2026 Chevrolet Corvette Review, Pricing, and Specs

Car and Driver

07-05-2025

Overview
It goes fast, nails apexes, and looks like a supercar, but the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray starts at under $100,000, making it one of the best performance-car values of all time. A naturally aspirated V-8 engine sits behind the cabin and pumps out up to 495 horsepower to the rear wheels, enough to blast this two-seater to 60 mph in under 3.0 seconds. Two trunks—one in the front and one in the back—provide added practicality, and the Corvette's interior is comfortable enough for two adults to take a road trip. Upper trim levels get even more luxurious, with fancier leather, a better stereo, and more convenience features. Any way you slice it, the Corvette Stingray impresses with its ideal balance of performance and everyday usability, and that's why it remains one of our favorite cars.
What's New for 2026?
The Corvette lineup receives a revamped interior design for 2026 that eliminates the row of buttons on the dividing console between the two seats. That divider has been redesigned to include a passenger grab handle, and the climate control buttons that were there have been moved to a panel of switches below the infotainment screen. The infotainment display itself is now larger at 12.7 inches, and the digital gauge cluster is now a 14.0-inch unit with a new 6.6-inch touchscreen display to the left of it for auxiliary controls. The drive-mode selector has been redesigned but remains on the center console near the gear selector, but its new smaller size creates room for a new wireless smartphone charging pad. A USB-C charging port has been added to the passenger's side of the cabin, and the cupholders gain ambient lighting, and in 2LT and 3LT models they feature real aluminum trim.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
The price of the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette is expected to start around $71,000 and go up to $89,000 depending on the trim and options.
1LT Coupe
$71,000 (est)
1LT Convertible
$77,000 (est)
2LT Coupe
$78,000 (est)
3LT Coupe
$82,000 (est)
2LT Convertible
$85,000 (est)
3LT Convertible
$89,000 (est) 0 $25k $50k $75k $100k $125k $150k
The Corvette is available as either a coupe or a convertible with a folding hard top. Since the coupe's roof lifts off for open-top motoring anyway, we'd stick with it. We'd instead spend the money to upgrade to the 2LT version, which adds several features, including a head-up display, a wireless smartphone charging pad, heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a 14-speaker Bose stereo system, blind-spot monitoring, and much more. The Z51 performance package is also a must-have, as it brings all the Corvette's best performance-oriented gear and makes the Vette track-capable.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The C8 Corvette is powered by a 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 that makes 490 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. With the dual-mode performance exhaust that is part of the Z51 package, power goes up a smidge to 495 horsepower. The Z51 option also adds an electronic limited-slip rear differential, more aggressive brakes, and summer tires. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic is the sole transmission. It is controlled by a push-button gear selector on the center console and two large steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. A manual transmission is not available. Even in base form, however, the new Corvette is capable of heroic handling and mega performance.
0–60-MPH Times
In our testing, we recorded a 60-mph time of 2.8 seconds, and a quarter-mile pass of 11.2 seconds at 122 mph in a car equipped with the Z51 performance package and the optional FE4 magnetorheological dampers. It stopped from 70 mph in 149 feet and cornered at a stout 1.03 g on the skidpad.
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Michael Simari
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Car and Driver
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA hasn't released any fuel economy information for the 2026 Corvette yet, but the 2025 model earned ratings of 16 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined. We subjected it to our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test and recorded 26 mpg, 1 mpg better than its estimate. For more information about the Corvette's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The mid-engine C8 Corvette is a pure two-seater, and the futuristic interior can be dressed up with materials such as leather, real metal trim, and imitation suede; it even has a fancy stitched headliner. Speaking of the roof, it's removable on the coupe—one person can wrestle it off—just like with previous Corvettes, and it fits inside the trunk just aft of the engine compartment. The driver sits behind a squared-off steering wheel and a 14.0-inch reconfigurable gauge display; a large infotainment touchscreen is angled toward the driver for ease of use. The interior design takes the driver-focused concept to the max, bisecting the cockpit with a wall-like separator between the driver and passenger. Opting for the top 3LT package gets you upgraded, upscale materials, such as sewn leather on most interior surfaces, plus carbon-fiber trim. The Corvette's two trunks—one in the nose and the other behind the engine—offer a total of 13 cubic feet of storage space. Chevrolet says the Corvette can fit two sets of golf clubs stacked on top of each other in the rear compartment. In our testing, we were able to fit our set of clubs easily, so Chevy's claim seems valid. When it came time to see if there was room for our carry-on-size suitcases, we were able to fit one in the Corvette's front trunk and two in the rear compartment.
Chevrolet
Infotainment and Connectivity
The 2026 Corvette comes with a 12.7-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth audio streaming, onboard Wi-Fi, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The system is easy to use and quick to respond to commands, plus apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store to help customize the interface to your liking. A 10-speaker Bose stereo system is standard, but upper trims come with a 14-speaker setup also tuned by Bose.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Corvette comes with several driver-assistance features as standard, but others, including blind-spot monitoring, cost extra. For more information about the Corvette's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection
Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
While its performance is amazing, the Corvette's warranty coverage is strictly average. At least the first maintenance service is covered at no cost.
Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
Complimentary maintenance is covered for the first visit