What’s new for 2026?

This is not an all-new Corvette - it is a freshened Stingray, bringing you the same delicious naturally aspirated V8 behind the driver, dual-clutch transmission. My tester was a 2026 Corvette Stingray Coupe 3LT in Torch Red with an Asymmetrical Adrenaline Red and Jet Black interior. Base price for the 3LT coupe is $81,750. With options and destination, this one came to $99,450. That’s not cheap. It’s also not crazy, considering what this car does and what it looks like doing it.

And what does it look like? It looks like a Corvette. The proportions are low, wide and predatory, with the cabin pushed forward, the engine living behind the seats, black side intakes carved into the body and enough red paint to make the car appear permanently lit, even in the dark. From the rear three-quarter view, especially with the spoiler, black wheels and black exhaust tips, it has that modern supercar posture: squat, planted, a little bit obnoxious.

Inside

Inside, the 2026 update is more obvious. The old C8 cockpit could feel a little button-happy, with that famous wall of climate controls running down the center. This cabin is cleaner and more modern. The screens face the driver, as they should. There is a 12.7-inch center display, a 14-inch driver information center and a 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen. It gives the driver a kind of command-pod feeling without turning the car into a video game lounge or distracting you with a zillion blinking lights.

It’s comfy, for a sports car. It’s better if you are not big or tall. The GT2 bucket seats, red and black leather, sueded microfiber trim, carbon fiber accents and heated/ventilated seats all help the Stingray feel closer to a luxury GT than a stripped-down performance special. You sit low, the beltline is high, and getting in and out requires some folding.

The engine remains the heart of the thing. Older Corvettes could get lively in the wrong way, would fishtail if you looked at them sideways, same as the old Dodge Vipers. This one feels planted.

This Stingray is noisy in the right way, sweetly mechanical, but not out of control. With the Z51 Performance Package, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, Performance Traction Management, electronic limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, the car feels serious - and that’s compared to the McLaren I had earlier this year.

The removable roof panel remains one of the great Corvette-isms. You unlatch it, lift it off, and store it, or leave it in the garage. It is not as effortless as pushing a convertible button, but it keeps the coupe shape. Just don’t get caught in the rain and in severe dust. Also, don’t remove and store the roof wearing your best suit. Do it when you come home from the gym, in your sweaty clothes.

Complaints? The low seating position makes entry and exit a shoehorn proposition. Fuel economy is 16 mpg in city driving. During the test, the security alarm went off twice while the car was sitting in the driveway, keys safely on a dresser. The cabin is noisy - one has to speak up.

Conclusion: It’s a whole lot of dayum, everything good and nothing bad if you like new Corvettes.