06:29AM - 29.12.'13
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News Source: autoblog.com
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About 20 seconds, and 30 miles per hour. These are, if not the most heart-thumping statistics you need to know before continuing to read the rest of this review, the most pertinent to get out of the way. What are they? The amount of time it takes, according to our stopwatches, for the power-operated fabric roof to hide itself entirely inside the bodywork of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible, and the maximum speed at which that action can be performed. Because, of course, when piloting a brand-new Chevy Corvette Convertible for the very first time, there is absolutely no reason the top should be up. It's cold outside? Fine, blast some heat. It's raining? No problem; once you're moving at speed, the showering blast from above will be obliterated by the car's own jetstream. Snowing? For heaven's sake, either put on some appropriately wide winter tires or park the 'Vette in the garage and take the Cruze, you big baby. And so it was that I layered on a second hoodie, slipped on my sunglasses and plopped myself inside the new-for-2014 Corvette Convertible. First thing's first; the top must go down. Just 20 seconds later, I was ready to continue, the sound of 6.2 liters of American V8 muscle filling the open-topped cabin, a sinewy stretch of roadway near Palm Springs, California, spread out ahead. As I drove off through the boring stretch of city toward the mountains that were my destination, I couldn't help but notice how many people stop and stare at a bright blue Corvette Convertible. If you're an introvert, this is not the supercar for you. Much has been said about how the new Corvette looks, and to all of that I'll add that the angularity of its sharply creased lines are not spoiled by the removal of its top. There's an overall exaggerated wedge shape that starts low ahead of the front wheels and slowly rises to the car's fat and flat rear haunches. The bodysides are much more defined than the previous generation, highlighted by the slash-like front fender vents that match the heat extractors atop the hood. Other details worth pointing out are the headlights and their LED-lit clusters, the taillights' deep internal recesses, the four shotgun-shaped exhaust tips peaking out the rear valence and the highly stylized Corvette insignia that was redesigned for this seventh-generation sports car. As with previous Corvette designs since the third-generation model appeared in 1968, there are massive peaked fenders that do somewhat obstruct the driver's view out of the windshield while looking quite aggressive. There are bits that look like mini headrests behind the actual headrests of the seats, which helps to visually break up the flat surface of the piece that covers over the convertible top in its stowed position. Whether or not the convertible is actually better- or worse-looking than its hardtop counterpart is a matter of preference, of course, but my personal eyes prefer the hardtop in appearance. I prefer the convertible, however, from behind the wheel. |
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