2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 Coupe Review: Captain American Muscle

If we can dream it, we can build it. It's as simple as that. The American people have been begging for a mid-engined Corvette since Ghostbusters movies were still good, and now that it's here, people seem, well, happy. We'd love to call the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe a supercar, but at the price, it's more of a highly exotic sports car that can keep up with cars three times its price. Corvettes have always had the uncanny ability to do so, and the C8 begs the question as to why you should fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars for something with a European brand name and a check engine light if you can just buy American and get the same level of performance. The 6.2-liter V8 under the hood of the Stingray develops only 490 horsepower, but it still launches the RWD Corvette at lightning speed. The interior is pretty, too. The Stingray Coupe goes up against cars such as the Porsche 911 Carrera, Jaguar F-Type, and even the odd Aston Martin Vantage.

What's the Price of the 2022 Chevy C8 Corvette Stingray Coupe?

Besides the fact that it looks fantastic, goes like Honey Booboo on ice skates down a ski slope, and feels like a proper luxury sports car on the inside, the Corvette's other major party trick is its price. You can have one of these mid-engined beasts for only $60,900. That's the MSRP of the base model 1LT, of course. Stepping up to the 2LT will cost you $68,200, while the 3LT goes on sale for $72,850. These prices exclude the $1,295 destination charge. To put that into perspective, the cheapest Porsche 911 you can buy is the Carrera Coupe, which, for $101,200, offers only 379 hp and 331 lb-ft. Fully loaded, the 3LT can cross the $100k mark.

2022 Corvette Stingray Coupe Exterior

Dimensions

2022 Corvette Stingray Coupe Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

Those used to the handling characteristics of the old front-engined, rear-wheel-drive Corvettes will experience a slight learning curve when stepping into the C8. Placing the engine behind the seats has completely changed the way the Corvette behaves in the corners, and it will take some time, practice, and a few sets of rubber to link your favorite course of corners at the drift track. Once settled behind the wheel, it becomes clear that the C8 Coupe actually likes to show some understeer when pushed hard. To solve this, you'll have to switch off the traction control and stomp on the loud pedal. This allows the C8 Coupe to rotate more. Most will never be able to exploit this car around a track fully, but those who can will appreciate its sharp turn-in and grip levels. If you're serious about taking your 'Vette to the track, then we'd recommend getting the Z51 package, which includes the excellent magnetic ride control suspension system. The standard car can feel stiff at lower speeds, but this upgraded system makes it feel surprisingly comfortable over most road surfaces. Braking feels good, but we do find that it loses feel towards the end of the pedal. There's lots of room for improvement, but that's what the hardcore versions are for.

2022 Corvette Stingray Coupe Interior

2022 Corvette Stingray Coupe Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe A Good Sports Car?

It's hard not to make a big deal out of the fact that you can buy a mid-engined American supercar for only $60,900. Ok, so it's not exactly a supercar by traditional standards, but it sure does perform and look like one. Chevrolet has gone beyond what Americans thought was possible from a domestic car manufacturer: not only has it kept the price of the C8 Chevy Corvette Stringray Coupe down and retained the naturally-aspirated V8, but it has changed the perception of what we thought it meant to drive an American sports car. The C8 Corvette Coupe goes like stink, has a refined and well-built interior, and will cost you half as much as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Coupe. Sure, there are local offerings that deliver more power, but no other American sports car will make you feel this special and involved.

What 2022 Corvette Stingray Coupe Model Should I Buy?

The Corvette Coupe is not the type of car that will get parked in a garage and only driven on special occasions; it's relatively practical and easy to live with on a day-to-day basis, and most owners will use it accordingly. That is why we suggest going with the middle-of-the-range 2LT, which adds many nice-to-haves that new owners will appreciate in the long run. These include integrated navigation, heated and ventilated seats, and a head-up display, all of which go a long way to making a car more liveable in the long run.

2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe Comparisons

2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe vs Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe

The 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe might be the ultimate American sports car, but others offer even more power at little to no extra cost. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Coupe is such an option. The ZL1 starts at $63,000, making it just $2,100 dearer than the C8. What do you get for the extra dough? Well, about 160 more horsepower and two more seats. Don't let the four-seat layout fool you, however: in reality, the Corvette is the more comfortable car to live with, and the ZL1's back seats are best used as extra storage space to supplement its 9.1-cubic-foot trunk. The ZL1 Camaro is a potent track weapon and is massively fast in a straight line, but the Corvette is more fun, offers an immense sense of occasion, and is cheaper.

2022 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe vs Ford Mustang Coupe

What do these two cars have in common? Cheap horsepower. If power is your main concern, and you don't have the bucks to park a new Corvette in your driveway, then the Ford Mustang GT starts to make a lot of sense. This all-American hero offers an impressive 460 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque from its 5.0-liter V8 at a cost of only $36,285. At around $79 per horsepower, it beats the $124-per-pony figure of the Corvette. The Mustang is also a more practical daily driver with its 13.5-cubic-foot trunk. That low asking price makes itself known in specific areas, though: the interior is filled with cheap plastics, and the infotainment system isn't the greatest. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for, and if it's cheap power you're after, you can't go wrong with the Mustang, but we'll always go for the Corvette if the bucks are there.