Ace of Base: 2019 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

This post is not to insinuate the base trim Corvette is the best of its range. It isn’t. In a family that includes a 650 hp supercharged sibling and an even more bonkers 755 hp bewinged brother, a naturally-aspirated coupe making 455 horses suddenly starts to look like the litter’s runt. What a time to be a gearhead.

No, this post is meant to ascertain just how good the $55,495 entry-level Stingray stands on its own merits. It’s often said the Corvette is one of the best American performance bargains on the market. Can a no-frills example nudge the Ace of Base meter? Let’s find out.

When the C7 showed up at the Detroit Auto Show in 2013, it was clear Ed Welburn and company set out to give longtime Corvette fans a collective coronary. Taking inspiration from the fifth-gen Camaro and its square butt, the car’s new angular tail lights caused plenty of consternation. Some corners of the internet ranted and generally frothed, while others quietly tut-tutted into their tea. The company responded by selling double the number of Corvettes it did the previous year.

Base Stingrays, dubbed the 1LT in the mesmerizing hierarchy of trims-within-trims, are bloody well-equipped. Under the hood is the hand-of-God 6.2-liter V8, cranking out 455 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. Chevy says the car can scamper to 60 mph from rest in under four seconds. The vaunted Ferrari F40, whose sticker price when new was $417,000 before market adjustments, was no faster to sixty. It made about the same amount of horsepower, too.

An aluminum frame with composite underbody panels contribute to a near 50/50 weight distribution. A removable roof panel lets in the elements. Standard equipment to stir the gears is a seven-speed manual transmission, a unit which includes an active rev matching system, meaning your friends will think you can shift like Schumacher. In an age of whip-smart technology, the eight-speed paddle shift automatic reportedly hustles the Vette down the quarter-mile faster than the stick. Brembo branded brakes haul the Stingray to a stop.

Chevy was keen to bin all references too good “for a Corvette” when it came to the interior. It ditched the Barcaloungers found in the old model, installing new leather-appointed “GT” buckets that are powered eight ways for both the driver and passenger. Infotainment is housed in an 8-inch screen, with Bose branded speakers and smartphone integration through CarPlay and Android Auto. A flat-bottomed steering wheel twirls the electric power steering and rests at the end of a column that adjusts for reach and rake.

Any number of eye-popping colors are on offer for no extra charge, in addition to snazzy hues for the interior buckets. Admiral Blue Metallic looks especially tasty but any sort of extra exterior frippery will dent your wallet.

Stickered in the mid-50s, the Stingray represents one of the most complete performance packages for the money on sale in America today. Given 50 percent more cash, I’d obviously pop for the Z06. With 100 percent more scratch, I’d clearly get the ZR1. There are even a few options on the base Stingray I’d be hard pressed to pass up. But if my budget for a toy is in the range of the new pickup of which I just took delivery, I’m headed straight to a Chevy store.

[Image: General Motors]

Not every base model has aced it. The ones which have? They help make the automotive landscape a lot better. Any others you can think of, B&B? Let us know in the comments. Naturally, feel free to eviscerate our selection.

The model above is shown in American dollars with American options and trim, absent of destination charges and available rebates. As always, your dealer may sell for less.

Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • John Boschen John Boschen on May 10, 2018

    I love all these comments about the Corvette some seem to stem from lack of knowledge some seem to stem from let's just say being jealous of not ever having one but then most of them come from guys who actually have owned a Corvette and love them. No matter what the reasoning behind a person's opinion of the Corvette it must be said that it is an exceptional sports car that usually has more power than it needs and is nothing more than a personal toy! That is the whole idea! Corvettes hold the record as being the longest running automobile brandishing the same name and same automaker! A lot has to be said for that! I have owned plenty of muscle cars and muscle trucks however I have never owned a Corvette I think I missed the boat with that as now I have become to Ill to keep up with getting in and out of one but if that wasn't the case I would run right out and pick up a Corvette!

  • Edsel Maserati Edsel Maserati on May 22, 2018

    The 460-hp C7 with the Z-51 option and a manual was the best Vette I've ever driven. I took one out on twisties in New England and it went through those turns beautifully. The only reservation I had was the open-pipes exhaust sound at high revs; when you passed someone, you were truly sticking it to them with that racket. I wondered if the people I was passing were calling up the police. I haven't driven the current 650-horse Z06. Given the rapidity of the base car, that power seems superfluous (unless you're drag racing). I'd always wondering if I'd be getting sideways. My previous favorite Vette was the C6 Z06 with the 427-incher making 505 HP. The sound of a full 427 at full roar is just chilling. The handling of the current Z-51 is at a much higher plane. I mean, it's still not an elegant car -- it's brawny and rough. But man I like it.

  • Wolfwagen Is it me or have auto shows just turned to meh? To me, there isn't much excitement anymore. it's like we have hit a second malaise era. Every new vehicle is some cookie-cutter CUV. No cutting-edge designs. No talk of any great powertrains, or technological achievements. It's sort of expected with the push to EVs but there is no news on that front either. No new battery tech, no new charging tech. Nothing.
  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
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