C6 Road Test - European Perspective

[Rob]

An interesting online European article about the C6:

http://www.channel4.com/4car/road-tests/C/chevrolet/corvette05-/corvette05-.html

 

[JBsC5]

Left hand drive only really puts the hurt on the automotive reviews in Europe for the Corvette..


I try and keep this in perspective before I read any British review especially..

Thanks for the heads up on the article..

JB

 

[JHL]

Unfortunately there are several things that will make the C6 a hard sell in the UK and Europe. Nothing wrong with the Vette but you have to get it into perspective. The steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car for the UK, not such a problem once you get used to it but it is very scary for passengers !!!!! gas is $6 a gallon and more importantly they are very expensive. If the article price is correct £45k - £50k that is around $80k - $90k. There is a complete lack of places that can look after them so service or warranty will be an issue to take into accout as well.

So it puts it in a different league pricewise over here and then the competition is stiff. Most of the big boys won`t be to worried. Pity really but there you go.

J.

 

[WhalePirot]

Thanks, Rob. Seems a rather balanced review, if understated in some areas, as the British tend to do. It echoes my limited experience with the C-6. If one considers price, at least in the US, direct comparison to other 'supercars' may not be so fair.

Double the price and interior materials and such are allowed huge improvements. Then again, the new BMW's interior-paint-peeling problem and high buyback numbers are overlooked; that, in cars costing a good percentage more. Our '03 745Li has also shown interior fit and material problems, plus the usual niggling development problems. Our dealer is replacing it, at no charge, with an '05, due to the number of days it has been out of service this first 10 months.

Each Corvette generation improves and this one will be no exception. The Germans and Japanese have their 'teething' problems, too, but some are worked out before their cars come ashore here. I don't like the lack of a paddle shift; I like the current automatic even less, but it, and the 6-speed automatic will be along, hopefully sooner than the two years stated in this review.