Who’s Ready to Hit 200 MPH? We Drive the LS6-Powered 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

How much do you think it costs to go 200 mph? Assume, for a moment, that you have legal access to a closed stretch of pavement, as well as the required permission. More importantly, assume that you have the nerve to press and hold the accelerator for the requisite amount of time. If you have all of that, then all you need to join the 200-mph club, according to Chevy, is a 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray—specifically, a 1LT base model that will set you back just $73,495 to start.

ull factory wallop. It does fall off a little when it comes to fuel economy though; at 18 mpg combined (15 city, 25 highway), the revised Stingray loses 1 mpg in both its city and combined ratings compared to its predecessor.

The LS6 still utilizes two valves per cylinder and a cam-in-block layout, but the details are nevertheless impressive. This new eight-pot gulps air through a 95-mm throttle-body at the head of a tunnel ram intake with high-velocity ports, and gasoline is introduced through a new fuel system that includes both port and direct injection. The pistons and rods are all forged, and they need to be because of the massive 13.0:1 compression ratio made possible by a stroke increase to a nice round 100 mm. Finally, the LS6 burbles it all out through a pair of tubular tri-Y exhaust headers that lead to your choice of corner-exit (standard) or active center-exit quad pipes, which is a $1995 option that admittedly looks better and sounds more sonorous but doesn’t add one whit of power.

The base Corvette rides on Chevy’s standard suspension with passive dampers. It has 245/35ZR-19 front and 305/30ZR-20 rear Michelin all-season tires on forged-aluminum wheels, and it has the smaller touring brake package. Crucially, the Stingray features a carryover 4.89:1 final-drive ratio for its eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transaxle. Press the accelerator, and it absolutely responds; Chevrolet says that in addition to topping out at 200 mph, the Vette will shoot to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and should complete a full quarter-mile run in 11.0 seconds at 124 mph. After you get that out of your system, the revised Corvette proves as pleasant and easy to motor around town as before. It expertly sucks up just about any pothole or road imperfection, and it responds willingly to most any command.

However, if you put the $5395 Z51 Performance package on your Stingray, you can say goodbye to your 200-mph dreams. Most of this upgrade adds serious performance that absolutely will not put a damper on top speed. This includes upgrades like Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 summer tires, a performance-tuned suspension with stiffer springs, and larger performance-oriented brakes (still with iron rotors). There’s also, of course, the mighty electronically controlled limited-slip differential. But there are aspects that do spoil the 200-mph party. Offenders include the front splitter and rear wing, as well as the extra cooling ducts for the bigger brakes. Perhaps the biggest single detriment to top speed, though, is the swap to a 5.56:1 final-drive ratio, the same as in the Z06 and a first for the Z51-spec Stingray. Add it all up, and top speed is trimmed to approximately 180 mph, but we wouldn’t have it any other way— the shorter final drive effectively makes the car drive like it has a close-ratio gearbox.

With the Z51 package, the car feels so much more present. The shorter gearing makes it more responsive, of course, and the stiffer springs and damping values make the body motions a bit more lively and agile. As for the steering, the summer tires make the helm respond with much more immediacy. Thing is, the default Touring mode doesn’t quite impart enough effort buildup. You need Sport for better steering feel, but even then it still lacks a certain degree of authenticity, especially at casual speeds.

The always-brilliant Magnetic Ride Control is a standalone option ($1895), and if you add its adaptive magnetorheological dampers to the Z51 package you also get Performance Traction Management, which allows you to fine-tune the stability-control intervention. The Z51’s configurability goes way beyond the drive mode selector, which can get confusing. The drive mode selector is by the shifter, for example, but the PTM toggle is down by your left knee. Other interior foibles have been around since day one of the eighth-gen Corvette, including turn signal and wiper stalks that are mounted a little too far away, as well as that odd squircle of a steering wheel.

No matter, we’d get our 2027 Stingray with the Z51 package and take the hit to top speed. We’ll never see 200 mph in regular use, but we’d lust after the shorter gearing at the exit of every turn. The Pilot Sport S 5 summer tires and the grip they produce is intoxicating. The Z51 setup has never been better—or more different—than the base Corvette, even though it is but a single option away. Despite a wealth of track monsters with four-figure outputs running amok, the revised Stingray proves that every corner of the Corvette lineup is worth your attention.

➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.

Specifications

Specifications

2027 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa or convertible

PRICE
Coupe, $73,495; Convertible, $80,495

ENGINE
pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 409 in3, 6698 cm3
Power: 535 hp @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 520 lb-ft @ 4600 rpm

TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.0 in
Length: 182.3 in
Width: 76.1 in
Height: 48.6 in
Passenger Volume: 51 ft3
Trunk Volume: 13 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 3650–3750 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 2.8 sec
100 mph: 6.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.0 sec
Top Speed: 180–200 mph

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 18/15/25 mpg

Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.