Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2024 Review

The 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray comes in various flavours, but it’s the 3LT Coupe we’re testing here, priced from $195,000 before on-road costs.

That’s a price rise of around $35,000 since the first factory right-hand drive C8 Corvette touched down in Oz in early 2022.

It’s also available in Convertible form ($205k + ORCs), while the more affordable Stingray 2LT – same power and much of the same equipment, just with fewer niceties – is also available as a Coupe ($175k + ORCs) or Convertible ($190k + ORCs).

Then of course, there’s the flagship Corvette Z06 that tops the range from a whopping $336,000 and significantly ups the ante with a naturally-aspirated 5.5-litre flat-plane crank V8.

If you’re in the market for a ‘Vette, wait times have thankfully reduced significantly, and you no longer have to wait four years.

A spokesperson for GMSV says a recent dealer survey found that although demand for the new C8 continues to be strong, wait times are now down to around five months for Stingray and E-Ray (coming soon), and at least nine months for the hotter Z06.

A range of options are fitted to our 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT tester, including special machined-face forged alloy (staggered 19-inch front and 20-inch rear) wheels worth $4940, bright red brake callipers ($1625), and chrome exterior badge package ($507).

As such, this Corvette’s as-tested price comes out at $202,072 before on-roads.

But there’s loads of gear you don’t have to pay extra for – unlike in the US – including the Z51 performance package, which is fitted standard to locally delivered Corvettes.

That includes grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber, adaptive magnetic ride control dampers, an electronic limited-slip differential, performance exhaust, front and rear brake cooling ducts, extra engine cooling inlets, and manually adjustable suspension. Outside, there’s also a Z51-specific front splitter and rear spoiler.

Compared to the 2LT, the 3LT also brings a swankier interior featuring lush leather and suede trim, heated and ventilated Nappa leather ‘GT2’ sports seats with memory, and an engine appearance package.

And, while the bright red cabin on our tester certainly stands out, some could argue that too much of one colour is overkill. Some being me. It’s just too much red and when the sun hits certain components, lashings of red bounce off the glasswork to almost blind you. It even extends to the suede headlining, which is luxuriously soft, but bright red.

Elsewhere, other standard features for the Corvette Stingray range include a hydraulic (50mm) nose lift with memory and a powered retractable hard-top (Convertible) or removable roof for the Coupe (which slots neatly into the boot).

The Corvette comes covered by a three-year/100,000km warranty in Australia.

There’s no official crash test rating here or anywhere else in the world for the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray, but that’s the case with almost any supercar, so no surprises here. They generally don’t have many to offer up for destruction.

Nonetheless, the C8 Stingray comes with a fairly comprehensive suite of safety gear – including plenty of new additions since we last tested the ‘Vette in early 2022 – including forward collision warning with low-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane assist with departure warning, automatic high beams, and blind spot monitoring.

You also get rear cross-traffic alert, non-adaptive cruise control, and both cameras and parking sensors at the front and rear.

Hop into the cockpit of the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray and it smacks you in the face. It’s bold – especially with our tester’s blood-red interior – and very driver-focussed.

But as unique as the Corvette’s interior is, it’s also intimidating, thanks to an array of screens and buttons that point directly at the driver, not to mention the vertically-mounted climate control switch panel that splits the cabin down the centre.

Once familiar, it’s a piece of cake. Mostly. Anything to do with the climate control settings (or seat heating/ventilation) is best left to the passenger (if you have one) because you need to take your eyes off the road for far too long to find the button you want. This mightn’t be as much of an issue once you’ve lived with the car a bit longer.

Helpful standard features here include a colour head-up display, wireless phone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto via the 8.0-inch central touch-screen. It also comes fitted with a premium 14-speaker Bose audio system, which delivers fantastic sound quality.

There’s also a performance data recorder in case you fancy some track work or hill climbs. Did someone say Nasho run?

In case you were wondering, there’s no manual gearbox option for the C8 Corvette, and inside, gear selection is done via buttons on the centre console. Just to the left of those buttons, is your rotary-style ‘drive mode’ selector and above that, three more buttons: traction control on/off, nose lift, and your front parking camera, which you can switch on at any time (or speed) for a low-down view of what’s happening out front.

Outside, look beyond the copious air vents and intake points, and there are some other cool tech bits to impress, like a soft-close function for the front trunk and rear boot. It feels super luxe, but unfortunately, it doesn’t extend to the doors.

A delicious petrol-guzzling V8.

But unlike those that came before it, the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette is the first to go mid-engine, with Chevy finally making the switch from its traditional front-engine layout, to improve traction and weight balance, in Chev’s words, among other benefits.

It’s also the first in eight generations and seven decades to come straight from the factory in right-hand drive, something that wasn’t possible until the new mid-engine model came to life, due to the need for front-engined ‘Vettes to be heavily modified and locally converted until they could be sold in Oz.

Alas, the almighty petrol engine aboard the C8 – a 6.2-litre pushrod V8 – comes from Chev’s small block LS family, dubbed LT2, and features dry sump lubrication and a fuel-saving four-cylinder deactivation management system.

Nevertheless, it pumps out a thumping 369kW (at 6450rpm) and 637Nm (at 5150rpm) here in Stingray 3LT guise, thanks to the Z51 performance pack that’s standard on locally delivered models.

As already mentioned, there’s no manual transmission option for the C8 and every version is fitted with an eight-speed Tremec dual-clutch automatic, with big shift paddles behind the steering wheel to allow the driver to shift as they please.

All up, the C8 tips the scales at 1527kg and is good for a claimed 0-100km/h launch in just 2.9 seconds. That’s quick.

Thankfully, stopping power comes from beefy four-piston Brembo brakes all around, clamping 345mm brake discs up front and 350mm discs at the rear.

It would be ambitious to think anyone would get close to Chev’s combined fuel consumption claim of 13.5L/100km while driving the Corvette in the manner for which it was designed. That said, we saw an average fuel consumption figure as low as 14.3L/100km during our glorious week with the Stingray.

If looks alone don’t do it for you, hearing the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT roar to life will surely get you over the line.

It’s raw and vicious and even more thrilling in a garage or underground car park, where its deep tone has a chance to reverberate. Most bystanders will be thrilled too, after the initial shock. It’s bloody loud.

But what’s more surprising is just how liveable the C8 Corvette is. Expectations of a firm, skateboard-like ride are instead met with incredibly compliant suspension. The Corvette’s ride is by no means plush, but ride comfort is great for a supercar. It’s tightly wound, but not to the point that you might need to book weekly chiropractor appointments.

Four preset drive modes include Weather, Tour, Sport, and Track, while two customisable (MyMode and Z-Mode) also come standard. For everyday driving, Tour mode is best, where steering feel is relatively light and the adaptive dampers do a good job soaking up imperfections. Even the odd sharper hit on a rough country road doesn’t upset the ‘Vette.

Sport mode dials it up, bringing a firmer steering feel and suspension, sharper throttle response and even louder exhaust. It’s our pick for enthusiastic back-road driving, which is where you’ll feel just how incredibly controlled and flat this car is.

Absurd levels of grip from the Michelin rubber combined with its incredibly balanced chassis will make just about any Joe Blow feel like Ricky Bobby.

It’s remarkably sharp and its point-and-shoot steering offers feedback for days. You can feel just about every ridge and pockmark in the tarmac through that squoval (square-oval) steering wheel.

Behind the wheel, those big shift paddles only add to the excitement when driving in manual mode. Gear changes are lightning quick and, happily, it doesn’t override your inputs (i.e. upshift when you’re reaching the upper echelons of the rev range) which means you can really work it.

And there’s so much performance on offer here. Off the line, it’s relentless. Even without activating launch control, it’ll shove you back in your seat under hard acceleration.

The stability control systems offer plenty of flexibility when left on, to the point the rear end will loosen up just enough to start some sideways action but without the stability control washing off too much speed and unsettling your momentum. It’s subtle in a way that gives you both freedom and safety.

With a little more coaxing and a little less ESC (depending on your drive mode or manually switch it off), the C8 Corvette is the ultimate hoon machine… ahem, so we’ve heard.

The doors are huge and because it’s so low to the ground, the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT can make ingress and egress particularly difficult, even for the young and nimble, and especially in tight garage spaces or busy car parks. Good thing most people aren’t usually looking for tight spaces to park their supercars.

On the move, lane changes can be anxiety-inducing because it’s really difficult to see out either side. But again, regular supercar things.

Inside, it’s lovely once you’ve spent some time getting acquainted. And, as long as you can ignore the redness.

The eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat offers plenty of flexibility and can be wedged into a really low-slung, involving position.

A lovely little nook in the boot can be used to stow the removable roof panel surprisingly perfectly. That is, once you figure out which way it goes in. It’s also worth mentioning how easy it is to remove said roof, with just a few clips, although unless you’re a bodybuilder, you’ll probably need a second person to help you carry it to the boot and manoeuvre it into its cubby.

It’s a tight fit but sits firmly in place so it won’t get damaged and you can still fit small (soft) items around it, so the boot is not completely useless if you’re driving topless.

There’s also decent storage in the front trunk for bags of groceries or a few overnight bags, but you can forget about in-cabin storage because beyond some tiny door trim pockets and a small centre console bin, there’s bugger-all space for knick-knacks.

At a smidge over $200k, the 2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT has got to be one of the best-value supercars you can buy today.

It’s like champagne on a beer budget, in the best possible way. It looks gorgeous and sounds incredible, and the driving experience is truly one you won’t forget. Fast, sharp, and ferocious, yet completely liveable as a daily driver too.

Sure, it chews through fuel, visibility is challenging, and it only gets a three-year warranty, but the same could be said of certain Ferrari or McLaren models, both of which will cost significantly more.

For what it is, the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT ticks a lot of boxes and the only way someone will be disappointed after buying one is if they option a fully red interior.

2024 Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 3LT at a glance:

Price: $202,072 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 petrol
Output: 369kW/637Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 13.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 323g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Related: Chevrolet C8 Corvette Stingray 2022 Review

Related: Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray here within a year

Related: Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray certified for Australia