Chevrolet Corvette. Heretic

Chevrolet Corvette. Price: not determined. Sales start: It will not be sold

The screech of tires breaking into a spin echoed loudly over the empty asphalt. The snow-white coupe darted forward like a shot. Easy, colleague, I'm recording! I diligently capture on a voice recorder the first emotions from the luxurious Chevrolet Corvette, which GM is in no hurry to bring to Russia. But we still hope and believe

The tire squeal faded. It's hard to imagine how much effort my colleague behind the wheel of the Corvette needed to quell the adrenaline rush. Soon I myself realized how difficult it is to keep emotions in check behind the wheel of this car — a true Automobile with the biggest capital letter. The Paul Ricard racing track, where the navigator leads us, is just a couple of dozen kilometers from Marseille. We need to arrive there by the appointed time: the organizers intended that it would be on the track that we fully enjoy the car and feel the driving madness of the revs. Knowing that "there" we are waiting for pleasure of a completely different kind, we, as far as road conditions allow, delay our arrival at the destination.

The city quickly remained behind, dissolving in the historical purity and modern elegance of the new Corvette's lines. Reflections of houses and snow-white yachts ran across the sloping fenders of the two-seater coupe, the Mediterranean breeze ruffled the flags on the emblem, 19-inch wheels counted the last kilometers of the metropolis. Under approving-envious glances — and Marseille seemed to focus all the attention of the locals on our car — we leave the hospitable city.

And now the Chevrolet Corvette, like the Count of Monte Cristo, who escaped from the dungeons of the Château d'If, carefully screws upward along the picturesque serpentine. The car constantly provokes active driving, and only common sense and the abundance of wreaths on the barriers restrain the desire to press the gas. The human mind still defeats technical genius: the new 6.2-liter engine produces 437 hp and a truly crazy torque of 586 Nm. I don't want to think about dynamics — the road with treacherous turns is not conducive to testing the claimed 4.6 seconds to a hundred. We have to take the creators at their word. And we crawl at an average speed of fifty pathetic kilometers per hour in a car for which 300 km/h is not the limit. Thanks to the 6-speed automatic, the Corvette obediently endures such abuse, quietly shifting first-second gears and calmly swallowing road imperfections with the suspension. Only the tight but very understandable steering wheel in corners reminds of the sports purpose.

After slow ordeals, the multi-lane highway seems like a saving grace: the adrenaline stagnant in the arteries makes itself felt. Spurred by the stiff and informative gas pedal, the car rushes with acceleration to where its capabilities will definitely be appreciated. The feeling of speed almost instantly gives way to a sense of boundless freedom. I slightly miscalculated the effort — and the speedometer already shows 200 km/h. This figure is projected onto the windshield, which can at least somewhat temper the driver's ardor, without bringing the matter to a police investigation.

The entrance to Paul Ricard grew on the horizon faster than expected. Here the Corvette will easily splash out the energy accumulated under the hood. The asphalt of the autodrome still retains the warmth of Formula tires — until 1990, cars regularly polished the track with rubber here, and then the track became a training one. The restrictions inspired by traffic rules are removed, and instead of a "judge" dressed in police uniform, all your actions are strictly controlled by the instructor sitting on the right. He will introduce you to the track, help with a kind word, and analyze mistakes. But he won't allow liberties. All corner passages are agreed upon in advance: how, in which gear, at what speed. Ready? Go!

On the track — only cars with manual transmission. The powerful engine picks up right from idle. Stretched gear ratios allow the Corvette to accelerate to a hundred in second with reserve (and sixth on the straight can be easily engaged already at 70 km/h almost without loss of dynamics). It seems there is no error in the acceleration seconds. At least, judging by the force with which you are pressed into the contoured leather seat during acceleration. Dynamic extravaganza!

On the track, the Corvette goes smoothly and clearly, as if anticipating the driver's actions. The car responds vividly to small steering deviations: according to the developers, the steering of the new model has become more precise and responsive compared to its predecessor. A slight drift of the front wheels in a sharp turn is quickly leveled by the stability control system. Slow down! And on the next lap, you'll pass the coveted arc without flying off onto the safety lane. With the instructor's parting words, the second attempt at the same goal was easier. And be more careful with the brakes! The force on the pedal must be carefully dosed: the braking efficiency is so great that at first you have to hang on the belts more often than you'd like.

But all good things come to an end. Our impression-filled visit to Paul Ricard has also ended. As the acquaintance with the Chevrolet Corvette showed, the car really does not fit into the model concept of General Motors, therefore it is perceived and positioned by the concern itself as a separate brand. This is indirectly confirmed by the words of employees of the Russian representative office of GM that a couple of hundred cars sold per year are not worth certifying the model, preparing separate showrooms and service stations for it. However, heretics were persecuted in former times too…

Racing Brothers

Four championship titles in the American ALMS series and 38 wins in races on both sides of the ocean, three of which were won in the legendary "24 Hours of Le Mans" marathon — such is the result of the performances of the racing brothers Corvette C6 in the 21st century. Although the Corvette collected most of its awards in the USA, the brand also has something to boast about in European races. The C5R first appeared on the tracks of the international FIA GT championship in 2005 — a year after its first victory at Le Mans. Despite its 590-horsepower engine, neither the C5R nor the C6R, which appeared a year later, could compete in pure power and speed on straights with the recognized leaders of the GT1 class: Maserati MC12, Ferrari 550, and Aston Martin DBR9. But the racing Corvettes were distinguished by enviable handling and efficiency. Where more powerful competitors had to make three refuelings per race, the Corvette sometimes managed with two. Corvette drivers also gained some advantage due to better cabin ventilation, which is especially important during hot Asian races. And the combination of a stiff suspension and a significantly larger ground clearance than, say, the Maserati MC12, gave the Corvette the opportunity to attack high curbs of old European tracks in the "esses". These trump cards allowed the Corvette to harvest five wins at FIA GT stages over the past three seasons, including the famous 24-hour marathon "24 Hours of Spa".

Driving
The powerful engine and hurricane dynamics have long been the key to the success of this model. Cars of recent generations are also famous for their refined handling.

Interior
Egoistically 2-seater, with quality materials and clear ergonomics.

Comfort
No worse than in business-class cars. Climate control and MP3 player are standard, and a navigation system can be installed optionally.

Safety
Commensurate with capabilities.

Price
Not determined.


Advantages and disadvantages

+ Enviable dynamic properties, engine power and steering obedience, bright appearance.
- The car will not appear on the Russian market. At least in the foreseeable future.

Technical specifications

Our opinion

General Motors is in vain unwilling to officially sell the Corvette in Russia. Of course, sports models do not sell like hotcakes here. But such cars, as a rule, work for the brand's image, and the GM concern, which has most models built on shared platforms and with similar internals, would not be hurt by an extra dose of charisma.