The Chevrolet Corvette, colloquially known as the 'Vette, is a two-door, two-passenger sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet across more than 60 years of production and eight design generations. From 1953 to 2019, it was front-engined, and since 2020, it is mid-engined. With its generations noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette serves as Chevrolet's halo vehicle and is widely noted for its performance and distinctive plastic—either fiberglass or composite—bodywork.
In 1953, when GM executives were looking to name the new Chevrolet sports car, assistant director for the Public Relations department Myron Scott suggested Corvette after the small maneuverable warship—and the name was approved. The first model, a convertible, was introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept and was followed ten years later by the 1963 second generation, in coupe and convertible styles. Originally manufactured in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, the Corvette has been manufactured in Bowling Green, Kentucky since 1981.
Generally the Corvette was designed as front-engined RWD V8 however for the C8 generation, they made it mid engined.
Appearances[]
- In Apocalypse Clarkson, Jeremy loathes the C4 Corvette for it's lack of speed, appalling handling and horrible ride. He then uses a helicopter gunship to chase down the Corvette being driven by a robot and destroys it.
- In Clarkson: At Full Throttle, Jeremy tests the Callaway C4 against the RUF Porsche 911. He loathes the Corvette for being overpowered and not being able to have a chassis to handle that power. He ultimately prefers the RUF.
- In Clarkson's Top 100 Cars, Jeremy ranks the C2 Stingray at 97th place, praising the Stingray's looks.
- In Series 2, Episode 5, the C5 Corvette is pitted against the Ferrari 360, the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Honda NSX, the Venturi Atlantique and the old nitrous powered Jaguar XJ-S in a race of the nations. It ends up beating the Atlantique but looses to the Honda, the Ferrari and the Porsche, on one count beating the Jag and on another losing.
- In Series 4, Episode 10, Richard tests the all new C6 Corvette at the Top Gear Test Track. He criticises the ride, the build quality, the gearbox, the leafspring chassis and the speed with it losing in a drag race to a TVR T350C and a Honda NSX but manages to beat a 911. However he praises the handling, cool features and soundtrack. At the hands of The Stig it sets a lap time of 1:26.8.
- In Series 6, Episode 11, James uses a C2 Stingray to help compose the Top Gear Theme
- In Clarkson: Heaven and Hell, Jeremy tests the C6 Corvette for the first time. Despite his initial doubts he ends up surprisingly enjoying it, praising it's speed, grip, handling, soundtrack and gizmos being the first Corvette he likes.
- In Series 8, Episode 2, Jeremy reviews the C6 Z06 around the Top Gear Test Track. He initially praises the Z06 for it's value, speed, handling, excitement and rawness, stating it to be a far better alternative to the Ferrari 575. However in the studio he reveals to Richard that he loathes the Z06 for it's ride quality, infotainment, turning of circle, horrid to use, gearbox and overall package. At the hands of The Stig, the Z06 sets an impressive time of 1:22.4 making it significantly faster than the 575.
- In Clarkson: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Jeremy initially drives a C6 Corvette stating it to be the first American car he liked. He then visits Willow Springs where he reviews the C6 Z06. Once again while he praises it's speed, handling, and agility he loathes the Z06 for being an awful road car.
- In Series 11, Episode 6, Jeremy uses a Callaway C6 when going against D Motor as a representation of America for the Colonies Drag Race and ultimately comes in third place.
- In Series 12, Episode 2, Jeremy uses a C6 ZR1 as the latest american muscle car against James in a Cadillac CTS-V and Richard in a Dodge Challenger SRT8. Despite having doubts about the Corvette image, Jeremy ends up adoring his ZR1, praising it's power, speed, comfort, noise and handling.
- In Series 12, Episode 6, a C6 Corvette fails to chase down Jeremy in his extensive test of the Ford Fiesta.
- Jeremy named the C6 ZR1 as his Car of the Year 2008.
- In Series 14, Episode 2, Jeremy compares the C6 ZR1 to the Audi R8 V10 at the Top Gear Test Track. Despite the ZR1 being in a straight line, Jeremy slams it for it's out of control handling, cheap build quality, and impracticality, despite having a slight preference for it. The Stig then takes the ZR1 round a damp track, where he sets a time of 1:20.4.
- In Top Gear Australia S03E02, Jacobsen reviews the C6 ZR1 both hating it and liking it. It sets a 1:26.12 around their track.
- In Series 17, Episode 3, a C4 Corvette is spotted amongst the other £6995 cars.
- In Top Gear USA "First Cars" Ferrara favours the C6 ZR1 in a dual review against Foust in the Ferrari 458 Italia. The ZR1 loses to the 458 in a drag race but sets a faster time of 1:22.4 around their track.
- In Top Gear USA "Beating Tanner" Foust uses a C6 ZR1 to set a speed of 77 mph.
- In Top Gear USA "Limos" Foust stretches a C4 Corvette into his own personal limousine against Wood in his dual VW Rabbit pickups and Ferrara in his pope Lincoln Contiental Mark III.
- In Top Gear USA "Police Cars" Foust is rewarded by having the ability to drive a C6 Z06 police car, chasing and catching a man on Triumph Bike.
- In Top Gear USA "America's Biggest Cars" Foust is rewarded by having the ability to drive the C7 Stingray which he praises as being the first Corvette to turn European Heads.
- In Top Gear USA "Fountain of Youth" Ferrara uses a C4 Corvette against Foust in a Porsche Boxster and Wood in a Rat Rod to find the best mid life crisis car.
- In Top Gear USA "Cool Cars for Grownups" each of the presenters try to chase down the Stig in a C6 Z06 to see who has the fastest family car.
- In Top Gear: The Perfect Road Trip 2, Richard chooses the new C7 Stingray Convertible from his drive from Sienna to Rome against Jeremy in an Alfa Romeo 4C. He then heads to a racetrack at the city centre where he praises the Stingray's speed, handling, modernity and being the first Corvette to feel like a match for Europe. At the hands of the Stig the Stingray sets a time of 2:01.6 making it 1.8 seconds quicker than the 4C, however later Richard feels embarassed driving it through Rome. Despite this, Richard states the Stingray to be his favourite car of the trip.
- In 2014, Jeremy names the C7 Stingray as his 2014 Car of the Year.
- In Series 22, Episode 5, Richard compares the C7 Stingray to a Porsche Cayman GTS at the Top Gear Test Track. Despite having initial doubts, he praises the Stingray for it's styling, speed, handling, excitement, chassis and soundtrack, ultimately preferring it to the Cayman and noting it to be the best sports car to ever come out of America. At the hands of the Stig, the Stingray sets a lap time of 1:19.8.
- For Clarkson, Hammond and May's Live Show film, Hammond selects the new C7 Z06 in a odd comparison with Clarkson in a Porsche 911 Turbo and May in a Mercedes-AMG GT S. The Z06 ends up coming second in a drag race and lap time but loses the drift off.
- In Series 23, Episode 1, after reviewing the Dodge Viper ACR, Evans pits it in a drive by shoot off with Schmitz in a C6 Z06.
- In "The Best" Fichtner chooses Corvette C5 against Brown in a Ford Mustang and Wood in a Subaru Impreza WRX.
- In Unscripted, the C7 ZR1 wins the The You Would But You Know You Shouldn't Nigel Award.
- In International Buffoons' Vacation, Clarkson uses a C7 ZR1 against May in a Cadillac CTS-V and Hammond in a Jeep Cherokee Trackhawk. Although he praises the speed, Clarkson loathes the ZR1 for it's handling and too much power stating it to be a "tricky little bastard" something he later proves when he fails to drift it.
- In Aston, Astronauts and Angelina's Children, during his tribute to the Astronaut cars, May takes a look at two classic Corvettes. A C1 original and a C2 Stingray.
- In Series 31, Episode 3, Flintoff reviews the latest C8 Stingray the Top Gear Test Track where he praises it's handling and speed. At the hands of the Stig, around a damp track, the C8 sets a time of 1:21.7.