Feeling a Need For Speed? The Ultimate Build Guide For 2022 Chevy Corvette Buyers

April 8th, 2022 by

A bronze 2022 Chevy Corvette is shown in an alleyway.

Feeling the need for speed? Visit your local Cincinnati C8 Corvette dealer, claim your new 2022 Chevy Corvette, and prepare to be the envy of all your friends and neighbors. The C8 designates the Corvette’s eighth-generation and the first mid-engine design since its introduction in the 1950s. The term “dream car” was invented to describe the iconic Chevy Corvette.

Under the hood, or technically under the midpoint, lies a powerful 6.2-liter V8 power plant. Configure your 2022 Corvette for up to 495 horsepower, a beastly 470 lb-ft of torque, and a zero-to-sixty time of under 3 seconds. It’s the most powerful Corvette ever imagined, and now it’s a reality that deserves a prime spot in your garage. What are you waiting for?

Stop dreaming and start building your 2022 C8 Corvette Stingray with our handy buyer’s guide. We’ll walk you through the available trims and exciting add-on performance packages that make up the 2022 Corvette lineup. From convertible to coupe, track-ready and racing stripe-adorned, have your new Corvette your way. Close your eyes and picture yourself behind the wheel.

Trims and Configurations For Customization

Chevy makes it easy to zero in on the perfect 2022 C8 Corvette for your needs, with a simple three-trim lineup. Your first choice is easy—coupe or convertible. From there, you’ll decide between the 1LT, the 2LT, or the 3LT. Prices range from just over $60,000 to the six-figure range, but let’s face it, you can’t put a price on a legend. Now’s the time to play with Chevy’s Build & Price tool to see which configuration works.

All coupe body styles feature removable roof panels for an open-air driving option. Standard on the 1LT is a set of Brembo antilock brakes, a limited slip differential, and a Corvette standard suspension. In the cabin, you’ll find a 12-inch Driver Information Center located just past the steering wheel, along with 8-way power seats, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, and an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, along with dual-zone climate control.

Move up to the 2LT and Chevy swaps out the 10-speaker audio for a 14-speaker version, also from Bose. The infotainment system receives standard navigation, and you get an HD camera in the front and rear. Standard also is a head-up display and an innovative performance data and video recorder where you can keep track of your driving stats.

Unlock the ultimate expression in luxury and performance with the Corvette 3LT. This trim sits at the top of the lineup and includes a leather-wrapped trim on the door panels, console cover, and instrument panel. Special trim-exclusive GT2 bucket seats include carbon fiber trim and provide extra support. The headliner, visors, and A-pillar trim are all wrapped in suede microfiber for an even more high-end luxury appearance. Buyers who choose the jet black interior color can also opt for available yellow custom leather stitching on the seats and trim.

An orange 2022 Chevy Corvette is shown at a race track after leaving a Cincinnati C8 Corvette dealer.

Performance and Getting Your ‘Vette Track Ready

For the fullest expression of speed and performance in your new 2022 Corvette, choose the Z51 Performance Package. It’s available on all three trims and includes all the equipment necessary to put the Corvette through its paces on the track. Corvettes equipped with the Z51 package include:

  • Brembo performance brakes
  • A specially-tuned Z51 performance suspension, exhaust, and rear axle ratio
  • An electronic limited slip differential
  • A rear spoiler and a front splitter
  • A set of Michelin Pilot summer tires
  • A heavy-duty cooling system

Brembo brakes are part of every well-equipped performance car’s DNA. At quarter-mile speeds of up to 11.2 seconds and a top speed of 194 mph, world-class brakes are essential. Car and Driver logged a braking distance of 149 feet from 70 mph in a 2022 ‘Vette with the Z51 Brembo brake add-on, which justifies the package’s price if your plans include track driving.

Adding the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires outfits the Corvette with 19-inch tires on the front and 20-inch tires in the rear. These are high-performance summer tires with run-flat technology and are the most lauded by journalists. Autoweek calls them “The King of all Summer Tires” and cites how they easily transition from track to street legal driving.

Inside the Cabin: Outfitting the Interior

Alongside all those eye-popping performance stats are the multiple interior colors and configurations available to Corvette buyers. Chevy offers eight different interior color options, as well as multiple high tech infotainment and safety systems designed to enhance your driving experience and invite in the latest app-based connected services.

Depending on trim and package selection, you can choose from three different seat styles. First, the GT1 seats, standard on the 1LT and 2LT, feature authentic Mulan leather and offer plenty of bolstered support. Included in the 3LT is a pair of GT2 Nappa leather seats, which include carbon-fiber trim and a setback halo. Upgrading to the Competition Sport seat adds even more aggressive bolsters and extra-durable finishes in areas that receive extra wear on the track.

All Corvette trims include an oval-shaped steering wheel that’s flat on the top and bottom. You’ll find steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and audio controls within easy reach. The cabin features vertical climate controls for easy temperature and seat heat/ventilation adjustment, along with minimalist ultra-thin air vents for a streamlined dash. Close at hand is the Front Lift switch, which quickly raises the front of your Corvette up to two inches to clear obstacles ahead without bottoming out.

Choose a trim with the Performance Data Recorder (PDR), and you can keep track of acceleration speed and other driving statistics. The system also performs an analysis of your track performance to help you understand lap metrics and other key enthusiast data. The PDR also includes a dash cam that auto-records whenever someone else, such as a valet, gets behind the wheel.

A blue 2022 Chevy Corvette is shown from a high angle in a parking lot.

Buy a Corvette and Say Goodbye to FOMO

The first thing you’ll notice when you slide behind the wheel of your new 2022 Chevy Corvette is the instant feeling of satisfaction. The Corvette stands alone as a legendary 10/10 performance sports coupe that inspires serious dreaming. We all dream of owning a cherry red ‘Vette, dating all the way back to our teenage years when a poster adorned our bedroom wall.

Best of all, this new eighth-generation C8 Corvette isn’t just for track enthusiasts. The Corvette is well-suited for daily driving, offering crisp handling and exceptional road manners. Sure, there’s a beast lying in wait that’s eager to tear it up on the track, but that dormant potential is half the fun. The other half is watching passersby as they take in the sleek, futuristic exterior lines and athletic curb appeal.

Since its original launch back in 1953, the Corvette has maintained its spot as a flagship Chevy nameplate. Chevy is even releasing a special edition version for the 2022 model year, the 2022 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition. Only 1,000 models will be manufactured in bright yellow or Hypersonic Gray and will feature the Z51 Performance Package, a high-wing spoiler, yellow brake calipers, and special wheels.

Whatever form your 2022 Corvette might take, you’re joining a family of discerning owners who don’t just love what they drive—their Corvette is a central part of their lifestyle. If Corvette ownership is where you’re headed, there’s never been a better time with the mid-engine eighth-generation 2022 C8 Corvette.