New 2024 Chevrolet CORVETTE C8 Coupe (490hp) Super Car Interior and Exterior

We’ve been singing the praises of the C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette since it launched because it brings mid-engine supercar performance to the affordable end of the sports-car spectrum. It costs half as much as more exotic rivals, but in no way are you getting only half the thrills. A naturally aspirated V-8 engine thunders just behind your skull, providing the auditory chills of an exotic sports car. The Vette’s handling is razor-sharp and endlessly rewarding on a twisty back road. Track days are a joy, with confidence-raising handling and massive amounts of power on tap that make blasting out of corners a hoot. When it comes to commuting and road-tripping, the Corvette transforms into a comfortable cruiser with a near-luxury cabin, an agreeable ride, and a surprising amount of cargo capacity. Its dual-purpose personality has earned it yet another 10Best award for 2024. Both a coupe and a convertible model are offered, but even the coupe comes with a lift-off targa top so you always have the option of basking in the sun and feeling the wind in your locks. What more could you ask for? Well, for those who do want to turn things up to the max, there’s always the killer Corvette Z06 (reviewed separately), which does just Chevy is busy introducing the hybrid Corvette E-Ray for 2024, it’s also made some updates to the entry-level Stingray model. Besides three new colors—Riptide Blue, Cacti Green, and Sea Wolf Gray—the Corvette can also be had with new wheel designs and five new racing-stripe colors. Inside, a new pale-green Artemis interior scheme is now available, and all models come with an electronic rear-view mirror that can project a video image from a rear-facing camera. Even the car’s engine bay gets in on the appearance-upgrade fun, with both the coupe and convertible offering optional packages that dress it up. Also new is power operation for the rear hatch, which makes closing up the engine bay easier when you’re done ogling the V-8. Elsewhere, Chevrolet has added a suite of driver-assistance features as standard across the range, which includes automated emergency braking, pedestrian and bicyclist detection, automatic high-beam headlamps, and lane-keeping the engine is behind the passenger compartment instead of in front of it, it remains the familiar pushrod V-8, making 490 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. With the dual-mode performance exhaust that is part of the Z51 package, it makes 495 horsepower. The Z51 option also adds an electronic limited-slip rear differential, more aggressive brakes, and summer tires. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (a Corvette first) is the sole transmission. It is controlled by a push-button gear selector on the center console or two large steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. A manual transmission is not available. In our testing, we recorded a 60-mph time of 2.8 seconds, and the quarter-mile passes in 11.2 seconds at 122 mph in a car equipped with the Z51 performance package and the optional FE4 magnetorheological dampers. We managed a braking distance of 149 feet from 70 mph and recorded g’s on the skidpad. Even in base form, however, the new Corvette is capable of heroic handling and mega mid-engine C8 Corvette remains a pure two-seater, and the futuristic interior comes lined with materials such as leather, real metal trim, and imitation suede; it even has a fancy stitched headliner. Speaking of the roof, it’s removable on the coupe—one person can wrestle it off—just like with previous Corvettes, and it fits inside the trunk just aft of the engine compartment. The driver sits behind a squared-off steering wheel and a reconfigurable gauge display; a large infotainment touchscreen is angled toward the driver for ease of use. The interior design takes the driver-focused concept to the max, bisecting the cockpit with a tall bank of switches for the car’s climate-control system located on top of a wall-like separator between the driver and passenger. Opting for the top 3LT package gets you upgraded materials, such as sewn leather on most interior surfaces, plus carbon-fiber trim. The Corvette’s two trunk areas, one in the nose and the other behind the engine, offer a total of 13 cubic feet of storage space. Chevrolet says the Corvette can fit two sets of golf clubs stacked on top of each other in the rear compartment. In our testing, we were able to fit our set of clubs easily, so Chevy’s claim seems valid. When it came time to see if there was room for our carry-on-size suitcases, we were able to fit one in the Corvette’s front trunk and two in the rear compartment.