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Luke Skywalker drove a Corvette in a movie.
Well not exactly. The actor who plays Skywalker, Mark Hamill, had another movie in the 1970s called Corvette Summer, which is still bouncing around my brain, lighting up my neurons like a pinball machine. What other car has the iconic and street-level credibility to be in the title and drive the story of a Hollywood film?
The answer is none and the Stingray is the most iconic of the bunch.
Every time I see one on the street, I have to stop and admire its lines. I have to look inside to see the stick and the interior including the race-style gages.
But my love affair with the 2021 Corvette Stingray begins with the engineering.
I love the mid-engine configuration because it lets me see it while offering excellent responsiveness and a great driving experience. As a result of where the engine is located, you get rear weight bias, which means your horses are focused on the rear tires, where it should be. And get this — the windshield is positioned over the front wheels, which makes for better downforce than the seventh generation. And you don’t need a front air dam.
Now let’s talk about the retractable hardtop in the 2021 model. What Chevrolet did was create a secure feature that is both quiet and beautiful. According to the dealer, it is available in body color or Carbon Flash, with the hardtop activating at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. If you thought it would eat into cargo space, you would be wrong. And the extra weight — at 77 pounds — is negligible.
Starting with an MSRP of $72,000, this stunning vehicle gets 15 miles per gallon in the city and as much as 27 miles per gallon on the highway. It’s nice to know that such a road beast can compete with some of the US’s economy-designed cars. The 6.2L V8 DI engine is managed with an eight-speed dual clutch transmission that can get you from 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds. So in three blinks of an eye the Stingray blows past its rivals leaving behind a memory of exquisite lines and colors.
The 2021 Stingray is both beautiful on the outside and the inside. It starts with the steering wheel, which is designed for maximum visibility and comfort. The steering wheel has got both a flat-top and flat-bottom and includes large paddle shifters and audio controls. You also can switch Z-mode on from the steering wheel, which allows for a customizable powertrain setting.
The center console is covered, opens with the push of a button and locks when the vehicle is locked. Inside the console, you will find two USB ports and an audio input jack.
Additionally, a locking glove box allows you to store valuables.
This fighter jet-inspired layout puts climate and available heated/ventilated seat controls right at your fingertips and is positioned lower in the cockpit for greater visibility.
The clean appearance of the cockpit-style interior is uninterrupted due to the use of ultra-thin air vents. Boarding for the Corvette Stingray can begin immediately at your local dealership, which has touchless options for this beauty.
If you haven’t noticed already, I keep using the word beauty in this write-up, which brings me back to the movie. By the end of Corvette Summer, Mark Hamill has gotten back his road beauty, leaving us warm and fuzzy inside. Now that is a Hollywood ending I want for myself in 2021.
