2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

The 2021 Chevy Corvette Stingray gets wireless compatibility for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The adaptive suspension is also standard now and you don’t have to go for the Z51 package in order to get that. The Corvette is offered in three different trim levels and starts at an MSRP of $60,995. The pricing of the car is one of the key highlights to make it a better value for your money compared to the rivals. The 2021 Corvette Stingray competes against the likes of the Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe, Audi R8 Coupe, and the Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe.

The 2021 Chevy Corvette Stingray is offered in three trim levels namely 1LT, 2LT, and 3LT. The base 1LT trim starts at an MSRP of $60,995 and offers leather seats, keyless entry with push-button start, a 12-inch digital instrumentation display, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and a 10-speaker Bose audio system as standard. 

The 2LT adds heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a navigation system, 14-speaker Bose audio system, wireless smartphone charging, and a Head-up display. The top-of-the-line 3LT trims add a performance data recorder, a digital rearview camera, suede headliner, and GT2 sport seats. 

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The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is a value for money option for the segment. It offers the same engine for all the trim levels you get. We recommend going with the 2LT trims as it gets all the features that you expect at this price point. The 3LT trim does not justify the extra price as the upgrades are not that big. Instead, you can invest that money to get some optional driver aids and optional packages for extra features.

All the trims of the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray are powered by a 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 engine. The power output also remains the same for all the trim levels. The engine produces 490 horsepower and 465 lb-feet of torque. The engine comes mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The rear-wheel-drive drivetrain makes the package even more fun to drive. The power output of the Chevy Corvette is already among the best at that price if not the best. The aerodynamic design and excellent power-to-weight ratio go really well in the favor of the Chevy Corvette. 

The Chevy Corvette Stingray will not at all disappoint you when it comes to performance. The engine is a powerhouse in the literal sense and Chevy has managed to get good performance from the V8. That shows really well in the acceleration figures of the car. The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette takes only 2.9 seconds to reach from 0 to 60 miles per hour. The acceleration doesn’t slow down there and it completes the quarter-mile run in 11.2 seconds. The best thing about the naturally aspirated engine is that you don’t need to wait for the turbo to kick in. Power is readily available whenever you put your right foot down. 

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray outperforms all its competitors including the ones that cost double the price of the Corvette in outright acceleration. The 2021 Audi R8 Coupe takes the lead in the quarter-mile run. However, Chevy beats the Audi R8 in the 0 to 60 mph sprint. All the cars in the competition perform really well and the difference remains very marginal. 

How well does the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray handle?

You might not expect a sports car by Chevy at this price point to be a great handler. Surprisingly, you are wrong here as the Corvette Stingray has proper sports car handling characteristics. The two-spoke steering wheel is different from any conventional steering wheel design that you see. It is easy to hold and offers great confidence. The steering wheel is precise and responds to the driver inputs real quick. It makes changing lanes a simple task as the car changes lanes quickly even at high speeds. 

The steering wheel is not the only thing that helps the Chevy Corvette Stingray become a great handling car. It also gets adaptive suspension as standard with the 2021 model year. The sporty suspension does not feel floaty and is one of the prime reasons for such great handling. That doesn’t mean the ride gets compromised and Corvette manages a comfortable ride quality even with such stellar handling. The aerodynamic exterior design of the Corvette Stingray also plays a role in enhancing the driving dynamics of the car. 

How good is the braking performance of the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray?

The Chevy Corvette Stingray gets an impressive set of braking hardware to stop the beats. The 2021 Corvette Stingray gets 13.6-inch brake rotors for the front wheels while the rear wheels get 12.6-inch rotors. The brakes perform pretty well on the roads. You get positive feedback from the brake paddle. The braking is good enough to inspire good confidence in the corners which makes it a great choice for the tracks too. The 2021 Corvette takes only 91 feet to come to a complete halt from 60 miles per hour which already qualifies among the best. 

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray takes the least braking distance to stop from 60 mph. The 2021 Audi R8 Coupe and the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe take identical time to stop from the same speed. The 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe takes the longest distance to stop from 60 mph which is not that bad either. All the cars in the comparison impress with their braking performance. 

The Chevy Corvette comes with a massive 6.2L naturally aspirated engine and some serious power figures under the hood. The combination is obviously not a great thing for fuel economy figures. The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray delivers 18 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and a combined fuel economy of 22 mpg. The fuel economy figures can not be considered bad for the segment but is not a great fuel economy either. The Corvette gets an 18.5-gallon fuel tank that can go all the way up to 481 miles on a full tank. 

Although the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray does not offer great fuel efficiency, it is still better than all the other rivals. It also manages to offer the best highway range in the segment. The 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe comes next in terms of fuel efficiency but lacks in fuel tank capacity. The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe offers decent fuel efficiency and the Audi R8 comes at last position. 

The interior of the 2021 Chevy Corvette Stingray is nothing like any other Chevy. It is hands down the best Chevy that you can get in terms of interior quality. Getting in and out of the car requires some effort but once you get inside the cabin, there is nothing to complain about. The sports seats offer generous adjustability options to get the right driving position. Although you sit a bit lower to the dashboard, the visibility at the front is pretty good. We can not say the same about the rear as the rear visibility is quite compromised. 

The dashboard feels premium and way better than any other Chevy model. The 12-inch digital instrumentation display offers pretty good information. Every control in the cabin is tilted towards the driver so that you do not get distracted while driving. There is a long central tunnel in between that separates the driver and the passenger. It gives you the real cocooned feeling on the driver’s seat in literal words. The central tunnel gets a zillion buttons for cabin controls. 

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray offers pretty good space inside the cabin. The cargo area is also the best in its class. It gets a cargo area in both front and rear as the engine is mounted in the middle. The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe is the most spacious coupe for the driver and the passenger. The 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe is the only sports coupe in the segment that comes in a 4-seater configuration at least on paper. Standout infotainment features are:

• 8-way power seats
• Power adjustable leather-wrapped steering wheel
• 12-inch digital instrumentation display
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Cruise control
• Dual-zone automatic climate control

What is there to keep you entertained in the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray?

The 2021 Chevy Corvette does not actually need any infotainment system for entertainment purposes. Just getting behind the wheel of the Corvette is more entertaining than anything else. Still, Chevy offers a good list of options for the infotainment of the Corvette. It gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display that runs the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus system. 

The screen is responsive and user-friendly. The 2021 model year adds wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It also supports Near Field Communication (NFC) that allows you to connect your smartphone to the infotainment system wirelessly. You also get Wi-Fi hotspot capabilities for better connectivity. The music is handled via a 10-speaker Bose audio system that sounds pretty well. Standout infotainment features include:

• An 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Near Field Communication (NFC)
• 10-speaker Bose audio system
• Wi-Fi hotspot capability
• SiriusXM radio

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is nothing less than an eye-turner when you look at it from the outside. You will not recognize it as a Chevy if you hide the Chevrolet badge on the car. The exterior look is one of the major reasons why the Corvette Stingray is so popular. The muscular look of the Corvette might put you into confusion that it is a sports coupe or a muscle car. 

The front gets an elongated headlights design that looks just stunning. The bonnet gets sharp curves going on it that add a sense of drama to the exterior. The same goes for the sides and the rear of the car. The sides get huge air vents on both sides that are helpful in cooling the mid-mounted engine. The sharp curves follow their way to the rear of the car too. You can select the roof to be a carbon-fiber roof or a transparent roof to have an eye on the sky in case it falls down. 

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is the longest car in the segment and also comes with the longest wheelbase. The 2021 Audi R8 Coupe remains the shortest of the lot. The 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe has the shortest wheelbase but is also the widest car in the competition. The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe sits the lowest to the ground and finds its balance in the overall dimensions. Standout exterior features are:

• 20-inch rear wheels and 19-inch front wheels
• LED headlights
• Removable roof panel
• Light-tinted glass
• Heated outside mirrors

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not crash-tested the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray yet. It is tough to comment on the safety of the car with the crash-test ratings. However, safety does not seem to be one of the fortes of the Chevy Corvette. 

Chevy has cut corners in terms of the safety of the Corvette for sure. The standard driver assistance features are not at all impressive and most of the driver aids remain optional. The body of the Chevy Corvette is well-built using high-strength materials like carbon fiber. The safety features include:

• Stability control
• Traction control
• Rear park assist
• Side blind-zone alert
• Rear-cross traffic alert

2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe

The Porsche 911 is one of the most practical Porsche sports cars that you can buy for decades now. The 911 has a good reputation in the sports car territory for the reliability and performance that it offers. The Porsche 911 has been the sports car that has been used as a daily commuter by many enthusiasts for a long time now. The Chevy Corvette is not a new car either and it is hard to defeat the Chevy at the price point that it is offered. 

2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2021 Audi R8 Coupe

The Audi R8 has found its place in the supercar territory for a while now. The evolution in the R8 in the last decade has completely changed the game for the Audi R8. The performance and handling of the R8 are at par with the best in the segment. But the Chevy Corvette offers much of that at a relatively low price. You do not have to compromise that much with the Corvette for the money it saves and it surely does offer more cars for your money.

2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray vs. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe 

The 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe offers a more spacious cabin compared to the Chevy Corvette. The cabin quality of the Merc is hands-down better between the two. However, the Chevy Corvette takes over the Merc in almost every other aspect. The Corvette Stingray is faster, more fuel-efficient, and more affordable than the Mercedes-AMG GT. 

The Chevy Corvette Stingray is one of the rare cars that can be easily recommended to someone who is looking for something similar. The performance from the massive 6.2L V8 is unmatchable even by the sports car that cost double in price. The muscular exterior design is so damn attractive. The interior is also better than the other Chevy out there and it gives you the proper cocooned inside seat experience. The Chevy Corvette offers all that at a relatively affordable price.