If you want all-out Corvette performance, anyone would tell you to go for the Z06— and it’s the ‘Vette we’d buy if cash was of no concern.

But most of us do have other bills to pay. Fortunately, you don’t need Z06 tuning for serious Corvette credibility, and Chevrolet was kind enough to send us this 2024 Stingray Coupe 3LT to remind us.

It does start with the familiar snarl of a midship-mounted, naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine, rated at 495 and 470 with the optional Performance Exhaust.

That exhaust is part of the optional Z51 Performance Package, which also includes some serious track hardware: Z51-specific suspension, a heavy-duty cooling system an electronic limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes and a staggered setup of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires; 245 fronts and 305 rears.

With a stance like that, a trip to Mason Dixon Dragway was in order. Launch Control on, we clocked our best 0-60 sprint at 2.9 seconds. Quick shifts from the eight-speed automatic kept the powerband on, barely tapering by the end of the 1320, giving us a quarter-mile time of 11.3 seconds at 121 mph.

Putting this Corvette through our cones was like embedding Patrick Mahomes in his hometown J.V. squad— no challenge at all. This Stingray juked and sidestepped through the gates with expertise.

BRIAN ROBINSON: “Having just had a ton of track time in a Corvette Z06 I fully set myself up for a letdown here in the standard Stingray, and that is just not the case. This car has so much performance, and then at the end of a long track day, you can just dial up Tour mode and have a nice relaxing drive home. This car really is the total package.”

And even during the low-speed ride home, the interior will have you feeling like Maverick with its fighter jet-esque cockpit, driver-centric and armed for any dogfight.

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette starts around $70,000, working up to $82,000 for a 3LT or $95K for one like ours. That’s a fair chunk of change, but reasonably short of the Z06’s six-figure price tag and reasonably all you’ll ever need.

And we’ll have all you need with more Quick Spins…soon!