2021 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Drive Review: Checkmate, Porsche

Fully deserving of the superlatives that follow this, Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette gamble has paid off.

After toying around with the idea for over 60 years, Chevrolet has finally done it: the first-ever production mid-engine Corvette, and all that prototyping and tinkering appears to have paid off.

2021 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible C8 review DriveBreakFixRepeat Jake Stumph Racing

The hardware is a mix or tradition and tradition-breaking. Situated behind the driver is a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated pushrod V8, the LT2. A riff off the LT1 from the C7 Corvette, LT2 produces 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels via an all-new transmission. It’s an 8-speed quick-shifting dual-clutch unit, and it is the sole transmission fitted to the C8. There is no manual transmission available (#SaveTheManuals), but the results are hard to argue with because the C8 does 0-60 in 2.9 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.3 seconds at a massive 121 mph.

The exterior styling is somehow reminiscent of previous Corvette models, but with all-new proportions thanks to the change in the powertrain setup. Most practically, it means that unlike the ultra-long nosed Corvettes of yore, the C8 doesn’t bottom out on dips or scrape coming into driveways (though, an available front end lift system can be fitted for those with a habit of bumping parking blocks).

Perhaps the most unbelievable number of all is the price, which barely rises over the outgoing C7, with C8 coupes starting at $60,995 and C8 convertibles at $68,495.

For the same money, Porsche will sell you a Boxster which may be filled with a repository of fine German engineering, but is equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder that offers the same auditory excitement of a Keynesian economics lecture at the local community college, leaving half the class asleep and the other half in tears. Models with the go-fast engine you actually want start at over 90 grand in Porsche-land.

Meanwhile, the Chevy’s rowdy V8 is more like frat row on a Friday night after the announcement that the kegger is on the way, offering a deep baritone roar that is just subtle enough to not set off a block’s worth of car alarms or alert the authorities as to your whereabouts.

Not that the super Chevy ever gets up to anything nefarious, quite the opposite actually, because it would seem that in the switch to a mid-engine layout, the Corvette team has acquired exactly what they were after: grip.

The C8 has no bad manners to speak of from behind the wheel, offering indelible amounts of adhesion from its four massive Michelins, something that could not be said about its very enjoyable, but slightly leery predecessor, especially the ultra-high-performance ZR1.

As deeply enjoyable of a driving experience as the C7 Corvette was, the switch to a mid-engine layout has ultimately made C8 a much more capable machine and, almost counter-intuitively to what some sports car aficionados might expect, has made for sports car that is easier to push right up to the limit, thanks to a slight understeer bias, which means that more drivers will able to brush up against those limits and really feel like they’re driving hard, which is deeply satisfying.

Limit handling aside, the optional Z51 pack, which adds a different suspension calibration, larger brakes, a more aggressive wheel and tire package, the bi-modal valved exhaust and improved powertrain cooling along with an electronically-controlled LSD, is a must-have for enthusiastic drivers. Ringing in at $5,995, it’s a massive bargain once you start to do some mental math about how much it would cost to upgrade these items a la carte (that fancy diff ain’t cheap).

C7 owners will be shocked as they watch engine coolant and oil temperatures stay rock steady as they pound on the C8 as hard as possible, or, similarly, when no matter how hard you drive it, the braking performance remains as reliable as the time. As a track day dweeb, this satisfies the weekend warrior within, because Chevy has made an everyday sports car that can truly drive to the track, set some likely shockingly fast lap times, and drive home, only to be ready for the daily commute and slog through traffic the next day.

ALSO SEE: 2019 Corvette ZR1 Night Drive

And this truly is an everyday sports car. With the engine in the middle there is a frunk and a trunk, allowing for enough storage space for errands or the weekend getaway. However, most importantly of all, the C8 has also been bestowed the finest interior ever fitted to any Corvette model.

Normally a weak spot, when fitted with (at least) the 2LT trim, C8 offers an interior that goes toe-to-toe with Porsche or a Jaguar F-TYPE. A blend of soft touch materials, leather, and carbon fiber, the C8’s interior is no longer the asterisk that it once was with previous Corvettes. There are a few plasticky bits, but they are mostly tucked out of sight and out of mind. Most everything you interact with says “premium”. Sure, the infotainment screen is straight out of a Tahoe, but it’s a really good system, with a blend of a touchscreen, physical knobs and buttons along with an intuitive interface.

The haters will have to look long and hard to find things to fault, and there is no longer reason to give pause when the topic of luxury accoutrement comes up. Chevrolet has hit all the marks with the mid-engine Corvette, inside and out.

ALSO SEE: Meet the Best Ferrari That Ferrari Never Made

However, that does mean that the Corvette convertible of your dreams goes from that sixty-nine grand base price to over $80,000 once you throw some goodies at it. You can save $7,500 by opting for the coupe, which might just be the right move as you still get a removable roof panel in lieu of the slick folding hard top.

But even at 80-grand, how could you not love what the ‘Vette has to offer? Instead of a four-cylinder Boxster, or a six-cylinder F-TYPE, you get world class performance with a snarling V8 engine. It’s still America’s sports car.

Want to see more Chevy goodness? Follow Jake on Instagram, it’s all cars all the time.