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Watch the Chevy Corvette dismiss its Euro rivals at the hands of a Brit magazine

European auto writers, especially the British, have a bit of a reputation for favoring their own domestic cars over foreign rivals in comparison tests. Just think about how many times you've heard Jeremy Clarkson deify the latest product of UK loins while denigrating an American rival as a hopeless "Yank Tank." However, we have to tip our hats to the folks at Autocar because in its latest video comparing the 2014 Corvette Stingray to the Porsche 911, Jaguar F-Type V8 S and Audi R8, it's actually given the Vette a fair shake.
Autocar has put the Stingray through a battery of tests against what it considers to be the three best sports cars on sale in Europe today. And while the tests that it has chosen are somewhat random and subjective, it has concluded that the C7 can stand up against its rivals, even irrespective of its price. It's one thing to hear about how great the Stingray is from American writers, but it's great to know that not all Brits think we've gone crazy for calling the new Chevrolet "exquisite."
Scroll down to see how it all plays out on video.

2016 Audi A6 to start at $46,200*, A7 begins at $68,300*

Audi has announced pricing on the new A6 sedan and A7 four-door coupe, with the former starting at $46,200 for a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder and front-wheel drive. Of course, things can and do climb rapidly from there. Adding Quattro all-wheel drive to the four-cylinder model bumps the price up $2,200, while moving from the base Premium to the mid-level Premium Plus trim will add $3,700, regardless of the drivetrain. Speaking of that Premium trim, it's only available on the 2.0-liter A6. Every other variant starts with the Premium Plus. At that point, the cheapest six-cylinder you can get is the $57,400 model, while the diesel-powered A6 TDI starts at $59,500. Moving up to the top-end Prestige trim bolsters the price by $4,200, for both engines. If you fancy the sleeker lines of the A7, the entry-level 3.0-liter Premium Plus can be had for $68,300, while the TDI runs $70,400. While the starting price is higher than the A6, adding the Prestige trim is more reasonable, with both engines demanding $2,650 for the top-tier equipment level. And of course, we can't get away without mentioning Audi's high-performance models. A base S6 Premium Plus begins at $70,900, while the Prestige is $75,300. The S7 and RS7, both of which are limited to the Prestige trim level, start at $82,900 and $108,900, respectively. None of the above prices include the standard $925 destination charge. Scroll on down for the official press release on the pricing changes for the new Audi A6 and A7. Related Video: Audi announces pricing for the new 2016 A6 and A7 model lines April 17, 2015 | Herndon, Virginia Award-winning vehicles get more dynamic designs, improved technology and greater power and efficiency New 2.0 Liter TFSI engine – the most powerful engine in its class, with greater performance and efficiency Standard next generation of MMI® with Audi connect® and rapid 4G LTE connectivity Audi today announced pricing for the 2016 A6 and A7 model lines. With new engines and updated design, all Audi A6 and A7 models now offer more power, greater fuel efficiency and class-leading technology for two of the Audi brand's top-selling vehicles. The 2016 A6 and A7 sedans boast more athletic design as well as new headlights and driver assistance systems. New infotainment systems provide even higher levels of interior luxury and refinement.

How Audi keeps it fresh in the design department

Audi was, even very recently, seen as a near-luxury brand, on par with niche if specific European automakers like Saab and Volvo. But early in the 21 st century, the four-ringed circus from Ingolstadt found a way to elevate itself to the level of its aspirational German rivals at Mercedes and BMW. While these brands were immersed in what we like to refer to as their Baroquecoco Period – a moment in which the exteriors of their cars gained bulges and, ahem, bangles, and their interiors failed to keep pace with the march of technology – Audi kept it simple. Its designs avoided the imperious Faberge gilding of Benz, or the Ghery-esque swoop and swoon of Bimmer. Instead, they were clean inside and out, with simple and elegant lines, comprehensible ergonomics, and subtle new signatures that were recognizable without being in any way overwrought. Customers, alienated by their rivals, flocked. Sales rocketed. And Audi became known as a formal/functional design leader – the Mid-Century Modern Architecture of the luxury vehicle world. But now BMW and Mercedes have taken note and corrected course. Both brands have discarded their dalliance with carbuncularity and are now, debatably, near the top of their game design-wise. Benz is delivering handsome stolidity not seen since the Bruno Sacco era of the Seventies and Eighties, and BMW has regained a grip on the kind of elegant sportiness characterized by Paul Bracq during the same time period. And the interiors of both brands are consistently on a level of craftsmanship, attention to detail, delight, and material selection and innovation once reserved for Bentley and Rolls. View 17 Photos This puts Audi in something of a design double-bind. First, its transaction price has escalated to the point where it lives in the same set as BMW and Mercedes. But now that those brands have caught up with (or perhaps even surpassed) the crisp Auto Union sensibility, how does it differentiate itself? "You have to have a clear design theme," says Frank Lamberty, Audi's exterior design director. "We define this as Quattro, because this is unique for Audi, this is our tradition. And Quattro means we have all the wheels powered, so we want to show that in our design. And this is different from a rear-wheel-drive car. We are coming from a front-wheel-drive platform, so everything is more balanced. Everything is in the middle, rather than leaned back. That is a clear proportion thing.