2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe

The C8 will be remembered as the car that changed the Corvette's script, vaulting it into the 21st century. Yet, with its $64k starting price, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray stays true to its value proposition, offering a supercar performance at sports-car money. The 490 horsepower produced by its V8 engine might not sound like all that much, but with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic and only 3,400 pounds to lug around, it dispatches blistering sprints and handles like a mid-engined thoroughbred should. It can fit a fair amount of luggage, and the Convertible's quick-folding hard-top demands virtually no compromises. The comparable Porsche 911 is far more expensive, and mid-engined supercars at this price are as rare as hen's teeth, so the 'Vette has few rivals. The Porsche Cayman and Boxster are of a similar format and start at the same price, but they're smaller cars, and not even the expensive six-cylinder Cayman GTS can match the Corvette's performance, while the aging Jaguar F-Type has its engine in the front. The Corvette has this market sector all to itself, and it's even better this year, with more options, a special edition, and the gob-smacking new Z06. All that, and the 2024 hybrid E-Ray is just around the corner. There's no stopping the USA's favorite sports car.

The biggest news for the regular 2023 Corvette Stingray Coupe and Convertible range is a new limited-run 70th Anniversary Edition based on the 3LT trim level. It's available in Coupe and Convertible formats and comes in two new paint colors called Carbon Flash Metallic and White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat, with optional exterior striping. It gets special badging, unique wheel designs, and an Edge Red finish for its brake calipers and the coupe's engine cover. Inside, its GT2 leather seats are finished in two-tone Ceramic White (Competition Sports seats are optional), and it comes with a custom luggage set. The cabin gets red stitching throughout, and it has a suede-cloth steering wheel and red seatbelts.

Of course, the incredible new Z06 with its 670-hp high-revving V8 also arrives, but you can read all about that special performance model in its own separate review. As for the regular Corvette trims, they continue as is, but gain more options, getting access to a new Adrenaline Red Dipped interior this year, which decks out almost every surface in the cabin in this color. A Stealth Interior Trim package also becomes available, rendering the cockpit trim in a dark finish. For the exterior, an optional 20-spoke alloy-wheel design with a gloss-black or machine-face finish is now offered, as well as black exhaust tips.

The base price of a new Chevrolet Stingray Coupe increases by nearly 6% this year to $64,500 for the 1LT, followed by the 2LT at $71,800 and the 3LT at $76,450. The Convertible is $7,500 pricier, starting at $72,000 for the 1LT. From there, expect to pay $78,800 for the 2LT drop-top and $83,450 for the 3LT. These prices are MSRP, so you still have to add the $1,395 destination charge to get to the total amount.

The 2LT trim level is the sweet spot in the range, adding to the 1LT must-haves, such as climate-controlled front seats, a premium audio system, navigation, a head-up display, a front parking camera, and blind-spot monitoring, to mention just a few. This makes it an excellent value proposition over the 3LT, which adds mostly trim upgrades and not many additional features. As for the body style, we'd stick to the coupe, as it's lighter and its structure is stiffer. Since it already comes with a removable targa top, the coupe feels airy when the T-top is open and offers most of the joys of open-top motoring without any disadvantages - or the Convertible's $7k premium. The Convertible retains fixed nacelles - also known as flying buttresses - behind the cabin and never really turns into a traditionally fully open cabriolet anyway.

If the mid-engined layout and upcoming E-Ray hybrid didn't have bewildered old-fashioned traditionalists struggle to compose themselves, the exotic cabin will ably drive the point home that this is a Corvette for the modern era. The dashboard is topped by dual digital screens, with a strip of buttons sitting on a dramatic descending bank that slashes the cabin in half as it cordons off the driver's quarters, in no uncertain terms showing who's in charge. It looks exotic and is constructed from high-quality materials, relegating to the history books poorly built Corvette interiors. Many controls are still button-operated, which is a welcome respite from other digital interiors that won't even allow you to change the temperature without having to dive into a digital submenu.

It's quite a stoop to get into the low-slung (sub-50-inch) Corvette, and rear visibility is poor, but at least you have a backup camera and rear parking sensors to ease parking. All trims in both body styles except for the base 1LT Coupe have a digital camera-based rearview mirror that gives you an unobstructed view of the area behind the car. The GT1 sports bucket seats are comfortable and eight-way power-adjustable but feature no heating or ventilation on the 1LT, only on the other trims. Some people might find the overly sporty GT3 buckets in the 3LT a bit severe, especially the taller among us.

You won't lack interior space in the Corvette, and it helps that it's a strict two-seater with no need to make room for a second row, courtesy of the mid-engined layout. It can also be seen as a negative, and 911 owners will point out that you can at least use the Porker's rear seats for small children on the school run. Occupants have plenty of legroom, but tall folks will find that headroom may become marginal - which can be an issue if you track the car and have to wear a helmet. As always, try before you buy.

The Corvette earns plaudits for the way it makes use of its footprint, offering a very useful 8.6 cu-ft of trunk space in the frunk under the hood. There's another cargo area behind the motor when you lift the engine cover, and Chevrolet says it will accept two sets of golf clubs. Cargo nets (2LT and 3LT only) attach to the trunk's side to hold smaller items securely. A collapsible cargo organizer further helps make the most of the frunk. In total, a combined 12.6 cu-ft of trunk volume is available, even in the Convertible, and even with the roof stowed, making the Corvette an extremely practical supercar. This is nearly three times as much as the 911's 4.6-cu-ft frunk. The Coupe's removable targa-top roof panels fit nicely in the rear cargo area (their carry bag costs extra), but be warned that there isn't much left for anything else back there with the panels stowed. In an unlikely turn of events, this means that the Convertible is, in fact, the more practical of the two, allowing you to drop the top and retain full use of the rear luggage area. That might just make it worth that extra $7k for some people.

Interior storage options are average for the class, which is to say, not great. You get a glovebox, but the door pockets are slim, the cupholders small, and the center-console storage bin not as capacious as you might have hoped.

The 1LT's GT1 bucket seats are upholstered in Mulan leather with perforated inserts, and three interior colors are available - Jet Black, Sky Cool Gray, and Adrenaline Red. Competition Sport bucket seats are optionally available and come with Performance Textile upholstery, also exchanging the leather-trimmed steering wheel for one trimmed in microfiber faux suede, at a total cost of $1,690. For $495, the black seatbelts can be exchanged for orange, Natural (brown), Tension Blue, Torch Red, or yellow ones. The 2LT also makes available Napa leather in all of the 1LT's color choices, in addition to Natural, with or without suede inserts, but only in conjunction with either the GT2 ($1,695) or Competition Sport ($1,995) bucket seats. The 2LT also makes these two seat options available separately. Two-tone seats require $695 and are only offered in Sky Cool Gray, Adrenaline Red, and Natural, with the seat centers and headrests in black and the accent color for the bolsters.

The 3LT comes with a huge range of options, all with Napa leather, and with all the available color choices, in addition to Ceramic White with red stitching, Jet Black with Sky Cool Gray inserts, an Adrenaline Red interior with Jet Black seats, and more. It also offers a unique Dipped Napa leather treatment in which nearly every surface in the interior is rendered in the chosen color, as if the interior had been dipped in that color. This option can be had in Adrenaline Red, Natural, and Tension Blue/Twilight Blue. The upper interior is finished in microfiber suede, including the sunvisors, headliner, and pillars. Nearly every surface is covered in Napa leather, including the dashboard and door panels.

The 1LT is the most accessibly priced Corvette, but still comes with a decent number of standard features, including eight-way power GT1 front bucket seats, an electric tilt- and reach-adjustable steering wheel trimmed in leather, and dual-zone climate control. Higher trims add heating and ventilation for the front seats, a heated steering wheel, and selectable driving modes, among others. A set of custom travel bags, Competition Sport bucket seats, and various trim packages are available optionally.

The 12-inch digital gauge cluster is joined by a cloud-connected infotainment system with a center-mounted eight-inch touchscreen, voice recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth audio streaming, in-car apps, and a ten-speaker Bose audio system. Higher up in the range, you get navigation and an upgraded 14-speaker Bose audio system.

The same engine is used for every Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe and Convertible trim level, from 1LT to 3LT - a direct-injected naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 with 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to a single drivetrain configuration throughout the lineup - an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive. With its mid-engined layout and 60.6% of its mass over the rear wheels, launch grip is greatly enhanced, and in terms of the 0-60 sprint, the new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a lot quicker than previous generations of front-engined Corvettes, blitzing this metric in around three seconds, on to a top speed of 194 mph. With the Z51 Performance package specified, a shorter 5.17:1 rear-axle ratio, an electronic limited-slip differential, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires are added, while a performance exhaust system ups outputs to 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. This is enough to see the Corvette dip under the three-second barrier for the 0-60.

The way in which the Chevrolet engineers managed to combine a good old naturally aspirated pushrod V8 and eight-speed dual-clutch in a mid-engined layout will leave you amazed at what can be accomplished with 490 hp. The launch is ferocious, and the transmission snaps through the ratios without hesitation, feeling like a turbocharged McLaren at twice the price, never mind a $64k Corvette. It's no less impressive in the twisties, weightlessly pivoting into corners like only a mid-engine car with the mass concentrated within the wheelbase can, offering a whiff of safety-first understeer, which can instantly be dialed out with more throttle. But the grip limits are so high, so forget about testing the outer reaches of the RWD sports car's handling envelope on public roads. The Z51 package is a must, as it fixes a few flaws. First of all, the standard suspension can be a bit stiff-legged, and the general level of quietness means there isn't much drama in normal driving, unlike its exotic rivals. The Z51's magnetic dampers bring a wonderful calmness to the ride without sacrificing handling, and the two-mode sports exhaust broadcasts the V8's song when you need to hear it. It's well worth the money, particularly because it comes with a small power hike and that LS diff.

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray's mpg figures are about what you'd expect from a sports car. The EPA's city/highway/combined gas mileage estimates are 16/24/19 mpg, very similar to the figures of a V8 F-Type, but heavier than the six-cylinder turbocharged Porsches. With an 18.5-gallon fuel capacity, expect a range of around 352 miles on the combined cycle.

You won't find an NHTSA or IIHS safety review of either the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe or its Convertible sibling, as sports cars aren't usually crash-tested, but its recent redesign, modern safety features, and a brace of airbags should provide peace of mind. The expected ABS, stability control, tire-pressure monitoring, and HD backup camera are all there, but the 1LT has precious few driver assists beyond that - just rear parking sensors and automatic LED headlights are worth mentioning.

The 1LT Convertible and all the other trims also boast a camera-based digital interior rearview mirror. The 2LT adds the missing driver assists, notably blind-spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert, auto-dimming side mirrors, a front-view parking camera, and a head-up display.

In terms of reliability, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe and Convertible are rated as a combined lineup by JD Power, scoring a superb 93 out of 100 for Quality & Reliability. This score is borne out by exemplary recall stats, and the 2023 Corvette has so far not been subject to a single recall. Last year's model was recalled once only for missing rear half-shaft ball bearings. The 2021 model was recalled for the same issue, as well as a malfunctioning airbag light. Even in the very first year of production (2020) of this clean-sheet car, it was recalled only four times - a commendable performance for a completely redesigned car.

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray's basic warranty covers it for three years/36,000 miles, and its drivetrain warranty for five years/60,000 miles. One complimentary maintenance visit is included for the first year.

Chevrolet has managed to translate the most important traditional Corvette styling cues to a mid-engine layout and hasn't forgotten that a Corvette must have a nose, even if there's no engine in there anymore. The snub-nose Italian mid-engined look won't work on the USA's most recognizable sports car. What they've come up with is beautiful to our eyes, if not quite of the proportions we were used to from a Corvette. The long 107.2-inch wheelbase gives the design space to breathe, and there are nods to the past in the raised front fenders and quad taillights. All three trims run on staggered 19/20-inch alloy wheels and have all-LED exterior lighting and sport quad square exhaust outlets. The Coupe has removable targa-top roof panels, and the Convertible has an electrically folding hard top. Its appearance is endlessly customizable, with a choice of engine-compartment trim and lighting, a Stingray R Appearance package with body graphics and a black center hood stripe, a selection of top, fender, and hood stripes in various designs and colors, and a Z51 Performance package-exclusive front splitter and rear spoiler.

The 70th Anniversary Edition comes in White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat or Carbon Flash Metallic paint, and a striping package is optional on this special edition - in Satin Gray with the former paint option and in Satin Black with the latter. The cars have unique dark-finished alloys with a red edge stripe, special badging, and an engine cover and brake calipers finished in Edge Red.

The Corvette trots to the top step of the podium with nary a challenge along the way. Yes, you might get better build quality or fuel economy out of a Porsche, and back seats might have been nice for the kids, but the Corvette is a magnificent tour de force of a mid-engined supercar, yet it's priced among normal sports cars. At around $70k, absolutely nothing touches it for a sense of occasion, and even the hottest 911s this side of a $174k 911 Turbo have no hope of staying with the 'Vette in a 0-60 drag race. The fact that it offers you this kind of performance, delectable mid-engined handling, decent standard features, modern in-car tech, and an exotic, well-built cabin for $100k less than a 911 Turbo is reason enough to celebrate the Corvette Stingray as the best buy in this class.