Stingray Z51 Convertible

Recently, we were making small talk with a top engineer from an import luxury automaker and asked him what his personal sports car was. We expected him to have some sort of flawlessly crafted über-machine parked in his garage. C63. M3. 911. That kind of thing. Instead, he said he had a Corvette. He paused, perhaps noting our perplexed look. “I love all that torque,” he added in his thickly accented English, using his hand to imitate his foot pressing down on a gas pedal.

Corvette: who knew it was America’s biggest automotive export for guilty pleasure entertainment?

But with the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (“Stingray” is once again part of the Corvette name), there might not be much guilt associated with the pleasure anymore. Oh sure, this redesigned Corvette still has the bonkers V8 power, massive tires, outlandish grip and the “look at me!” styling that makes a Vette a Vette. But Chevrolet has addressed many of the car’s less appealing qualities, at least in the context of other world-class sports cars.

Action item number one: interior quality. This was the previous Corvette’s biggest letdown, and we’re pleased to report it’s gotten the most attention from Chevy’s designers. The materials used are of higher quality, and prominent leather stitching lends a premium vibe. Also improved are the seats, which are more supportive for aggressive driving. Chevy is even offering optional performance seats this time around, which offer even more bolstering. Finally, the overall design is more driver-focused and highlighted by a bigger main touchscreen that supports the brand’s latest MyLink electronics interface.

Further refinement is found in regards to the Corvette Stingray’s mechanical bits. There’s a more rigid body structure now made from aluminum (said to improve crash-worthiness and help with suspension tuning), a carbon-fiber roof and hood, and a revised 6.2-liter V8 engine. That new V8 develops 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, a bit more than before. But new direct fuel-injection technology broadens power throughout the rev range, while cylinder deactivation helps boost fuel economy. A seven-speed manual transmission with automatic rev-matching is new, too.

Add this all up and you’re looking at the most complete and refined Corvette yet. Comparison shopped against the likes of the upcoming BMW M4, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG or Porsche

Boxster or Cayman, the Corvette Stingray promises dominating performance and competitive levels of refinement. It’s also an intriguing alternative to more expensive sports cars like the Nissan GT-R and SRT Viper.

What we have here is finally a Corvette without the apologies. And we’re pretty sure that translates quite easily into any language.