Automatic log didn’t have the best luck with Corvette. It Snowfall during Stocksdale’s time with C8, Riswick decided for some reason Drive up Mount St. Helensand Ramsey most recently found himself in the middle of a snowy event driving his personal Z06. That I wake up to temperatures below 20 degrees and snowfall nearly every day the C8 in my driveway seems par for the course.
To make matters a bit worse, the lender didn’t come with winter tires we were promised. One of the wheels was damaged and failed repair, so all seasons have been replaced. That should solve the temperature problem, but not too much of the ice problem. My best bet is a sunny but still chilly Saturday, which is sure to provide hazardous conditions on any surface not exposed to direct sunlight. Welcome to Michigan.
In the clear winter air, the 6.2-liter V8 wakes up with a scream. Even with the exhaust running at its best, Escort ship will not do anything to mend your relationship with your HOA board. It didn’t take long for the small 495hp displacement to enter its signature lethargic idle state, but this stealth machine did not.
Any act of pretending to be anonymous or prolonged indifference will disappear instantly once you hit the road. The engine may be as responsive as that of previous Corvettes, but everything else about the C8 is much more serious. The automatic dual-clutch transmission is lightning quick, as is the front axle’s response to steering input. The latter is no doubt due, at least in part, to the displacement of the engine. Take the weight off the nose and it will move faster.
Quicker is a relative term that is more inherently made in my case by weather conditions. The winding roads west of Ann Arbor can also be covered with a glaze of ice and a half inch of road salt from about mid-January through March. This tends to reward a throttle application-specific approach. However, even careful footwork can cause the C8’s rear end to be damp with roads in this shape.
One benefit of the low-traction environment is that everything happens gradually, and that makes it a little easier to see the limits of a vehicle. Despite the Corvette’s near-neutral balance and its eagerness to respond to driver input, it doesn’t feel jerky. In fact, it’s a perfectly comfortable car to drive fast and a car that’s pleasant to drive slowly.
Even its Sport mode isn’t too overbearing, which is saying something in the context of a performance model. Lots of commuting cars act like angry Chihuahuas on leash as you turn the wheel to Sport. By comparison, Corvette is a well-trained Shepherd. Alert, but not stressful; ready, but not ready. It’s a great balance for a sport car.
And since Corvette uses GMThe latest Magnetic Ride Control suspension, the same is true for the ride. Cracked and sometimes icy roads in southeast Michigan are problematic even in the most remote places luxury carbut the C8’s electronically controlled dampers manage it admirably and don’t suffer from the big-foot syndrome that causes ailments like Ford Mustang Mach first.
The thumping of tires on the asphalt and slight wind scratches on the outer plastic are constant reminders of the Corvette’s reputation as a tough car. supercar. The small block contributes some rough and messy charm, though it took a while to get used to hearing that bark from my shoulder, especially in those surprisingly frequent moments where the experience The experience felt so special that I actually forgot I was piloting an Escort.
The worst thing I have to say about this car is that the V8 is an oddity in this formula. Its relatively low roughness and red outline seem to contradict telepathic transmission and chassis response. Do not misunderstand me; it’s a great engine and it does its job admirably. It just feels oddly old-fashioned in such a radically redefined Corvette. V8 engine spins flat, revs high in Z06 coming soon would be completely at home in this chassis; gee, d’ya for that Chevy’s Engineers know that will go on?
The C8 invites comparisons with many vehicles, but the one I can’t help but return to is 911. Both have rough edges, whether because of hereditary obligation or merely imposed by cost. And while their engines aren’t in the same place, both are capable of delivering phenomenal performance on the go without punishing those who want one badly enough to live with them on a daily basis. And when you feel you’ve reached their full potential, both can Transaction for a more extreme permutation. Unless you’re an avid fan of the hand, choosing between the two can be difficult.
It shouldn’t surprise you at this point that the C8 continues to live up to the hype at launch, but what I see here is proof of the staying power of the new mid-engine formula. A lot of cars impress from the first blush (See: Alfa Romeo 4C) but in the end it is difficult to live together. The flowers of the new Corvette are still as bright and healthy as the day it came out, and with Z06 and Grand Sport E-Ray is still on the horizon, I believe it will not lose its welcome any time soon. We’ll just try and get one next July.
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