As America’s longest-running sports car, the 70th anniversary of the fabled two-seater sees the moderately controversial, mid-engined, eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette rendered in some even more ultra-speedy and futuristic guises. Namely, the new 670-horsepower Z06 edition or the brutally fast Corvette E-Ray, a 655-horsepower gas engine/ electric motor hybrid that also has all-wheel drive.
But for summer days spent cruising around town or hitting the curves in Golden Gate Canyon, the slightly more traditional 2023 Corvette Stingray Convertible hits a sweet spot. The C8’s new cab-forward cockpit and long engine compartment still makes it reminiscent of Ferrari’s own mid-engined models, and its hyper-angular nose, body-mounted air scoops, and chiseled flanks evoke a Lamborghini-by-way-of-Bowling-Green-Kentucky kind of experience. Even better, it’s got as much as 495 horsepower from a naturally aspirated, small-block 6.2-liter V8.
Operating the retracting hardtop roof is a snap, too, though its Rube Goldberg-styled mix of motors, wheels, and pulleys doing the work is a piece of mechanical wonderment. And with shock-and-awe features like a rectangular steering wheel plus a very long and tall bar of electronic controls separating you from your passenger, this is definitely a new era for the ’Vette. Pricing starts at $64,500.
The Stats
194 mph top speed
2.9 seconds from 0-60
495 horsepower (with Z51 package)
