There’s no denying the new Corvette is a numbers car. It develops 460 horsepower from 6.2 liters and eight cylinders, and costs thousands less than its competitors. Even its new automatic transmission is all about impressive figures.
For instance, the eight-speed unit has two more forward gears than the one it replaces. Thanks to a healthy dose of magnesium and aluminum parts, the 8L90 is also more than eight pounds lighter than the outgoing box. A snappier first gear ratio – 4.56 vs. the six-cogger’s 4.03 – helps it rocket the new Stingray to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
It gets better. “Wide-open throttle upshifts are executed up to eight-hundredths of a second quicker than those of the dual-clutch transmission offered in the Porsche 911.”
Despite such performance, the Hydra-Matic is good for an EPA-estimated 29 mpg on the highway – a 3.5-percent improvement over the previous auto’s fuel economy.
Credit things such as 0.65 top gear and 2.41 rear axle ratios that reduce engine rpm by eight percent at 70 mph. Stingrays with the Z51 Performance Package will come with 2.73 back ends; Z06s will have 2.41 set-ups.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
