The Chevrolet Corvette has a rich history and a reputation like no other. It's an aspirational sports car that gives you supercar performance for a fraction of the price. It gives a sense of American pride with its powertrain and heritage. Most Corvettes have a variety of qualities that helped establish their identity and led to their success.

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While the Corvette does have a slight reputation as a mid-life-crisis vehicle, it's also known for being an affordable vehicle to take out to the track. Some people even daily their Corvette with minimal issues. Over the years, it has adapted to become a competent car that has drawn nearly all buyers' interest.

9 Acceleration

One of the greatest assets of most sports cars is acceleration. The Corvette has always been quick, as even a C4 Corvette can reach a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds. But looking at the modern options, it's unbelievable how fast they can get.

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A C7 Corvette in the ZR1 trim reaches a 0-60 time of 3.0-seconds, and the C8 Corvette, with its redesign, can reach it in 2.8-seconds. Both of them are among the most powerful Corvettes ever. That speed is unbelievable, as the mid-engine configuration and dual-clutch transmission really moved the Corvette forward. However, all generations of the Corvette are for more than just straight-line-performance, as numerous adaptations were made to take corners at breakneck speed.

8 Handling

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It's no doubt at all that the Corvette's handling is incredible. In the high-performance trim levels of the C5, C6, and C7 Corvette, numerous systems are improved to enhance its capability. Those that care more about handling than acceleration will love the Grand Sport trim, which has most of the performance benefits of the Z06 without the upgraded powertrain.

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The Z06 has a more rigid body than other trim levels for track performance. There are upgrades like stiffer shocks and springs, better sway bars, and bigger tires on the C6. The C7 offers magnetic ride control dampers and a recalibrated suspension. Of course, there are numerous other changes not related to handling, but even just the suspension upgrades make a significant difference in the vehicle.

7 Styling

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One of the Corvette's best attributes is the styling, and it's not specific to one generation of the Corvette. The first-generation Corvette is gorgeous and distinctive, which is reflective in its value at over $100,000. The C2 to the C5 had found its identity with flip-up headlights, four iconic taillights, and a longer hood. The design engineers at Chevrolet worked hard to retain most of the Corvette's shape, and the body lines are beautiful.

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2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (1)
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The C8 Corvette took a new turn with the Corvette with its mid-engine configuration, and one might even argue that it has improved. The front face resembles the C7 quite a bit with some upgrades, but the body lines are more reminiscent of its European rivals. Regardless, all Corvettes offer their unique characteristics, and each one has its own perks.

6 Value/Accessibility

If there's one deal on the market that everyone goes after for its immense value, it's the Corvette. Some aspirational vehicles are exotic, which drives the value up, but the Corvette remains a phenomenal deal because of its higher production numbers. It's a common vehicle as a weekend vehicle, especially for older buyers.

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One of the best Corvette values in terms of performance alone is the C5 Z06. It can be found easily under $30,000 and are offered all over the country. That gets you 405 horsepower, a manual transmission, sharp handling, and a serious all-around performer. It doesn't have the best interior, but it's tough to beat from a driving perspective.

5 Convertible/Removable Top

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A convertible adds a whole new aspect for spirited driving. It adds a certain thrill in warm weather that's so much better than rolling windows down in a hardtop coupe. It's also fairly easy to retract with the mechanism, and there is significantly more airflow.

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For those that are worried about the top operation breaking, a removable top is also available. It's a staple of the Corvette, and there's an area to store it in the trunk. It looks phenomenal on the C8 and gives a great window into the engine bay. Generally, the coupes look better in terms of body lines than their convertible counterparts and are still simple to change out, albeit slightly less convenient. It also takes up less space in the trunk space and is lighter overall.

4 Magnetic Ride Control Suspension

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General Motors has several unique technologies, some of which are effective and others that are not. One of the best is their Magnetic Ride Control, a suspension system that analyzes the road and adjusts magnetic dampers accordingly. This leads to a ride quality that's unfathomable for a high-performance vehicle in this price range.

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However, one of the biggest downsides to this system is its price. It adds $1,895 to a new Corvette price, and the stock suspension is already fairly manageable. It's a tempting option and certainly merits consideration in the used C7 market. It depends on how it is used and the priorities of the buyer. Those who are looking for grand touring will enjoy it.

3 Practicality

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With its supercar performance, it excels as an overall package over most of its competitors. Chevrolet still tries to engineer some practicality into its design, and previous generations excelled with a hatchback setup. This leads to an impressive 15 cubic feet of cargo space.

2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

The C8 Corvette offers shocking new levels of practicality. One of the most popular changes to the Corvette that drew a lot of attention is the front lift, where the suspension will electronically lift the front of the end of the Corvette for driveways and speedbumps. The cargo room is reduced slightly, but it still has a front trunk and enough space behind the engine intended for golf bags. It's also fairly spacious on the inside, making it a bit better than a cramped alternative.

2 Reliability

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As with most cars, care matters deeply for a vehicle to stay reliable. Most sports cars are usually delicate and require lots of care and usually have high servicing costs. The Corvette is known for diminishing these issues with LS and LT engines that are quite reliable, simple to service, and even easy to modify. It even gets reasonable gas mileage on the highway.

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Electrical issues exist in the C6, but they're quite minor. Overall, C5 and C6 Corvette's hold up quite well because of their limited electronics. Older Corvettes like the C3 and C4 Corvette will require more work but were great cars during their peak.

1 Technology

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Technology is an interesting factor as it isn't always associated with the Corvette. With the recent Corvette generations starting from the C6, Chevrolet made sure to keep it updated in terms of technology and even setting some standards. Even the C5 tried to stay up to date with new technology like a heads-up display, a feature that Chevrolet became the benchmark for.

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The C7 has a fascinating performance data recorder that contains a camera that records data like g-force, map information, and lap time in a video. The C8 Corvette has even more technology like a camera rear-view mirror and over-the-air updates. Chevrolet's ability to adapt to new changes and innovate certainly shows.

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