Chevrolet fixed the C8 Corvette’s most controversial feature and now it’s coming to the UK
Chevrolet has significantly updated the interior of the Corvette and is finally bringing it to the UK
Chevrolet is bringing its updated Corvette to the UK, including a fix for one of the original C8’s most controversial features. The company revealed extensive changes to the C8 Corvette for 2026 early last year, which span the entire range from the Stingray to the new ZR1 and now it’s confirmed these updated cars are now available to order in right-hand drive.
While this isn’t a facelift – nothing has changed on the outside or mechanically and the new 6.7-litre LS6 is yet to be announced for the UK market – those familiar with the existing C8 will find a very different car upon stepping into a MY26 model, that’s now set for UK shores. Prices have also been confirmed, with the updated C8 Stingray, E-Ray and Z06 now available to order from £95,460, £153,400 and £180,620 respectively.
The changes will either be very good or very bad, depending on which side of the fence you fell on when it came to the original’s controversial cabin. The main change is the removal of the so-called ‘wall’ of buttons, which had the climate controls for both the driver’s and passenger’s side stacked vertically, further ensconcing the driver. In the first ever mid-engined Corvette and the first not offered with a manual transmission, it’s strange, looking back, that this button arrangement was almost the most controversial thing about the car. It was certainly distinctive, regardless of how you felt about it.
While the stack itself remains, the buttons have been removed, with the primary climate controls now located in a more conventional, horizontal location, under the main infotainment screen. There are noticeably fewer of them too, which speaks to the fact that some of the previous button functions have moved into the digital realm. It’s not a wholesale digitisation – this isn’t a Mk8 Golf-tier disaster. Per Disty Smith, performance driving product manager, “there’s an intentional balance of physical and virtual controls,” but pixel creep is pixel creep.
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While the stack itself remains, the buttons have been removed, with the primary climate controls now located in a more conventional, horizontal location, under the main infotainment screen. There are noticeably fewer of them too, which speaks to the fact that some of the previous button functions have moved into the digital realm. It’s not a wholesale digitisation – this isn’t a Mk8 Golf-tier disaster. Per Disty Smith, performance driving product manager, “there’s an intentional balance of physical and virtual controls,” but pixel creep is pixel creep.
On the plus side, potential defectors from the Porsche 911, who are used to Germanic common sense and uniformity, won’t be quite so horrified upon sliding into a 26MY C8 Corvette as they would have been the previous car. The driver’s and infotainment display are now larger too – 14-inches for the former and 12.7-inches for the latter – while a wireless phone charger now features, located below the climate controls.
Speaking of pixel creep, the Corvette’s is now a three-screen interior, with a small 6.6-inch auxiliary panel that’s been tacked on to the outside of the driver’s binnacle. In the E-Ray, this can display the battery status and axle power output, while in the ZR1, it can be a nice big glitzy boost gauge. It can also show tyre pressures and other performance and dynamics-related information. This is a development of the Performance App, which first debuted on the E-Ray, that’s now been expanded for relevance across the range. There’s also a G-force gauge option and an acceleration timer.
Look away from the screens and you’ll see, if it’s optioned, an electrochromic roof, allowing the driver to decide the level of tint. Other nominal changes to the Corvette lineup include the addition of Roswell Green and Blade Silver to the colour palette, as well as the option of an asymmetrical interior, with a red driver’s area, including seat, contrasted with a black passenger area. Other asymmetrical colour options are available too.
