Apologies for the lack of blog articles over the last few months whilst I have been away in America and Australia. In the coming weeks I will be writing about some of the car related experiences that I, The Car Spotter had.
I hope you have all had enjoyable summers.
Today I will be writing about my experience in a week old 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray or C7 in Wisconsin, America.
Whilst staying at my aunt’s house in Wisconsin with my cousin, I discovered my uncle had recently taken order of a brand new black Chevrolet Corvette C7 coupe.
Corvette parked in the garage
Side by side with a Mercedes CLA 250
Menacing quad exhausts and race flag logo on the rear of the supercar
Grainy evening shot of the Corvette Stingray and the Mercedes CLA
Being very rare in the UK, this was an exceptional opportunity to experience an American supercar. My uncle asked if I would like to go out for a drive in this American muscle car beast. I didn’t need to be asked twice.
At first glance, the sharp lines and aggressive look of the Corvette make it a striking car. Air intakes in the rear quarter panels, air vents behind the front wheels to allow brake cooling and four exhaust pipes ensure the Corvette is performance orientated whilst looking the part at the same time.
Being a coupe, the hard roof can be physically taken off and placed in the boot but on this occasion it remained on. Interestingly, to open the doors there are no door handles and you must place your hand in the door shut line gap and find the sensor. The door is then released.
Inside, the seating position is very low to the ground and the bonnet stretches out a long way to the front of the car, making it tricky to see the front of the supercar.
The interior is plusher than expected, including leather seats and a huge digital display in the centre console and a lot of technology. The Corvette certainly isn’t a stripped out car and includes all the modern gadgets you would expect in an everyday vehicle such as satellite navigation and digital radio.
Interior picture courtesy of autodealio.com
The 6.2L V8 small block fired into life and we set off onto some long country roads in the heart of Wisconsin – America’s dairyland.
Initially, when the accelerator is gently pushed you can see why the Corvette is an extremely practical supercar. It glides into action and doesn’t feel too menacing. You feel safe and secure in the cabin, front and side visibility is good and with all the modern equipment it is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security.
After driving through some small towns and past many farms, the roads straightened out and there was no traffic around. Upon pressing the accelerator firmly into the floor, I was thrown back into my seat and the colourful, digital speedometer sprang into action.
Being a 7-speed automatic, the gear shifts are taken care of for you and the car changes upwards just shy of 7,000rpm. A second instance of being thrown against my seat occurred only a few seconds after the first one. The power of this American monster could certainly be felt.
To be in such a comfy interior yet have brutal acceleration on tap makes the Corvette a supercar that ticks multiples boxes. The steering is light and paired with the automatic gear changes, it is seamless and easy to drive. Too easy in fact, considering there is 455bhp (339kW) and 460 pound-feet (620Nm) of torque on offer. The quoted 0-60mph time is just 3.7 seconds.
It is often stated that previous Corvettes can accelerate phenomenally but the American’s are yet to understand how to be good at cornering. I can say that the latest version of the Corvette does both very well. Unfortunately I have not experienced any previous Corvette models so cannot make any direct comparisons.
After a few bouts of acceleration, we decided to head towards the Mississippi river, stopping at one of the boat lock and dams.
Parked up at one of the Mississippi river lock and dam spots
There was a boat using the lock system and after watching for a while, we went back to the parked Corvette and followed the Mississippi river upstream, with the river to our right. It wasn’t the brightest of days but the hills and mountains against the river made it a pleasant view from within tis piece of American machinery.
Driving alongside the Mississippi river
We drove back to our starting point following a different route to see how the Corvette responded to some sweeping bends and narrow roads. Despite being in such a country setting some of the roads are not entirely perfect and smooth, the black Corvette took each mile in its stride.
Rear quarter of the Corvette
Front quarter shot of the parked Corvette
The Corvette really is a car that could be driven daily as a gentle cruiser and then taken to a racetrack to be driven hard. The Americans have included a lot of technology and the usability of the car makes it an obvious choice whilst being excellent value for money. The base price for a Chevrolet Corvette is less than $60,000 which is less than £40,000. With import charges and tax you will pay over £60,000 in the UK. Still, the performance figures and aesthetics make it a lot of car for the money when considering most supercars are six figures plus.
I hope you enjoyed the descriptive blog post and pictures of my experience in a Chevrolet Corvette stingray.
What are your thoughts of the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray?
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