Sometimes the simplest answer is the best. Before anyone even drove the C8 Corvette Stingray, we all assumed the Z51 Performance Package was all but mandatory. For a little over $6,000 you get summer tires, a stiffer suspension tune, a performance exhaust, bigger brakes, upgraded cooling, and an electronic limited-slip differential.
But this particular Corvette does without the Z51 kit, and it's a revelation.
I'm a little embarrassed to admit this car completely passed me by. It's been more than five years since the C8 Corvette Stingray debuted—if you can believe it—and there's this brilliant base model I've totally overlooked.
Although, it's only a “base” car in terms of performance equipment, with just the Performance Exhaust box ticked. Otherwise, it's about as lux as a Stingray gets, being a convertible with the top-level 3LT trim package and a sticker price of just under $100,000. A lot of money, yet I still think it's something of a bargain.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible |
| Engine | 6.2-Liter V-8 |
| Output | 495 Horsepower / 470 Pound-Feet |
| Transmission | Eight-Speed Dual-Clutch |
| Base Price / As Tested | $76,995 / $99,980 |
As always, the C8 Stingray is powered by a mid-mounted 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 that makes 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. (Opting for the Performance Exhaust provides a little output bump, 495 hp and 470 pound-feet.)
What more needs to be said about this engine? It has all the power and torque you’d expect, but with an unexpected urbanity that perfectly suits the mid-engine ‘Vette. It’s also a wonderful reminder of what we’re losing as naturally aspirated engines die out. Rather than shock and awe with supernatural low-end shove, the LT2 V-8’s power builds naturally to the redline.
The eight-speed dual-clutch is the only transmission option, but it's a perfect dance partner to Chevy's V-8. The gearbox offers a crispness like no other GM automatic. Chevy doesn't provide a curb weight figure for the C8, but most peg the Stingray Convertible at around 3,750 pounds.
Pros: Supreme Ride & Handling, Excellent Powertrain, Genuine Daily Drivability
You wouldn't believe the weight figure from behind the wheel. The Corvette has the wonderful fluidity you only get in cars weighing hundreds of pounds less, with a luxury sedan-rivaling ride quality that doesn't come at the expense of excellent handling.
You don't even need the Corvette's $1,895 optional MagneRide suspension to get supreme comfort. This car breathes with the road, never beating it into submission, using its ample suspension travel without becoming uncontrolled. Seriously, most luxury cars I test these days don't ride this well.
On the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 4 All-Season tires, you do lose some of the immediacy on turn-in you'd hope for from a mid-engine sports car. You're not wanting for more grip at road speeds, though, and these tires proved excellent in dry, cold weather, which is sort of the point. It's a Corvette you can take out on nice days, all year on these tires.
That cold weather meant I didn't put the top down all that much, so functionally, this Corvette acted mostly as a hardtop. You might honestly forget it's a convertible given the low wind noise and rigidity. The benefits of the Convertible aren't totally lost in chilly temperatures either, since you can at least roll down the rear window and enjoy the sound of the V-8 sucking in the cold air behind your head, the sound deepening as you roll into the throttle.
The real trick to the C8 is how it blends usability with a sense of occasion. You sit so far forward, looking out over the dramatically sloping hood, that it's easy to place this car perfectly. The engine twists the car ever-so-slightly side-to-side on startup, and cold starts produce a mighty blare. Yet, it's quiet and refined in everyday cruising.
Cons: Looks Not To Everyone’s Taste, …That’s About It
This car would be a wonderful daily. You will have to compromise on space and the fact that there are only two seats. In my experience, though, that just means people ask you for rides less often. And I suppose it’s not the easiest thing in the world to climb in and out of. The tradeoff—if you can even call it that—is that you get something that feels truly special.
Then you consider that you don’t need to spend $100,000 to get most of this goodness. An absolute base coupe should drive just as well—if not better, given it’s around 100 pounds lighter—and it still has a removable roof panel for a little over $70,000.
In all honesty, I may still be tempted by the Z51 pack and the MagneRide suspension, since I’m a big believer in GM’s advanced chassis tech. But I’d probably forever wonder if the simpler answer was the better one. With the Corvette, it might just be.
Competitors
2025 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible
