The sixth generation of Chevy’s performance icon remains true to its performance roots with added style and punch
By: Malcolm Gunn
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| The sixth-generation (C6) Corvette carries a familiar profile (some would argue that it’s too familiar), but upon close inspection you’ll discover that just about every component has been adjusted, altered or replaced.
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The arrival of a new Corvette model is a magical moment, even if it appears on the outside to be an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, update.
As we all know, appearances can be deceiving.
The sixth-generation (C6) Corvette carries a familiar profile (some would argue that it’s too familiar), but upon close inspection you’ll discover that just about every component has been adjusted, altered or replaced.
For example, pop-up headlights, a Corvette staple since 1963, have been replaced with integrated lights. There’s also an honest-to-
goodness grille opening that takes the place of the blunt-looking snout from older models.
At the other end, the massive tail, arguably the C5 ‘Vette’s most controversial styling cue, is still there, but has been tweaked to provide more visual interest. There are also more creases and lines as well as much larger side vents. Wind-tunnel testing and lessons learned from Chevrolet’s extensive endurance-
racing program have helped the new model become more aerodynamic, requiring less horsepower to propel it down the freeway.
Compared with the last-
generation Corvette that was introduced in 1997, the C6 is 5 inches shorter and 1 inch narrower. Among the reasons for this shrinkage might be that Chevrolet plans to market the Corvette in Europe, where smaller competitors such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Ferrari rule the roads.
The cabin includes a redesigned instrument layout trimmed with shiny bits, while the dash and door panels receive updating and new materials.
Available in coupe and convertible formats, the composite-bodied C6 shares its platform and its assembly plant with the steel-cloaked Cadillac XLR roadster. While the Caddy’s motivation comes from a 4.6-liter "Northstar" DOHC V8, the ‘Vette hangs on to traditional pushrod motivation. The LS2 (nee LS1) V8 displaces 6.0 liters (up from 5.7), while standard output grows to 400 horsepower from 350. The high-perf ZO6 hardtop model is on hiatus, but expect it to reappear with about 475-500 horsepower (there is no official word on exact numbers) as well as other trick speed parts.
Despite the increase in power (good for a claimed top speed of 180 mph), you can expect about the same fuel economy, pegged at better than 25 mpg on the highway.
Transmission choices continue to be of the six-speed-manual/four-speed-automatic variety, although opting for the Z51 package provides performance gearing, a stiffer suspension and bigger brakes.
The convertible model, set to appear shortly following the coupe’s late-summer unveiling, benefits from a slight weight reduction. Aside from a manual top, buyers will be able to opt for power operation (not seen since 1962). The rear-window glass has been enlarged by nearly 20 percent and a convenient storage area has been built in behind each seat.
Other options include a display that projects vital information onto the windshield, a satellite-based DVD navigation system, XM satellite radio, Star assistance, tinted-glass roof panel (coupe) and a ride-control system that constantly adjusts shock-
absorber damping depending on road conditions.
For close to the same money as last year’s Corvette, the new sixth-
generation model blends new and old styling as well as advancements in engineering and performance. Love it or not, the result is an evolutionary sports machine that attempts to move forward while acknowledging everything that makes a Corvette a Corvette.