The 2021 Corvette

The Overview

The 2021 Corvette was the 2020 car with a full year to be built. Production began on December 8, 2020, the day after the last 2020 left Bowling Green, and the plant turned out 26,216 cars — 15,112 coupes and 11,104 convertibles, 42 percent of the year now that the hardtop convertible was on sale from the start — before the model year closed in the first week of September 2021 and the 2022 began on September 8. Demand still ran ahead of supply: Chevrolet stopped taking 2021 orders on March 25, 2021, the semiconductor shortage cost the plant six weeks of downtime between May and July, and orders that had not been scheduled by the summer were carried over to the 2022. 18,223 cars (69.5 percent) had the $5,995 Z51 package, 10,720 were 3LTs and 1,274 were delivered at the National Corvette Museum.

What changed was small and visible: Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat and Silver Flare Metallic replaced Long Beach Red and Blade Silver (Red Mist was the third most popular color in its first year, 3,476 cars); a Sky Cool Gray and Strike Yellow interior came to the 3LT; full-length stripes in blue, orange, red and yellow and three Stinger stripe packages joined the list; Magnetic Selective Ride Control could be ordered without Z51 for the first time (FE2, 2,022 cars); wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Buckle to Drive arrived. The 495-horsepower LT2, the eight-speed dual-clutch and the prices were carried over — until March 1, 2021, when every 2021 rose $1,000, the C8’s first increase, to $60,995 for a 1LT coupe and $68,495 for the convertible.

The year’s two set pieces were an Arctic White Z51 convertible pacing the 105th Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 2021 with Danica Patrick driving and 135,000 fans back in the stands, and the C8.R’s best season: the Rolex 24 at Daytona in a 1–2, seven of the ten GTLM races, six 1–2 finishes, the drivers’, team and manufacturers’ championships for the second year running, and second in GTE Pro at Le Mans in the mid-engine car’s first appearance there — the last season of the GTLM class.

The 2021 Corvette Story

Introduction

The 2021 Corvette Stingray represents the sophomore model year of Chevrolet's beloved mid-engine sports car. Arriving immediately on the tail of an abbreviated 2020 model year, the 2021 Corvette Stingray became one of the most sought-after sports cars of the year. The base price stayed at $59,995 ($60,995 for orders placed from March 1, 2021), yet dealers asked and got well over $100,000 for 2020 and 2021 Stingrays through the year, and Chevrolet stopped taking 2021 orders on March 25, 2021 with more in hand than the plant could build — which is the measure of how popular the car was at launch.

For the 2021 model year, Chevrolet added an assortment of new features to the Stingray. These included:

Two new exterior colors, Silver Flare Metallic (1,804 cars) and Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat ($995; 3,476), replacing Blade Silver and Long Beach Red; a new Sky Cool Gray / Strike Yellow interior for the 3LT (274 cars); full-length dual racing stripes in blue, orange, red and yellow alongside the carbon flash, silver and gray ($995); three Stinger stripe packages, Carbon Flash with Edge Red, Edge Yellow or Midnight Silver ($500); Magnetic Ride Control without the Z51 package (FE2, $1,895; 2,022 cars); wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; Buckle to Drive.

Otherwise the 2021 Stingray was the 2020 car, with the Z51 package up $995 to $5,995 and the front lift up $500 to $1,995.

Moving to a Mid-Engine Platform

“Corvette has always represented the pinnacle of innovation and boundary-pushing at GM. The traditional front-engine vehicle reached its limits of performance, necessitating the new layout,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “In terms of comfort and fun, it still looks and feels like a Corvette, but drives better than any vehicle in Corvette history. Customers are going to be thrilled with our focus on details and performance across the board.”

Although initial customer response to the mid-engine configuration was mixed, the unprecedented demand for these cars proved that GM had hit a home run with their latest Corvette. And while Chevrolet had been contemplating a mid-engine Corvette for decades, the decision to arrive at a mid-engine platform for the 2020 MY was obvious - there was nothing more that Chevrolet could do with the conventional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform. The 2019 Corvette ZR1 proved that. And while the outgoing C7 was a monster in its own rights, the C8 finally brought the Corvette into the 21st century - and perhaps more important, it was now on par with the best European sports cars in its class.

The mid-engine layout provided the 2021 Corvette Stingray with many unique benefits, including:

Better weight distribution, with the rear weight bias enhancing performance in a straight line and while cornering on the track; Better responsiveness and sense of control due to repositioning the driver closer to the car's front axles; The fastest 0-60 time of any entry Corvette ever — under three seconds when equipped with the Z51 Performance Package; A racecar-like view of the road due to lowered positioning of the hood, instrument panel, and steering wheel. The 2021 Corvette provided excellent forward sightlines throughout the vehicle for both the driver and passenger; Dual (front and rear) storage trunks which provided a total of 12.6 cubic feet of cargo volume, which was ideal for a set of luggage or two sets of golf clubs.

Inspired by Racing and Aviation

Like the 2020 model before it, the 2021 Corvette Stingray featured a bold, futuristic expression with mid-engine exotic proportions that was still, unmistakably Corvette. Look at the car from the front or rear, and you'd recognize the familiar air inlets along the front fascia, all of which hark back to the front end of the 2019 Corvette ZR1. From the rear, the 2021 Stingray could almost pass for the rear fascia of its seventh-generation counterpart, albeit with more refined features. However, the elongated rear end, the dramatic side air scoops, and the visible engine under the rear hatch glass are all significant differentiators which state unequivocally that this is not your grandfather's Corvette.

“As America’s most iconic performance nameplate, redesigning the Corvette Stingray from the ground up presented the team a historic opportunity, something Chevrolet designers have desired for over 60 years,” said Michael Simcoe, vice president of Global Design, General Motors. “It is now the best of America, a new arrival in the mid-engine sports car class. We know Corvette can stand tall with the best the world has to offer.”

The 2021 Corvette Stingray featured a supercar level of craftsmanship, and utilized premium materials throughout its build. The design efforts that went into Chevy's mid-engine Corvette were unprecedented in the history of the brand. Every component required an exacting level of detail from the team responsible for its fabrication. The result? A Corvette that rivals the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche in terms of build quality and use of premium materials. This new Corvette is lean and muscular and conveys a sense of power and speed from every angle.

In addition to the coupe model, the 2021 Corvette Stingray was also offered as a hardtop convertible. The convertible’s design drew on military jets. The car's tonneau cover features aerodynamically shaped nacelles that were reminiscent of the housings surrounding the engines on fighter aircraft like the F/A-18 Hornet and the F-22 Raptor. Moreover, the nacelles were also carryovers from Zora Arkus-Duntov's CERV (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicles) I and II, as well as the Corvette SS and SR2 concept vehicles. These nacelles were designed to reduce air recirculation into the cabin, thereby ensuring a higher level of comfort for the vehicle occupants, even when running wide open on the interstate.

The convertible’s two-piece hardtop operates at up to 30 mph, retracts in sixteen seconds and is driven by six electric motors; 11,104 of the 26,216 2021 Corvettes were convertibles, 42 percent of the year, against 18 percent in 2020. Switching to electric motors from hydraulic systems helped increase reliability. A body-colored roof came standard, while Carbon Flash metallic-painted nacelles and roof were optional. When fully collapsed, the composite top was stowed in a compartment made from lightweight composite panels and heat shields designed to protect the roof panel from the heat of the engine.

At the Heart of the Beast

The 2021 Stingray featured Chevy's next-generation LT2 engine, a 6.2-liter, naturally aspirated, small-block V8 engine. The engine was rated at 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft, or 495 horsepower (369 kW) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm) with the NPP performance exhaust that 22,872 of the cars had — unprecedented numbers for a base Corvette. For perspective, the sixth-generation Z06’s 7.0-liter LS7 made 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft, and GM quoted 3.7 seconds to 60 mph for it; the 2021 Stingray with Z51 does it in 2.9 — nearly a second quicker, from a base-model Corvette.

“Though now placed behind the driver, the LT2 gives the same visceral experience we all expect from Corvette,” said Jordan Lee, GM’s global chief engineer of Small Block engines. “The LT2 has been designed to deliver excellent low-end torque and high-end power to give thrilling pedal response at any RPM.”

One of the most notable improvements found on the LT2 engine platform is its lubrication and ventilation system. For the first time in the brand’s history, the base coupe and convertible came with a dry-sump lubrication system and three scavenge pumps for improved track performance. When the car is driven hard on a track the dry-sump system maintains the same oil volume to avoid any diminished performance. It is capable of providing exceptional engine performance even when lateral acceleration exceeds 1G in any direction.

For anyone who purchased a coupe, the 2021 Stingray also featured a 3.2mm-thick glass panel on the rear hatch which showcased the mid-mounted engine. This panel featured a cantilevered trailing edge which was designed to evacuate heat from the LT2 engine compartment.

Other notable engine characteristics include:

A jewel-like display setting in the rear compartment which was completely visible through the rear glass hatch; Every part, including the exhaust system’s wires, tubes, routing fasteners, coolant hoses, exhaust manifold, and even the bolts and fasteners, was built with aesthetics/appearance at the forefront of the design. All engine components were given careful consideration - just like the rest of the car's exterior. Even the heat shields were textured; A brand-new block and ventilation system. The centerline of the crankshaft sits a full inch lower to the ground where it mates to the transaxle for better handling; Low-profile oil pan which reduces mass; The engine oil cooler capacity was increased by 25 percent; Edge Red valve covers are standard.

A Strong Engine Requires A Strong Transmission

The LT2 was paired with the Tremec TR-9080 eight-speed dual-clutch, the Corvette’s first. There was no manual, but the dual-clutch provided lightning-fast shifting that responds to the driver's environment instantly. While the automatic eliminated some driver control of the shifting, the intuitive response from the automatic provided unparalleled shift response in any driving condition. From recreational driving to aggressive track handling, the 2021 Corvette's transmission response is immediate, optimizing gear choice faster than any human response could.

For those wishing to drive their car like a manual, the 2021 Corvette included double-paddle shifters. In addition to shifting the car into higher or lower gears, the vehicle operator could also disconnect the clutch completely by pulling back on both paddles simultaneously, essentially dropping the transmission into neutral gear. However, the transmission's performance algorithms are so driver-focused that the car senses what the driver is doing and can anticipate their next move - often before the driver knows.

The 2021 Stingray's LT2 Small Block V-8 included a torque curve optimized to take advantage of the DCT’s (Dual Clutch Transmission's) lightning-fast shifts. Engineers configured the DCT with a very low first gear to leverage the additional traction needed to launch the car off the line. Once moving, its close-ratio second through sixth gears kept the engine output near the power peak on track. A tall seventh and eighth gears make for easy long-distance cruising with low mechanical stress and excellent fuel economy.

The year: 26,216 cars around six weeks of chip shortage

The 2021 model year began on December 8, 2020, the day after the last 2020 was built, and ran without the strike and the pandemic closure that had shaped the 2020 — but into the semiconductor shortage that stopped every automaker in 2021. Chevrolet closed 2021 ordering on March 25, 2021; the plant lost six weeks to parts shortages in May, June and July, some of them unrelated to chips; orders that had not reached “3000” status by the summer were moved to the 2022 model year; and the last 2021 Corvettes were built in the first week of September 2021, with 2022 production starting on September 8. GM’s count was 26,216 cars, up 5,848 on the 2020: 15,112 coupes and 11,104 convertibles (42 percent of the year, against 18 percent in 2020, the convertible having been on sale from the start), 3,931 1LTs, 11,565 2LTs and 10,720 3LTs, 18,223 with Z51 (69.5 percent: 10,264 coupes and 7,959 convertibles), 12,037 with Z51 and Magnetic Ride, 2,022 with the new stand-alone Magnetic Ride, 16,026 with the front lift, 15,766 with GT2 seats, 1,274 delivered at the National Corvette Museum, and five with a customer-selected VIN. Torch Red led again (5,171), Red Mist was third in its first year (3,476) and Zeus Bronze last (509). 23,573 cars went to U.S. buyers, 1,887 to Canada, 361 to Japan — the C8’s first year there — 246 to the Middle East and 149 to Mexico.

Prices: the first increase

The 2021 opened at the 2020’s prices — $59,995, $67,295 and $71,945 for the 1LT, 2LT and 3LT coupe and $67,495, $74,295 and $78,945 for the convertible, all including the $1,095 destination charge — and on March 1, 2021 every one of them rose $1,000, the first increase of the C8: $60,995 to $72,945 for the coupe and $68,495 to $79,945 for the convertible for orders placed from that date. The option list moved too: Z51 to $5,995, the front lift to $1,995, Magnetic Ride available on its own (FE2) for the Z51 price of $1,895, Competition Sport seats priced by trim ($995 on a 1LT, $1,995 on a 2LT, $500 on a 3LT), the Infotainment 3 Premium system with navigation and the Performance Data Recorder $1,795 on a 1LT (standard above). Used 2020s and 2021s sold for $20,000 to $40,000 over sticker for most of the year, and a 2021 3LT Z51 was the template for the car Chevrolet took to the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis 500 and the C8.R’s championship year

On May 30, 2021 an Arctic White 2021 Stingray convertible with Z51, the 5VM carbon-fiber ground effects and high wing, a Sky Cool Gray and Strike Yellow interior, black and yellow stripes and the pace lights built into the tonneau nacelles paced the 105th Indianapolis 500 with Danica Patrick driving, in front of 135,000 fans — the largest crowd at any sporting event since the pandemic began; Hélio Castroneves won his fourth 500. It was the eighteenth Corvette pace car since 1978, the first convertible to pace the race since 2008 and the first mid-engine Corvette to pace it with a crowd present; Chevrolet sold no replica. Corvette Racing’s second C8.R season was its best: Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Nicky Catsburg won the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 30–31 in a 1–2 that led 716 of 770 laps, the No. 3 added both Watkins Glen races and Lime Rock, and Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy won three straight in the No. 4 at Laguna Seca, Long Beach and VIR (and the non-points Detroit race) — seven of the ten GTLM rounds and six 1–2 finishes, with Garcia and Taylor taking a second consecutive drivers’ title, the No. 3 the team title and Chevrolet the manufacturers’, the fifteenth championship since 1999. The C8.R finally went to Le Mans on August 21–22, 2021 and finished second in GTE Pro, about forty seconds behind the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari, with the No. 64 sixth after the same Ferrari hit it on the formation lap. Both cars crashed out of Petit Le Mans in November, the last GTLM race: the class ended with the season, and for 2022 the No. 3 moved to IMSA’s GTD Pro and the No. 64 to the World Endurance Championship.