive, balanced,
cat-quick and laser-precise. The prime purpose of a sports car is to make
the vehicle an unerring extension of the driver's will, and that's what
the new Corvette delivers, with amazing brakes thrown in for good measure.
In short, wow.
As good as the dynamics are, though--and they are very, very good indeed--we
think the new Corvette's strongest suits are comfort, all-around driveability
and quality. We think that largely because these elements were marginal
in previous Corvettes. Harsh ride quality has been replaced by an up-to-the-minute
blend of firm control and supple response to small bumps and ripples in
the pavement. Thanks to much higher construction quality, squeaks and rattles
have been banished, and the sweeping improvements in the details make the
new Corvette far more useful as an everyday car, as well as an adrenaline
generator.