2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe

November 1, 2019

Lindsay Brooke

While I’m among the first media to have driven the mid-engine 2020 Stingray, my time in the car (during the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year judging) was but 45 minutes. A very invigorating 45 minutes.

My Torch Red coupe came with a special feature: Corvette ride-and-handling engineer Mike Hurley, who rode shotgun with me through the Michigan countryside. As we discussed C8 development, Mike schooled me on the magneto-rheological (MR) dampers that underpin the desirable $5,000 Z51 performance package. With three driver-selectable suspension modes – Tour, Sport, Track – the MR dampers deliver a compliant ride in town and plushness on the open road, while transforming the car into a sharp track-day tool. Crossing railroad tracks is no longer torture in a Corvette.

The C8 fits my long, lanky frame and size-12 feet like it was custom made. Low sills make ingress/egress a breeze. This test car was fitted with the $12,000 3LT trim package: interior materials quality and overall fit-and-finish were, to my eye, on par with the Audi e-tron I drove prior to the Corvette.

The driver’s view over the low cowl is broad. With the 495-hp 6.2-L V8 behind you, cabin NVH is stunningly sedate. Punch the right pedal, however, and the quad tailpipes erupt with authority. Thrust is immediate and abundant, Tremec’s new 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifting smoothly. If there is anything not to like about the 2020 Corvette, I’ll need a longer drive to find it.