Briefly Comparing The C6 And C7 Corvettes

By Jeffery N. Ross, for GM Authority.

Like the 2014 Chevrolet SS and Pontiac G8, it doesn’t take long to realize the improvements made with the 2014 Corvette Stingray over the preceding sixth-generation model. The difference from the sport sedan comparison, is that the Corvette has been around for 60 years, so there’s a lot more history with which to draw from. Even in spite of this, it’s easy to see that the C7 will likely go down as the most complete Corvette to-date.

Hands down the biggest improvement the Corvette has received over its predecessors is the interior with design, comfort and technology that are all vast upgrades over the C6. The standard seats of this Stingray Convertible tester were wrapped in flashy red leather, and were extremely comfortable over the three hours I was strapped in. Even those sitting in the passenger seat received attention as the Corvette now gets a center console grab-handle.

Like the C6, the Stingray offers an optional active exhaust creating beautiful pops and burbles, and the extra power under the hood makes the 460-hp Corvette feel even more competitive than ever against rival sports cars like the Porsche 911. Just as before, the $58,000 Corvette Convertible is a bargain to buy, and even with this loaded up Convertible topping $75,000, it’ll still save a good chunk of change up against anything in its class.

Driving a Corvette 427 Convertible, with its titan of a motor — the 7.0L LS7 — comes close to that of the Corvette Stingray Convertible. Granted, the LS7 remains GM Authority’s favorite Small Block, but the Stingray Convertible shows us a much more complete package with its interior design, and its 6.2L LT1 V8 is a beast in its own right.

In terms of styling, the C5 and C6 ‘Vettes were good-looking cars, but the C7’s exterior is what you really expect from a sports car – bold, exciting and striking. Proving some of the skeptic “purists” wrong, the C7 Stingray got plenty of looks wherever it was parked. And it’s because it looks exotic now. So it’s probably safe to say that for every old curmudgeon poo-pooing the looks of the 2014 Corvette, there are now two or three individuals that would have never considered a Corvette suddenly infatuated with one.