New Corvette Stingray is gorgeous and powerful

The most American of supercars has its sights set squarely on conquering Europe.

Chevy is set to release the brand new Corvette Stingray in August, and the 2014 C7 was designed with the global market in mind.

"Stingray is one of the hallowed names in automotive history," said Ed Welbun, vice president of global design, in the release material for the vehicle. "We knew we couldn’t use the Stingray name unless the new car truly lived up to the legacy. The result is a new Corvette Stingray that breaks from tradition, while remaining instantly recognizable as a Corvette the world over."

The Stingray name is so hallowed, the C7 is just the third model to carry the name, and it could be the best -- or at least the fastest -- Corvette ever.

Clocking in at 455 horsepower, a LTI 6.2 liter V-8, all-new engine, the C7 is certainly the most powerful. Its get-up-and go is impressive, moving from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, but it can also stop from 60 in 107 feet.

"The 2014 Corvette Stingray’s LT1 engine is a triumph of advanced technology, delivering more power and torque than ever before with greater efficiency,” said Jordan Lee, chief engineer on the engine program.

“The LT1’s performance complements the Corvette’s low mass with a tremendous feeling of power that builds as the rpm climbs,” he said. “Drivers will experience more power and acceleration than ever before with the standard engine – in fact, its power and torque surpass many uplevel engines offered by competitors.”

And despite all that oomph under the hood, fuel-saving technology, including direct injection and fuel management that shuts off four cylinders under light loads, will help the C7 get a respectable 29 miles per gallon highway.

Of course, none of this comes cheap. The Stingray coupe starts at a base price of $51,999, and the convertible at $56,995. Fully loaded, the price tag climbs to $73,360.