The star of countless American films, a cultural icon and a milestone in the American automotive industry: we are talking about the Corvette, the seventh generation of which premieres in Detroit this week. Classic Driver takes a sneak preview.
Da ya think I’m sexy? This decades-old Rod Stewart classic seems to be the motto of the Corvette and, once again, the car is in the spotlight, courting applause and admiration. This is the seventh time since 1953 that the automotive diva has launched itself onto the world stage but, today, the Corvette with the internal code name C7 has little to do with its ancestors. Ever since the Chevrolet C5 model introduced a far more European design language, it’s shunned the notoriety of the car’s 70s and 80s persona.
The Corvette C7 aims to be a serious front-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car, now with a re-designed aluminium V8 engine – a 450bhp uprated version of the 6.2-litre unit with variable valve timing, the environmental nicety of cylinder deactivation, and staggering amounts of low-end torque. This is mated to either a six-speed paddleshift auto, or a ground-breaking seven-speed manual gearbox.
Design-wise, it is recognisably still a Corvette, and carries the famous Stingray badge to reinforce its heritage – but we can expect better handling thanks to a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track, along with near-enough 50:50 weight distribution.
Left-hand drive imports are anticipated in the UK later this year, with a price tag just north of £50,000.
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Text: Charis Whitcombe (ClassicDriver)
Photos: Chevrolet
