Dream Machine

2017 Stingray Z51 with eight-speed paddle shifter, T1 suspension, Z06 carbon-fiber bits and the list goes on

- Brian Brennan

Since the Corvette’s inception it has represented performance with an unmistakable image. Granted, over the years the car has gone through a rough and burley phase, to a subtler and downright anemic phase but those times are behind us and we clearly are living in the golden age. Today’s Corvette is a world-class car in every description. Its styling is breathtaking, its performance is literally second to none, and its driveability is truly amazing, literally measured by the seat of your pants comfort and performance.

So, imagine the Cheshire cat grin when we had the opportunity to take a 2017 Corvette Stingray coupe, resplendent in its Watkins Glen Gray metallic with Jet Black interior, for a week. We picked up our ride at NCM Motorsports Park … or as I like to refer to it, the Corvette test track in Bowling Green, Kentucky, across the freeway from the museum and the factory. It’s a glorious place.

Mitch Wright of the NCM Motorsports Park is our yearly contact and he’s always good for a 20-minute test session to show us what the new Corvettes are capable of, which I might point out is a great deal more than the average Corvette driver uses. (The 184-acre complex has two circuits: East and West. These can be combined into multiple configurations ranging from a high-speed loop of 1.96 miles to an extended 3.15-mile technical course.) This year he took out us for some hot laps to get us acquainted with our luxurious and performance appointed ride. (Forewarned is forearmed!) Let it be said that the Z51 with the T1 suspension (and a host of other appearance and performance options) is all the car you will ever need on the street but perfectly matched for track days should you find yourself into that type of weekend fun? (And if you’re not then why did you buy this car?)