2014 Chevrolet Corvette Preview - Detroit Auto Show

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is one of the most anticipated new sports cars, riding on an all-new platform that breathes life into GM’s halo vehicle.  The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray comes in hot on the heels of the introduction of the next-generation SRT Viper at the New York Auto Show, and the C7 Vette is an important piece of Chevrolet’s identity.  In addition to its reputation as an affordable sports coupe and convertible, the C7 Corvette Stingray is intended to help Chevrolet break through to more affluent customers and charm them away from the likes of Porsche and the Nissan GT-R.

What’s New for the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray:

• Completely re-designed platform
• New engine
• Improved aerodynamics
• More upscale interior
• Refreshed styling

New 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Styling and Design

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray maintains the same basic wedge shape that has defined it for the past few decades, but the C6 model’s harder angles are emphasized by a more brutal take on the traditional Corvette styling formula.  The 2014 Corvette Stingray is visually larger than its predecessor, especially when seen from the rear, and its exterior lines are penetrated by vents, exaggerated by spoilers and splitters, and capped by a roofline that wears twin helmet bulges similar to those that have long been a Viper trademark.  It’s hard not to see the influence of recent sports cars like the Viper and the Nissan GT-R in the lines of the Corvette, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does somewhat homogenize the looks of the vehicles operating near the Vette’s predicted price point.

Perhaps most important to Chevrolet’s upscale ambitions is the fact that substantial attention has been paid to improving the Corvette’s interior quality – an area where the vehicle has consistently fallen down in the face of the competition.  A new driver-focused cockpit, swathed in leather and improved plastics, also benefits from unique technologies that further remove the Corvette from the GM parts bin.

New 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: What’s Under the Hood

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray features the new LT1 6.2-liter V-8 engine that is slowly proliferating across the company’s lineup.  Said to be almost completely different than the motor from the C6, the unit is good for 450 horsepower 450 lb-ft of torque and can push the Corvette to 60-mph in less than four seconds, which makes the 2014 model not only the most powerful, but also the fastest base Vette ever offered.  An intriguing surprise can be found on the coupe’s gear shift lever, which indicates seven forward speeds for its standard manual transmission.  The additional cogs – plus cylinder deactivation technology – allow for GM to squeeze as many miles per gallons as possible out of the Corvette, with Chevrolet claiming that the new model will beat the 2013’s 26-mpg highway rating.

New 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: Features and Technology

In addition to its revised motor and transmission, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will also come with available magnetic ride control as well as the option of the Z51 Performance Package, which improves brake cooling, amongst other things.  Inside, a new user-configurable LCD screen improves the connectivity features of the Corvette, and adds a splash of color to the vehicle’s passenger compartment.  New seats with cutouts for harness attachments are also offered with the coupe, and carbon fiber can also be found in abundance.

New 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: What Autobytel Thinks

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a very important model for General Motors, and in addition to being one of its most lauded automobiles it is also under harsher scrutiny than any other Chevy product save for the Volt.  This is because the Corvette wants to play alongside more exotic hardware – including, perhaps, competition from Maranello – and with those pretensions comes the scorn of those who would prefer that the American icon fix its gaze on its own side of the Atlantic.  We have no such prejudice, however, and are happy to see the Corvette continue to reach onward and upward in an effort to expand the appeal of what was already a very potent performance package.