It seems that the automotive market is shrinking rather than expanding, sometimes – but that's all because many carmakers are dropping passenger cars left and right. As such, the few that remain need to bundle, buckle up, and present a good show if they want to survive.
On the one hand, the crossovers, SUVs, and trucks of the world are rising to fame, while most passenger cars have to agree that their prime time maybe well behind them. On the other hand, the EV lifestyle is redesigning the entire landscape, with some nameplates unable to remain committed to the new ethos. However, some models were born into this climate and somehow adapted to find the perfect niche to make them indispensable.
No worries; there is no need to take our word for granted. Instead, here's an eloquent example or two: Tesla and Corvette. The former is an American EV maker and sustainable energy company that was born into the world so few years ago that legacy carmakers laughed about its lack of heritage for more than a decade before eating their ironic words and noticing how a Tesla (Model Y) rose to fame and sold more units than anything else last year.
I know Toyota said the Corolla nameplate beat Tesla's Model Y, but they bundled the Corolla Cross to claim victory – it's like Tesla saying Model 3 and Y sales need to be reported together. The other is 'America's sports car,' and it reinvented itself for the eighth generation with a new mid-engine approach that gave it new supercar-killer credentials both in terms of price and performance.
The two, a Tesla and a Corvette, recently met on neutral ground – the videographer behind the Wheels Plus channel on YouTube is a big fan of Mission Raceway Park in Canada and also loves a good sports car versus EV showdown. So, he is back for some Thunder by the River – though only one of the rivals actually has a guttural V8 voice.
The blue Tesla Model 3, probably a Performance version, wanted to see if it could beat a burgundy Chevy Corvette Z06 and its record-breaking 670-horsepower FPC naturally aspirated V8. Well, sadly for Tesla fans, the car's hue was a sign of things to come for the owner – he was probably feeling a little blue after starting better than the Z06 but still getting beaten when the scoreboards read 11.33s at 125 mph versus 11.54s at 116 mph at the end of the pass.
Oddly enough, an orange C8 Corvette Stingray also lined up with a Tesla Model S during the second race, but this MRP encounter isn't quite something to write home about, given the 11.73s versus 12.21s result. Right?
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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