The 2014 Corvette Stingray is earning accolades from auto journalists, though many purists are still not sure about those boxy tail lights.
Automobile Magazine has announced its Automobile of the Year Award winner – the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. Also called the C7 (it’s the seventh generation of Corvette designs), the latest ‘Vette is being lauded as Chevy’s comeback kid, reflecting a renewed energy emerging from the company’s 2009 bankruptcy.
Unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, the Stingray is named for the 1957 racing concept car that won the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) National Championship in 1960, and is the first to bear the Stingray name since the 1976 third generation model. The first ever 2014 production model was rumored to have been auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, and we’re told that it subsequently was bought by NASCAR’s Rick Hendrick for a mind-blowing $1,050,000. Of course, that particular car surely boasts all the non-standard bells and whistles.
As for us more common folk, the new Stingray starts at a still pricey but far more manageable $51,000. It boasts a 6.2-liter, V8 with 450-horsepower, 450 pound-feet of torque and a seven-speed manual transmission. It’s also 90 pounds lighter than its predecessor, the C6, thanks to carbon fiber used on even the base trim level. The interior is getting rave reviews, though purists are still not sold on the boxier tail lights that replace the model’s trademark rounded tail lights.
Automobile Magazine isn’t the only publication enamored with the Stingray. The car also won Road and Track‘s Performance Car of the Year award. Do you agree, or should another 2014 ride have taken the honors? Post your thoughts on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.
