Without question, Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales is the most iconic circuit in Australia. Located 200km west of Sydney, paying a visit to The Mountain is a right of passage for any Aussie motorsport fanatic.
A host of famous names have graced this tarmac and won Australia's most prestigious race, the Bathurst 1000. Brock. Moffatt. Johnson. Skaife. Mostert. Tander. Whincup. Lowndes. Winterbottom. Most recently, van Gisbergen. And so the list goes on.
The thing they all have in common is that by the end of Conrod Straight, their V8 Supercars are touching speeds close to 300km/h. I, on the other hand, while behind the wheel of America's supercar, felt my blood pressure rising as I kept the speedo firmly on 60km/h with my eyes locked on to a looming Highway Patrol car.
Allow me to explain how we got here.
Escape to the Country
I'll admit that I'm a bit of a country bumpkin by comparison to most, having spent the majority of my life in the Adelaide Hills. As a result, I'm pretty sure the definition of 'sensory overload' is driving a Riptide Blue Chevrolet Corvette through Sydney. The thing is, from behind the wheel, the car itself has very little to do with that.
Even in a sprawling city of more than five million people with more than its fair share of impressive cars on the roads, people were breaking their necks to get a look at the 'Vette. Phone cameras were pointing from all directions. Other motorists were driving erratically to catch a glimpse at wait, what sort of car is that? Factor in the complex road network and the experience fell somewhere between Stuart Little and 2Pac – complete overwhelm, and "All Eyez on Me".
Heading to Bathurst was the very first thing on the itinerary after grabbing the keys for a few days, and I needed it. Just the car and I. That, I'm comfortable with. The car and I, and a thousand iPhones pointing my direction? Less so.
A cut-price supercar? This is way more than that
It would be easy to assume that Chevrolet has been copying Ferrari's homework when you look at the C8 on paper. A mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, low-slung V8 coupe is what the Italians have long prided themselves on being the ultimate purveyors of.
But here's the thing – they aren't anymore. The entry level Ferrari now comes with a twin-turbo V6, and it's a hybrid. Looking for a 458 Italia replacement? It's here, and more importantly, it feels authentic.
Many decades ago, there were plans and ideas for the Corvette's engine to be mounted behind the cabin, rather than in front of it. There was even a wacky four-rotor Wankel engined prototype with it mounted in the middle. The man you can thank is Zora Arkus-Duntov, head engineer of the original Corvette, and the man responsible for the addition of its now-ubiquitous V8 powertrains. That's the reason a small image of his face graces the bottom corner of the windscreen; his vision has finally been fulfilled.
Despite the Corvette using a front-engine layout for 66 years until the launch of the C8, the switch feels thoroughly authentic. It feels natural. It feels like a no-brainer, quite frankly. A big part of that is that this still feels distinctly like a Corvette. The LT2 engine is very American-sized with its 6.2-litre displacement, while its cross-plane crankshaft ensures it rumbles like a muscle car as well.
The performance is thoroughly supercar-level, though. 0-100km/h in a claimed 2.9 seconds? A top speed of 312km/h? This thing could embarrass some serious cars, and give some even more serious ones a real run for their money.
That's also despite the fact the Corvette starts at A$195,000 in Stingray 3LT specification as tested here – a remarkably low figure for a mid-engine car not called the MR2.
Forget Ford v Ferrari, this is Ford v Holden
Although also used for the Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race each February, it's the flagship V8 Supercars race in October that Mount Panorama is really known for. In years past, Aussie-made Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores were the vehicles of choice, and while other entrants including everything from Minis to Mercs have participated over the years, these two models were the stalwarts of the Supercars race series.
Since Ford ceased local manufacturing in 2017 and Holden's demise in 2020, the vehicles of choice have instead been the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro, keeping the Blue Oval v General Motors connection there, but it hasn't quite been the same.
However, Holden's demise paved the way for GM Specialty Vehicles to exist. While the Camaro came to our market through Holden Special Vehicles, better known by HSV for short, GMSV is the company responsible for bringing the C8 Corvette to Australia.
Backed by GM's American headquarters, the 'Vette is the flagship offering in its lineup which also includes the Chevrolet Silverado, but will soon welcome GMC and Cadillac models into the fold. Unlike the rest, the Corvette leaves the Bowling Green factory with the steering wheel on the correct side already; the rest are converted from left- to right-hand drive in Melbourne by long-time Holden tuners Walkinshaw Performance.
King of The Mountain
At just over 6.2km in distance and with a 174m elevation change, Mount Panorama is an unusual track for a number of reasons. Most notably, the track is actually a public road when races aren't being held, so anyone can drive around it at their leisure in any car they please.
Indeed, it's such a public road that there are even houses along Conrod Straight, meaning that can actually be your street address if you've got a few million to drop. Where else can you wake up and smell the burning rubber, though? Technically, this means the track is considered a street circuit in the eyes of Wikipedia, but one look at it will have you seeing it as a dedicated circuit.
The catch, however, is that being a public road means there are speed limits – 60km/h the whole way around to be exact. Considering the number of motorsport enthusiasts making their pilgrimage here, that limit is heavily enforced to ensure you aren't tempted to put your right foot down too far.
While stopped near Murrays Corner to give the Corvette a quick dust off before breaking out the camera, a Highway Patrol BMW 5 Series pulled in only a minute after me. If anyone is the real King of The Mountain, it's the Bathurst constabulary.
This ensured I wouldn't even think of firing up the launch control system and putting the car's 0-100km/h timer to good use, although there are still ways to have fun around the track while obeying the speed limit even in a car this special. Fully utilising Conrod Straight might be out of the question, but the tight corners between turns 2-18 give you plenty to enjoy.
Indeed, the challenge of the day as I lapped around was seeing how high the g-meter would go through Griffins Bend and The Cutting, turns 2-4, while sticking strictly to 60. A hair over 0.7g was the answer, thanks to how flat and planted the low-slung Chevy remains through turns.
That's despite the C8's centre of gravity being higher than the C7 that came before it. Principally, this is due to its coil-spring strut suspension, rather than the transverse rear leaf-spring setup used for decades prior. I'll take the marginal COG increase when the handling and ride quality is this good.
Over the course of this 450km day driving out to Bathurst and back to Sydney, the Corvette was a dream to ride in. Even with the aggressive competition seats, the ride is utterly supple and the engine remains relaxed when cruising at speed. It even shuts off half its cylinders to run in V4 mode, quietening down and saving a bit of fuel on the way.
From A to Z
The steering is also a treat, particularly on track. Even in the standard Tour mode, it might be lightly-weighted but it's razor sharp. Off-centre, the connection between the tiller and the front wheels feels utterly immediate.
While there are also Sport and Track modes to dial it up to, the real shortcut you want is the shiny Z mode button right on the steering wheel. This mode allows you to dial everything up to 11, letting the exhaust roar, the dual-clutch slam rapidly into each gear, and the suspension tighten up as if super glue were coursing through its veins.
There's no denying that this feels like a thoroughly special car, yet it's one that's still approachable. You'd think that driving a mid-engine car with a six-digit price tag would be utterly daunting, but that isn't the case in the Corvette. It all comes back to this change of layout feeling so natural. It's still every bit a Corvette – a car that attracts drivers young and old, and needs to be as good on the road as it is on a race track.
The thinking person's supercar
Taking such a special car to such a special circuit is the sort of thing you live for as a petrolhead. I'll admit, I'm not even the biggest motorsport fan out there since road cars are more my thing, but this track still holds a special place in my heart, as it does in the hearts of many other Aussies.
Nestled right next to it inside mine, however, is my love for the Corvette. While I'm yet to sample the top echelon of supercars – Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and so on – I can confidently say that of the 500-plus cars I've driven, this is the best I've found myself behind the wheel of.
The crazy part? This Stingray is effectively the base model, and there's still the E-Ray, Z06, and ZR1 to come. I sense another trip is in order.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray 3LT Coupe
Price (MSRP): A$195,000
As tested: A$215,475
Engine: 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol
Transmission: 8-speed DCT
Drivetrain: RWD
Power: 369kW // 502PS at 6450rpm
Torque: 637Nm // 470lb-ft at 5150rpm
Acceleration (0-100km/h // 0-62mph): 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 312km/h // 194mph
Weight: 1527kg
Economy: 12.9L/100km (as tested)
