Corvettes have been the epitome of American sports cars which can be driven to office. The Corvette Stingray has always been a special car and the latest Stingray launched by Chevrolet is claimed to be the fastest yet. The car is mid-engined with a rear weight bias.
The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray comes in two packages, the standard car and the one with the Z51 performance package. Not that there is much of a difference in performance of the two. Both the cars are are powered by Chevrolet’s small block V8 engine, the LT2. It is the only naturally aspirated V8 engine in its segment. The LT 2 is a 6.2 litre petrol engine producing 495 HP of power and 637 N-m of torque. This power and torque without the Z51 package allows a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.0 seconds while it pushes the car to cover the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds with a speed of 123 mph (197 km/h). When fitted with a Z51 performance package, the acceleration increase to a 0-60 mph time of 2.9 seconds while the quarter mile is covered in 11.2 seconds with a terminal speed of 121 mph (194 km/h).
The LT 2 has a dry sump with three lubricating stripping pumps making the car ready for track. The dry sump provides exceptional engine performance even at lateral acceleration levels exceeding 1g in all directions. The LT2’s pan-mounted oil filter and cooler assembly has cored oil and coolant passages, allowing for a 25 percent increase in cooling capacity over the LT1. In addition, the engine breathes through low restriction intake and exhaust systems. Further, the camshaft has 14mm gross lift on the intake and exhaust with an increased duration for both profiles, which helps the combustion system take advantage of the extra flow capacity.
Adding to the performance of the car is the eight-speed double clutch transmission system. The wet clutches in the system run moist and not submerged thus improving the performance. The clutches are opened by springs and closed by hydraulic pressure. The DCT better supports the Stingray’s new mid-engine architecture and desired performance. The DCT aids vehicle performance with a very low center of gravity. It enables desired weight distribution and offers maximum traction under acceleration. It is a highly integrated system, as it houses the differential, final drive, controls system, sensors, lubrication and cooling hardware in one. The standard Stingray has a mechanical limited slip differential for providing straight line acceleration and dynamic handling. In the Z51 package this mechanical limited slip differential is replaced with and electronic one.
The transmission has three driving modes: –
- Tour, which moves to the background while driving to provide quiet, smooth shifts for optimal ride comfort.
- Sport mode gives drivers altered up and downshifts for more spirited driving.
- The Track mode maximizes vehicle performance with aggressive gear selection and keeps the engine in its peak performance window at all times.
In addition, the software controlling the gearbox senses the driving style and adjusts the change pattern accordingly. The car also has paddle shifters which can be used to declutch the gear, use the car in manual mode or to select the lowest gear available at any instant for more spirited driving.
The Corvette Stingray can be ordered as a coupe or a convertible.
The Transport Journal 