I’ve never been interested in sports cars. Give me an SUV or powerful truck any day. I want my car to be bigger, higher, and safer than everyone else on the road. And I never really understood the appeal of paying all that money for a tiny car that can’t even accommodate four people or your groceries!
But now I get it.
Last week, I was a guest at Chevrolet’s Find New Roads driving experience at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. I, along with several other media representatives, had the chance to drive Chevy’s latest and greatest cars.
I was intrigued by Chevy’s Bolt electric vehicle, and I loved driving the obstacle course in the massive Chevy Colorado truck (learn more here in my post on SheBuysCars). But what really thrilled me – and ultimately changed my mind about sports cars – was driving the Corvette around the closed course.
I was suited up in a helmet and HANS (head and neck support) device to drive the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport. Chevy wasn’t messing around here – we were about to get some real experience with speed. In fact, they made it very clear that if you wanted to drive 50-60 mph, you had no business being on the track. Some of our group opted out and chose to ride with a professional driver. I was nervous, but having never experienced really fast driving, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
I climbed into the car – because you really do have to climb down into the driver’s seat in a Corvette. The seat is low – nothing like sitting up high in an SUV – and I was luxuriously cocooned down in the cockpit.
A professional driver was in a car in front of me and I could hear him talking to me through my helmet. That was comforting. All I had to do was listen, follow, and drive.
We did three laps around the course. For the first lap, I was getting used to the car. But it didn’t take me long to feel the need for speed.
We sped up on the second lap and I let out a “woo hoo” when I hit 100 mph! By the third lap, I was pushing myself to keep speed on the curves. And while I felt a moment of panic, it was quickly replaced with adrenaline as the term “hugging the curves” became crystal clear in my mind. If you’ve ever driven a sports car around a curve at 60 mph, you know how amazing it is to feel the car doing exactly what you want it to do.
Sports Cars Are Much More Than Transportation
After my experience, I asked a few friends on Facebook why they loved their sports cars.
“I enjoy the experience of driving a sports car. When I turn the key on my Mustang the rumble of that V8 coming to life makes me smile,” says Richard. “I like a car that I feel part of, not just along for the ride. Styling is also a big factor.”
Chris says, “I love my car because of how it handles. There is really no better way to describe it than the car does exactly what I want/expect/need it to do in every situation. I feel safe in it. There is no play in the steering, and it stops on a dime. And it’s fun to drive, too.”
According to Stephen, “Speed isn’t the only aspect of a good sports car. There’s handling, looks, uniqueness, culture and friends, working on them… The list goes on. It’s often like an addiction to be honest.”
I definitely get it. A sports car like a Corvette is way more than just a vehicle that gets you where you want to go. It’s a lifestyle and an experience.
Do I still want to stick with my SUV? I think I’ll always own an SUV. But I think I’m also going to be dreaming about that little red Corvette…
Disclosure: I was Chevy’s guest at the Find New Roads Experience. All opinions are my own.
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