CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY COUPE

Overview

The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe is the entry point to the C8 mid-engine Corvette range as offered in New Zealand, built in right-hand drive by GM Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) for the Australia/New Zealand market. Two trims are offered — 2LT and 3LT — both sharing the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre LT2 V8 in a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The 3LT adds a fuller standard equipment list (leather-trimmed GT2 performance seats, head-up display, Bose premium audio, and extra trim/colour choices) over the 2LT, but the two trims are mechanically identical. Both share the same three-screen digital cockpit, Performance Traction Management suite, and Chevrolet Connected Services telematics package carried across the 2026 model year update.

Variants

Both Stingray Coupe trims share the same powertrain and only differ on standard equipment.

No manual gearbox is offered in the New Zealand line-up.

Engine & Performance

Both trims use GM's LT2 6.2-litre naturally aspirated small-block V8 with direct injection and a dry-sump lubrication system, producing 369kW (495hp) at 6,450rpm and 637Nm (470lb-ft) at 5,150rpm — figures shared globally and confirmed for the ANZ-market car. Drive goes exclusively to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. GMSV's Australia/New Zealand performance figures quote 0-100km/h in as little as 3.4 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 296km/h. Performance Traction Management, including the newer PTM Pro Mode, is standard across both trims.

Dimensions & Weights

These are the C8 architecture's published global figures — GMSV has not issued separate New Zealand-specific measurements, and the factory-standard RHD conversion does not materially change them.

Exterior Colours

The 2LT and 3LT Coupe are offered in the four-colour palette confirmed for the Australia/New Zealand 2026 line-up:

The wider seven-colour palette offered on the 3LT Convertible and E-Ray (adding Riptide Blue, Red Mist and Sebring Orange) is not confirmed as available on the Coupe body style for 2026 — confirm current colour take-up with a GMSV dealer at order time.

Features & Technology

Safety & ADAS (both trims): automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, lane keep assist, side blind zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, HD front and rear cameras.

Infotainment & Connectivity: three-screen digital cockpit — 12.7in centre touchscreen, 14in reconfigurable driver display, 6.6in front-passenger auxiliary display — wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual wireless phone charging, Chevrolet Connected Services with an 8-year complimentary trial (built-in Google Maps and Google Assistant, over-the-air updates). 3LT adds a head-up display and a Bose premium audio system.

Comfort & Interior: 2LT — GT1 seats, dual-zone climate control. 3LT adds GT2 leather-trimmed performance seats with heating and ventilation, a heated steering wheel, and additional interior trim and colour choices.

Exterior: LED headlights and tail lights, removable body-colour roof panel, Michelin Pilot Sport tyres.

Performance: Performance Traction Management with PTM Pro Mode, Performance Data Recorder with side-by-side video analysis, launch control, electronic limited-slip differential (availability depends on order configuration).

Shipping Considerations

This car's right-hand-drive configuration is genuinely factory-built, not an aftermarket conversion — GM Specialty Vehicles remanufactures each Corvette to factory-standard RHD as part of a programme that supplies both the Australian and New Zealand markets. IPAS sources this vehicle ex-works from New Zealand, with export shipments departing the Port of Tauranga. As a low-slung, high-value sports car it ships in an enclosed container rather than open RoRo, and loading requires low-angle ramps or a lift-on/lift-off cradle given the C8's limited ground clearance. Allocation under GMSV's ANZ programme is limited, so lead times can extend beyond standard passenger-vehicle shipments.

Warranty & Service

This vehicle is sourced from New Zealand, with export shipments departing the Port of Tauranga. While registered new in New Zealand under GMSV's retail programme, the Corvette Stingray carries GMSV's voluntary bumper-to-bumper warranty of 3 years or 100,000km (whichever occurs first), covering engine, transmission, interior/exterior components and corrosion, serviced through GMSV-authorised New Zealand dealers. This manufacturer warranty is tied to the original New Zealand retail purchase and ownership record — it is not transferable to a vehicle that is exported and re-registered in another country, and IPAS does not represent or claim any continuation of GMSV's factory warranty coverage for exported units. Buyers should budget for warranty and servicing arrangements in the destination market after import.