5 Chevrolet Corvette Z51

The new mid-engine layout places Chevy in exotic car territory

- JONNY LIEBERMAN

The mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette feels like other exotic cars, which is a new sensation for anyone familiar with the Chevy sports car. Hopping from Ferrari to Lamborghini to Chevy, the Corvette affirms that we made a pretty good choice when we named the C8 our 2020 Car of the Year.

Let’s be clear: The mid-engine Corvette Z51 is a car designed around the driver. Yes, it’s easy to look at the strip of Chiclet-sized HVAC control buttons separating the driver from the passenger and make fun. But once you’re behind the C8’s funky steering wheel, you’ll realize that the controls you need are the easiest to get to, and you’ll thank the car gods that they’re physical buttons, not buried in a touchscreen.

The touchpoints are great, even the secondary ones. The steering wheel, the paddle shifters, the metal transmission buttons, and the drive mode puck all feel proper, if not pricey.

The biggest surprise with the Z51 was the ride quality. Wow. “On the road, I don’t think anything rode as well as the Corvette did in this year’s field, except maybe the Porsche Cayenne,” road test editor Chris Walton said.