cars marketing manager John Fitzpatrick and communications manager Monte Duran standing by.
Chevrolet sent a team of its top executives to Miami recently, along with a trio of beautiful new Corvette Stingrays, to showcase the latest rendition of the iconic sports car for members of the Southern Automotive Media Association (SAMA).
A record turnout of more than 65 SAMA members showed up at the trendy Barton G’s restaurant in Miami Beach to drive the new version of the Corvette, a car that has become an international classic, and hear Chevrolet’s performance cars marketing manager John Fitzpatrick give a detailed review of the new sports car. He told the group that this is the first Corvette since the early 1970s to warrant wearing the legendary “Stingray” badge.
“We didn’t set out to build a Stingray,” Fitzpatrick said. “We set out to build the greatest Corvette we could. It wasn’t until we got done that we said, ‘Ya know, this really does remind everybody of the ’63 Corvette in terms of not only the look of the car, but how the car feels and how it reacts.’ We thought it was natural to add the Stingray name at that point.”
He added that Chevrolet is “redefining modern performance with this latest Stingray. And only a Corvette with the perfect balance of technology, design and performance can wear the iconic Stingray designation.”
Fitzpatrick also told the crowd that the new Stingray is the most powerful standard Corvette model ever produced, with 455 hp (460 hp with the available performance exhaust system), and that it is the most capable standard Corvette ever, with the high performance Z51-equipped models clocking 0-60 acceleration in 3.8 seconds, running the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 119 mph, achieving an amazing 1.03g in cornering grip and stopping from 60 mph in just 107 feet.
He added that the new Corvette Stingray shares only two parts with the previousgeneration Corvette. It incorporates an allnew frame structure and chassis, a new powertrain and supporting technologies and completely new exterior and interior designs.
Some of the highlights of the new Stingray are:
• An interior of genuine carbon fiber and aluminum trim, hand-wrapped leather materials, dual eight-inch configurable driver/infotainment screens and two new seat choices, each featuring a lightweight magnesium frame for strong support.
• Advanced driver technologies, including a five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors 12 vehicle attributes to fit the driver’s environment and a new sevenspeed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching that anticipates gear selections and matches engine speed for perfect shifts every time.
• An all-new 6.2-liter LT1 V-8 engine that combines advanced technologies, including direct injection, Active Fuel Management, continuously variable valve timing and an advanced combustion system that delivers more power while using less fuel.
• Lightweight materials, including an aluminum frame; carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel on coupes; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminum frame that help shift weight rearward for an optimal 50/50 weight balance.
• A sculpted exterior that features advanced high-intensity discharge and light-emitting diode lighting, with raceproven aerodynamics that balance low drag for efficiency and performance elements for improved stability and track capability.
• An all-new, fully electronic top on the convertible that can be lowered remotely using the key fob and operates at up to 30 mph.
• Track-capable Z51 Performance Package, including an electronic limitedslip differential; dry-sump oiling system; integral brake, differential and transmission cooling; as well as specific wheels, tires, brakes and a unique aero package that improves high-speed stability.
Pricing on the Stingray Coupe starts at $51,995 and on the Convertible at $56,995.
