Hennessey Performance performs chassis dyno and acceleration testing on the 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray equipped with the Hennessey HPE650 Supercharged upgrade. Factory options include: Z51 package, 3LT and automatic transmission. This is one of the first TVS2300 supercharger systems available for the new C7 Corvette Stingray. This system will have an EO number and will be 50-states emissions compliant.

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will enter its second model year with some minor changes, according to a leaked order guide.

The guide--via Autoblog--shows that the 2015 Corvette Stingray's biggest mechanical update will be the addition of an eight-speed automatic transmission option, which replaces last year's six-speed automatic. The paddle-shifted transmission was confirmed for non-Z06 2015 Corvettes back in April.

Another significant new option is the ZF1 Appearance Package, which features the body-color spoiler and five-spoke alloy wheels from the Z51 Performance Package without the latter's mechanical upgrades.The previously-revealed Atlantic Design Package and Pacific Design Package will also join the lineup for 2015.

Other new aesthetic options include black and silver valve stems, carbon-fiber badges, and a new Carbon Fiber Ground Effects Package that includes a new front splitter, rocker panels, and a rear spoiler, all made from the lightweight material.

There are also two new exterior colors: Shark Gray Metallic and Daytona Sunrise Orange Metallic. The 2014 model's Cyber Gray Metallic and Lime Rock Green Metallic will not be available on 2015 models. A clear decal kit and rear-fascia protector will help to preserve that new paint.

On the inside, the 2015 Stingray coupe will be available with a suede-quilted headliner, while the convertible will get an optional carbon-fiber tonneau cover. The 2015 Stingray will also be available with GM's OnStar 4G LTE service, which includes a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. Meanwhile, the new Performance Data Recorder will be bundled with navigation.

Notably absent from this order guide are any details on the 2015 Corvette Z06, which admittedly won't arrive in dealerships until calendar-year 2015.

WOODSTOCK, N.Y. — Cabin fever is bad enough. But when you share your extended winter quarters with 8.4 million people, as one does in New York City, it’s no wonder the roommates get a little testy.

For me, a powerful balm for the punishing, depressing, recurring winter finally arrived with an unexpectedly glorious spring weekend in the Catskills, at the wheel of a Corvette convertible.

The timing was perfect, the car nearly so: an open-air version of the formidable new Stingray coupe. Like Olaf, the sun-loving snowman in “Frozen,” the Corvette had me ready to sing a melting, dripping paean to summer. And it was only April.

Rumbling through this artsy upstate village in a Laguna Blue Stingray, I noted that I wasn’t the only one celebrating the sunshine. Owners of convertible Mini Coopers, Mustangs, Miatas and MGs were out in force, almost surely dropping their tops for the first time since autumn.

The Corvette that joined them for a quick tan is simply the best in the nameplate’s 61-year history, not least for its angular, road-strafing Top Gun styling. More than one New Yorker expressed surprise at its near-exotic character, with lines like, “Wow, that’s the new Corvette?”

It wasn’t hard to read between those lines, because I was thinking the same thing: Yes, this is a Corvette. A Corvette that’s not gauche or faintly embarrassing, one that is finally free of the disco-era scent that has clung to the nameplate like a whiff of Paco Rabanne. It’s just a sports car now, as purely capable as a Porsche 911 Carrera S, but at barely half the price.

The styling may be hectic in places, but it works — with the exception perhaps of the four exhaust outlets, packed together like a gaudy quartet of mariachi horns.

The Stingray had already demonstrated the first of its dual natures on the drive up from Brooklyn. Its driver-adjustable magnetic suspension admirably cushioned the ride. With its manual transmission popped into seventh gear — yes, seventh — the 6.2-liter direct-injection V8 loafed at barely 1,100 r.p.m. at 65 miles per hour, returning a no-fooling 30 m.p.g. And that was without dialing up Eco mode, which lets the engine run on four cylinders.

The Stingray’s smartly fitted cloth top tucks away without robbing trunk space. The cargo space isn’t huge, but it’s easily enough for two-person getaways. The roof can open or shut at speeds up to 30 m.p.h. and can be operated by the keyfob as the owner strikes a nonchalant pose outside.

Believe it or not, some otherwise rational car enthusiasts look down on convertibles. Recalling the bad old days of flabby and flexing bodies, these buzz-killers suggest that real men drive coupes, that convertibles are basically for wimps and posers.

But especially for street driving, that worldview is rapidly becoming obsolete. If the Corvette convertible compromises on the coupe’s lusty performance, it’s hard to see it. Corvette engineers designed the coupe and convertible simultaneously, using a lightweight aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber hood like those usually found on far more expensive cars. This seventh-generation convertible is actually stiffer than the previous-generation Corvette coupe with a steel chassis.

Every weak area has been shored up. The structure and precise suspension tuning allowed engineers to use narrower tires, bucking the trend, while still improving the car’s already tenacious roadholding above 1 g in lateral force. The slimmer tires improve the steering and elicit less wandering over rough pavement.

And though this is the Corvette’s first try at electrically assisted steering — a technology that has tripped up other automakers — the engineers nailed it. There’s a pleasing balance between lightness and sensation.

The cabin, too, is worthy of a 195 m.p.h. rocket that starts at $56,995, or $66,080 as tested. Once notoriously flimsy, the standard seats look and feel good, though I’d prefer thicker bolsters for high-force cornering. A handsome gauge cluster features a configurable display, including a bar-graph tachometer that changes color as the redline approaches. That tach, along with navigation, audio and other data, is repeated on the optional head-up display.

One option, the $1,195 multimode exhaust, seems a must-have. The freer-flowing exhaust raises horsepower to 460 and torque to 465 (up five for each), and dials up a burlier V8 soundtrack. Its driver settings include a permanent loud mode for those who like to rumble through sleepy Catskills towns. Not me, of course.

With as much low-range torque as the previous Z06 version — which had a larger 7-liter engine — the Corvette blazes a fast trail: It scoots from zero to 60 m.p.h. in roughly 3.8 seconds and runs a quarter mile in 12 seconds at nearly 120 m.p.h.

But the ’Vette has always put up big numbers. The bigger achievement is the subjective feeling of safe, accessible thrills. The wide-stance Corvette still takes up more lane than a 911. But it feels less like a sweaty bronco that, with one wrong move, might buck its driver into the weeds. On forested roads near the scenic Ashokan Reservoir, this convertible ’Vette let its hair down while wildly mussing the hairstyles of driver and passenger.

The gates between the manual’s gears remain too vague, especially with so many speeds to choose from. But a nifty rev-matching feature predicts shifts and automatically adjusts the throttle for perfectly smooth gear changes. Brembo brakes, 35 percent larger than before, make this the shortest-stopping base Corvette ever.

This Stingray provided more-than-ample thrills without the Z51 package, which for $2,800 adds features like dry-sump engine oiling, a limited-slip differential, a stiffer nonmagnetic suspension and enlarged brakes, wheels and summer tires.

That modern convertibles are more than sun idolaters should be further affirmed by the coming Corvette Z06 droptop. That version’s racetrack handling and roughly 625-horsepower supercharged V8 aim to meet or beat supercars like the $194,000 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet or the $260,000 Ferrari 458 Spider — at a starting price well below $100,000.

That Z06 may put an end, finally, to the nonsense that real enthusiasts don’t drive convertibles.

Just the Facts:

• The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will arrive at dealerships in September and feature some new tweaks, including an orange metallic exterior paint treatment that consumers have been requesting.
• The 2015 Corvette Stingray will get some new options packages, including a ZF1 appearance package that adds the cosmetic elements of the Z51 performance package.
• "Don't expect significant pricing changes," Monte Doran, a Chevrolet spokesman, said.

DETROIT — The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will arrive at dealerships in September and feature some new tweaks, including an orange metallic exterior paint treatment that consumers have been requesting, a GM spokesman told Edmunds.

The 2015 Corvette Stingray will get some new options packages, including a ZF1 appearance package that adds the cosmetic elements of the Z51 performance package.

"Don't expect significant pricing changes," Monte Doran, a Chevrolet spokesman, said.

The base 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe starts at $53,995, including a $995 destination charge.

Dealers will begin accepting orders for the 2015 Corvette Stingray in July. A pricing announcement is expected at that time.

The changes to the 2015 Corvette have been widely reported due to what is being described as a "leaked" dealer order guide circulating on the Internet. But Doran said the guide is "still a work in progress."

However, he was happy to share the highlights of the 2015 Corvette Stingray. All changes apply to both coupe and convertible models, Doran noted.

As previously reported here, the 2015 Corvette adds an eight-speed automatic transmission, along with a new performance data and video-recording system.

For the 2015 model year, Corvette drops two exterior colors — Lime Rock Green Metallic and Cyber Gray Metallic. They are replaced by Shark Gray Metallic and Daytona Sunrise Orange Metallic.

"Consumers have been asking for the orange exterior paint color," Doran said. "Corvette fans are color conscious."

He said an orange exterior paint treatment has not been available for more than a decade on the Corvette.

Chevrolet is also adding some new appearance packages, including the ZF1 appearance package. It bundles 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels and tires, along with a body-color spoiler. The standard car features 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels and tires.
A new carbon-fiber ground effects package adds rockers and a front splitter.

Doran said there are small, but important, touches as well. For 2014, all Corvettes had chrome badges. For the new model year, consumers can pick either chrome badges or "carbon flash" badges with a dark gray look.

The 2015 Corvette Stingray also gets new wheel designs and 4G LTE capability.

Competitors to the Corvette Stingray include the 2014 Audi R8, Porsche 911 and SRT Viper GTS.

Edmunds says: Doran notes that the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is "essentially carryover," except for the addition of the eight-speed automatic transmission. But the new upgrades should add just the right bit of spice to keep consumers flocking into showrooms.

It did it in 1:23.237

It did it in 1:18.841

2015 Corvette Z06 Rated at 650 Horsepower
Supercharged LT4 V-8 engine is the most powerful ever from Chevrolet

DETROIT – The all-new 2015 Corvette Z06 is the most powerful production car ever from General Motors and one of a few production cars available in the United States that delivers more than 600 horsepower.

The Z06's LT4 supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine is SAE-certified at 650 horsepower (485 kW) at 6,400 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque (881 Nm) at 3,600 rpm.

"The LT4 Small Block sets a new benchmark for power and torque at GM," said Steve Kiefer, vice president, GM Powertrain Engineering. "The engine also puts the new Corvette Z06 on par with the most powerful supercars offered in America, while delivering performance with impeccable manners that make it suitable for daily driving."

Compared with other supercar engines, the LT4 is a veritable fountain of low-end torque, producing 457 lb-ft (619 Nm) just off idle and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) by only 2,800 rpm. The V-12-powered Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, for example, produces about 28 percent less torque than the Z06, despite offering about 12 percent more horsepower – and its peak torque isn't achieved until 6,000 rpm. The LT4 maintains 90 percent of its peak torque, or 592 lb-ft (802 Nm), from 2,500 to 5,400 rpm.

The new LT4 engine eclipses the Porsche 911 Turbo S engine's peak power levels by 90 horsepower (67 kW) and 134 lb-ft of torque (182 Nm).

"Torque is the pulling power of an engine and the LT4's abundance of it at every rpm in the engine's speed range helps the 2015 Corvette Z06 accelerate quicker and respond nearly instantaneously," said Jordan Lee, chief engineer for Small Block engines. "It's the very definition of power on demand."

The new Z06 engine produces 40 percent more peak torque (180 lb-ft / 244 Nm) than the previous-generation's 7.0L LS7 engine – and 7.5 percent more than the supercharged 2013 Corvette ZR1's 604 lb-ft (819 Nm). At 3,200 rpm, the new LT4 surpasses the LS7 by 208 lb-ft of torque (252 Nm). On the horsepower side of the graph, the LT4's 650-hp rating is 29 percent greater than the LS7's 505 horsepower (376 kW), and 12 horses more than the ZR1's LS9 engine.

"The new LT4 engine builds on the design strengths of our previous supercharged engine and leverages the technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray – direct injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing – to take Corvette performance to an all-new plateau," said Lee. "Our new, very compact supercharger also helps the engine make power more quickly, and perhaps more importantly, it helps produce more torque earlier in the rpm band."

"It's also worth mentioning that the LT4's supercar performance numbers are achieved with an engine that is nearly the same size as the very compact LT1 engine introduced in the 2014 Corvette Stingray," Lee said. "The power density of the LT4 makes it one of the smallest and lightest 650-hp engines in the industry."

LT4 details
The new LT4 engine is based on the same Gen 5 small block foundation as the Corvette Stingray's LT1 6.2L naturally aspirated engine, incorporating several unique features designed to support its higher output and the greater cylinder pressures created by forced induction, including:
• Rotocast A356T6 aluminum cylinder heads that are stronger and handle heat better than conventional aluminum heads
• Lightweight titanium intake valves
• Machined, forged powder metal steel connecting rods for reduced reciprocating mass
• High 10.0:1 compression ratio – for a forced-induction engine – enhances performance and efficiency and is enabled by direct injection
• Forged aluminum pistons with unique, stronger structure to ensure strength under high cylinder pressures
• Stainless steel exhaust manifolds and an aluminum balancer that are lighter than their LT1 counterparts
• Standard dry-sump oiling system with a dual-pressure-control oil pump.

A new 1.7L supercharger spins at up to 20,000 rpm – 5,000 rpm more than the supercharger on the Corvette ZR1's engine. The rotors are smaller in diameter, which contributes to their higher-rpm capability – and enables them to produce power-enhancing boost earlier in the rpm band. That boost is achieved more efficiently via a more direct discharge port that creates less turbulence, reducing heat and speeding airflow into the engine.

"The Small Block's cam-in-block design heritage has always enabled very high performance and responsiveness in a small, compact package – an attribute amplified by the performance of our new supercharger's design," said Lee.

The LT4 is assembled at the new Performance Build Center at GM's Bowling Green Assembly Plant and at GM's Tonawanda engine plant in New York. It is matched with a standard seven-speed manual transmission or an all-new, paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission built in Toledo, Ohio.

Designed to deliver shift responses on par with the world's best dual-clutch transmissions, it is the first automatic offered in a Z06. It also makes the Z06 one of the few cars this powerful to offer the choice of a conventional manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic.

The 2015 Corvette Z06 goes on sale in early 2015.

Hennessey Performance (HPE) dyno tests its first HPE700 Supercharged C7 Corvette Stingray.

With all of the excitement surrounding the premier LMP1 category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, especially all of its technology, big-name drivers and huge budgets, it’s easy to overlook much of the action happening elsewhere. Another top category worth watching is the competitive world of LMGTE Pro, which features cars much more like the ones you’re likely to see out on the road.

With SRT pulling the Viper out of this year’s Le Mans, the only American contingent competing in the LMGTE Pro category is Corvette Racing, which has brought its new C7.R race car to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time. As the photos show, the team received a very warm welcome upon its arrival.

Two cars are being fielded, the #73 driven by Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Jordan Taylor and the #74 with Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner and Richard Westbrook taking turns behind the wheel. Power in the 2014-spec C7.R comes from a naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 with direct fuel injection and dry sump lubrication.

After the initial round of qualifying yesterday, the #73 C7.R was fourth in the LMGTE Pro standings and 28th overall. The only LMGTE Pro cars ahead of the Corvette was the #51 Ferrari 458 Italia of AF Corse, #97 Aston Martin V8 Vantage of Aston Martin Racing, and the #92 Porsche 911 RSR of Porsche Team Manthey. The #74 C7.R was at the ninth and final spot of the category.

Of course, the first qualifying session was stopped early after accidents, including Loïc Duval’s violent crash in the #1 Audi R18 e-tron quattro, saw only 50 minutes of the originally planned two hours run. The final grid positions for the 82nd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be decided tonight ahead of Saturday’s race. You can stay up to date by visiting our Le Mans dedicated hub.