We’ve been able to stretch the Grand Sport’s legs a little now that the frigid grip of winter has released its hold on Michigan. The office is split on the car’s long-distance travel comfort. Some find the seats lacking in lumbar support while others are fine after a 1000-mile day. Contributing to the comfort are the great ergonomics of the Vette’s cockpit. We’re particularly enamored of the head-up display, which can show everything from engine parameters to radio-station information. Combine that with the reconfigurable instrument cluster, and all pertinent information is available at a glance.
Although the C7 Corvette is far from a new design, it still gets a lot of attention from passersby. That’s a testament to the design team, considering that the Corvette is a fairly common sight, what with the Bowling Green, Kentucky, factory having pumped out more than 30,000 examples last year alone.
Not being able to drive the car is a major bummer. There was a period of time when it seemed as if the GS was repeatedly in and out of the tire shop. To date, six wheels have been damaged. Fortunately, most of the bent rims have been repairable—small dents that can be trued. While $145 per repair seems very reasonable and is much easier to stomach than the $619 replacement cost of a rear wheel, four repairs have added up to a rather significant portion of the “damage and destruction” line item. Two of the wheels were beyond repair and had to be replaced, and one winter tire did, too.
See above. The way this car has eaten wheels and tires is astonishing. Granted, we did see a rough winter this year, and lots of tires in our long-term fleet fell victim to the cratered grid of our local roads. Other than the wheels and tires, nothing has so much as skipped a beat. The hatch developed a rather annoying squeak that we asked the dealer to address at the 30,000-mile service. Agreeing with our assessment, the dealer lubricated the seals, and that corrected the situation. Also, the raked windshield was chipped by a stone on the highway and developed a crack before we could get the chip filled. We’ve ordered a new windshield and will have it installed promptly upon its arrival.
Buyer’s Guide assistant editor Eric Stafford made a run to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in late winter, associate online editor Greg Fink took advantage of the warming weather to take a trip to South Florida, and other drivers chose the Corvette for more frequent trips nearer to our Ann Arbor home base. Still, the Grand Sport will have to go on a few more road trips in the near future to pile on the full 40,000 miles in a timely manner.
