Matthew DeBord/Business Insider
- Chevrolet now produces four different versions of the seventh-generation Corvette, as well as hardtop, targa, and convertible options.
- I've driven 'em all: the Stingray, the Grand Sport, the Z06, and the ZR1.
- My personal favorite is the Grand Sport.
The Chevrolet Corvette has been in production since 1953. Now on its seventh generation, I like to remind myself that it was the first truly stunning car I ever got a ride in.
It was back in the 1970s, at my grandparents' farm in Ohio. A car-nut friend of the theirs paid a visit — in his 1967 Vette. "Want a ride?" he asked me. He didn't have to ask twice. I still sometimes dream about the thick rumble of the engine and the heavy click of the gearshift.
Thusly influenced, I've made Corvette-driving something of a distinct sub-genre of my car-reviewing here at Business Insider. If we ge a shot as testing a Vette, I don't have to be asked twice.
The seventh-generation of the Corvette is likely the last of its kind: massive V8 engine up front, sending power to the rear wheels. Chevy is expected to make gen eight a mid-engine machine, similar to what Ferrari and McLaren offer in their supercars.
With that in mind, I thought I round up the current Vette stable and run through the lineup's virtues. The bottom line is that Corvette combines insane performance with a great price better than anybody in the car business.
1. Chevy Corvette Stingray: We'll start with the "base" Stingray — Business Insider's first-ever Car of the Year, in 2014. We enjoyed both the seven-speed manual and the eight-speed automatic. Pictured here is the convertible.Matthew DeBord/Business InsiderRead all about the Stingray.The engine is a mighty 6.2-liter V8, making 640 horsepower. The price is a near-ridiculous $55,400 to start.General Motors
Besides naming the seventh-generation Vette our Car of the Year in 2014, it was also the first environment in which I sampled Apple CarPlay.Matthew DeBord/Business Insider
2. Chevy Corvette Grand Sport: On to the Chevy Corvette Grand Sport, here seen as-reviewed in drop-top trim. Sticker price? $85,910. But the base is only about $70,000.Matthew DeBord/BIRead the review.
History lesson: The original Grand Sport Corvettes were created by the car's first chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, in 1963. They were intended to be race cars, designed to run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.Matthew DeBord/BI
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
See Also:
- We drove the $87,000 Jaguar I-Pace to see if it's ready to challenge electric SUVs from Tesla, Mercedes, and Audi — here's the verdict
- I drove a $474,000 Ferrari 812 Superfast to see if the most powerful Ferrari in the world is worth the price tag — here's the verdict
- New York City won over Amazon in its HQ2 quest by claiming the site was 15 minutes from LaGuardia — the worst airport in America
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