Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Review

The C8 is the most consequential American car in twenty years, because it delivered mid-engined packaging and sub three second acceleration at a price that nothing in Europe could answer. The 6.2 litre pushrod V8 sits behind the cabin making 495 horsepower with the performance exhaust, driving a dual-clutch gearbox that is the first automatic-only Corvette and is far better than the manual it replaced. There is still a usable boot behind the engine and another under the nose.

Highway economy is genuinely respectable because the V8 loafs. The compromises are real. The interior is divisive, with a wall of climate buttons running down the passenger divide that reads as a styling gimmick, and early build quality was uneven enough that first year cars carried a run of recalls. Values dropped hard once dealer markups collapsed and supply caught up, so anyone who paid over sticker in 2020 took a bath. None of that undoes the achievement. It is a supercar layout at a sports car price.