[VIDEO] The 2014 Corvette Stingray vs The World

Photo Credit: Edmunds.com

The 2014 Corvette Stingray takes on the world in the latest video from Edmunds.com and comes out second only to a car that has nearly 200 more horsepower.

Edmunds took a day to test the new C7 against six worthy competitors at Willow Springs International Raceway.

“The idea is that we give every car the same driver who’s gonna drive the cars in a similar way with a similar level of competence,” Edmunds says, “and at the end of the day we’ll see how it comes out.”

First up is the Viper, “the hardest car to drive” that “requires the most of the driver,” Edmunds says. “It was the quickest car there (1:23.9), unsurprisingly, you know it’s got the most power. Still the most demanding – it’s not an easy car to drive. It’s feels like it’s gonna bite, and history has proven that Vipers will bite.”

Just 6/10ths of a second behind the Viper at 1:24.6 is the new Stingray.

“The Vette’s chassis is just easier for the driver,” Edmunds says. “As the limits approach, you can sense them. The car is more tolerant to be slid around a little bit, and more enjoyable to slide around a little bit. It was only 6/10ths of a second off the Viper’s lap time despite being down 180 horsepower, which tells you something about the character of the two cars. In the ‘Vette, I feel I can jump in and just drive right to those limits on a familiar track in the first couple of laps so that speaks worlds for that car’s capability.”

Next was the Nissan GT-R at 1:25.2. “To use a cliché, it feels a little synthetic in this crowd,” Edmunds says. It’s “very, very fast and very, very capable, but you get a feeling there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. It’s still a lot of fun, just a different experience. In this company, it doesn’t feel as pure.”

The two Porsches were next, with the 911 at 1:25.6 and the Cayman S at 1:27.0. Edmunds says the 911 is “just magnificent” at the track, calling it a “really good driver’s car” with “hands-down the best brakes,” worth the extra $8,500 to get them. Balance was the word to describe the Cayman S.

Edmunds says the Shelby GT500, which ran a 1:27.3, is “a little out of sorts in this company … but for my money, probably the most fun car in this group. If you like driving sideways and have a tire budget, it’s your car.”

Finishing last around the track was the BMW M3, some 1.7 seconds behind the Shelby at 1:29. Edmunds says it’s still a “great driver’s car” and “feels rewarding” despite being down on power.

Overall, the C7 finished second around the track at Willow Springs and “is as capable as we thought it was going to be,” Edmunds concludes.

Source:
Edmunds.com

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