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SPORTY AMERICAN STYLE Stingray Convertible is a world-beater Comment By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 6:29 AM By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 6:29 AM » Social News This is the softtop version of the new C7, the seventh generation of Chevrolet’s Corvette since the car was born in 1953. Every remake of the ’Vette creates a stir, partly because they arrive so infrequently and partly because of anxiety over how “America’s sport car” will measure up against the rest of the world. Corvette fans cheer its tremendous performance-per-dollar value, while Euro-snobs sneer at its lack of refinement and call it the Plastic Fantastic. (Most Corvette body panels are made of a high-tech resin composite.) In some ways, the Corvette gets more respect overseas — there, it’s an exotic import — than at home, where even General Motors admits it’s the “old man’s sports car.” Baby boom males buy them because a friend of our older brother had one in the ‘60s and we never got over it. The C7, aka the Stingray, is supposed to appeal to younger, hipper drivers, as some of GM’s new Cadillacs and Buicks now do. It’s too soon to say whether buyer age will dip, but it should—this Corvette is a huge step up from the C6. It is more powerful, agile and faster than ever, but easier to drive and more civilized and sophisticated in every way. The interior no longer looks like an early-‘80s bachelor pad, nothing rattles, the ride is smooth and this fat-tired, 460-horsepower supercoupe managed almost 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Our Stingray’s new eight-speed automatic transmission, a $1,750 option, gets some of the credit (or blame) for this particular car’s civility (or docility). Mash the throttle and the slushbox will fire off proper shifts by itself, but in manual mode the paddles on the steering wheel stick slightly and the gear changes could be crisper. (The C7’s standard transmission is a seven-speed manual with dual clutch disks and automatic rev-syncing.) The 6.2-liter LT1 engine seamlessly shuts down half of the cylinders when it’s loafing. At 80 mph on level terrain, the V-8 is turning just 1,650 rpm and operating as a 3.1-liter V-4 — hence the astonishing fuel efficiency. At the car’s top speed of 178 mph, that would likely drop to six or eight MPG. The Corvette now offers five drive modes — Weather, Eco, Tour, Sport and Track — that alter everything from the instruments and the exhaust system to the suspension and how the throttle, steering, transmission, traction control and electronic limited-slip differential behave. The ability to morph from sedate to sporting with the turn of a knob isn’t unusual, but few cars can hit the extremes of the C7. This is especially so for the automatic-transmission convertible, which is stiff and strong enough for the track, yet can amble along on tanning duty in beach traffic without complaint. We left the selector in Sport; Tour made the steering spooky-light. Another radical change is that the C7 now has an aluminum frame that is much more flex-resistant than the old steel girders. Along with the rear-mounted transmission, it helps divvy up the weight equally fore and aft — ideal for a sports car. Along with new rack-and-pinion steering, this may be what makes the C7 feel so much lighter and livelier than the C6. A carbon-fiber hood (and roof, on the hardtop) may help too, by dropping the center of gravity slightly. The C7 debuted as a 2014 model; this convertible is a 2015. The pushbutton, three-layer fabric top can fold and unfold even when the car is moving at up to 30 mph. With the roof down, there isn’t enough turbulence to snatch a hat. With the roof up, rear-quarter visibility is nil, but the wing mirrors and a wide-angle backup camera cover the blind spots fairly well. Too much tire roar comes into the cabin, so the hardtop may be the better touring car. The leather GT seats, however, are supportive and comfortable and there’s plenty of room inside. But pack lightly; the trunk is small. Our $59,000 Stingray Convertible carried about $12,000 in options, and at that price could hold its head up at any country club — or race track. This kind of acceleration, speed, braking, handling, comfort and general drivability from anywhere else costs a whole lot more. America’s new sports car is a fantastic buy and a world-beater. Silvio Calabi reviews the latest from Detroit, Munich, Yokohama, Gothenburg, Crewe, Seoul and wherever else interesting cars are born. Silvio is a member of the International Motor Press Association whose automotive reviews date back to the Reagan administration. He is the former publisher of Speedway Illustrated magazine and an author. Contact him at [email protected]. By Silvio Calabi More Content Now MailTribune.com By Silvio Calabi More Content Now Posted Nov. 3, 2014 at 6:29 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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