C8 Corvette First Drive Reveals Sports Car Bar Is Officially Raised
Our editor gets to test a C8 Corvette on public roads and a track, confirming that it’s as good as we hoped it would be.
If it seems like you’ve been waiting forever for the C8 Corvette to finally arrive, well, we get it. We are talking about the most anticipated new sports car in eons, after all. And with every teaser picture or video, our want to drive one only grows stronger. That is, until now. Because our very own editor, Derin Richardson, just got a plethora of wheel time behind every kind of C8 imaginable, both on the road and the track. And he’s posted his full review, complete with tons of awesome pictures and videos, over at our brother site Corvette Forum.
When a car (or anything else really) is hyped to the extent that the C8 has been, you almost expect it to fall short of those expectations. But it certainly looks like that isn’t the case here. Sure, we already know that the new mid-size Corvette is fast in a straight line. But as Richardson found out at a two-day media drive in Las Vegas and Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club, this is a car more well-rounded than most.
Out on the desert roads, Richardson found his luxurious 3LT tester to provide a surprisingly plush ride. “Seriously, this car doesn’t even have MagneRide, yet barreling down the road with potholes and rocks aplenty poses no jolts or uneasiness,” he said. The new dual-clutch transmission proved to be a real gem, too. “The redline shifts are the smoothest high-speed gear changes I’ve ever experienced in a Corvette,” Richardson said. “Or any American car for that matter.”
As nice as the C8 was on public roads, it was arguably better at the track. “As we navigate through the recon lap, the Corvette holds firm around even the tightest of turns and fears absolutely no apex,” Richardson noted. “Despite being capable of a ton of G-forces, I was only comfortable going at a max 1.3 g. The steering is markedly better than any other Corvette I’ve driven under high load. And the feedback I get from the wheel is excellent. This car wants to go where you want to go.”
The new ‘Vette was even better with a Ron Fellow Corvette School track expert behind the wheel. In fact, Richardson notes that they reached 1.4 g and still didn’t break traction. “The grip of this car is simply marvelous. And I can’t stress enough how capable this car is at high speed,” he gushed. “I highly suggest you do a test drive when the C8 becomes publicly available. Seriously. It’s that good.”
Truthfully, these are comforting words. We’ve had sky-high hopes for the C8 as we’ve learned more and more about it. Now, we know that the car is actually as good as GM has been telling us all this time. So, all that we’ve got left to do is go out and buy one. But first, be sure and head over to Corvette Forum to check out Richardson’s entire, in-depth review. Along with all his great pics and videos!
Photos for Chevrolet Forum by Derin Richardson
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