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Corvette holds its ground
December 18, 2007
BY JILL CIMINILLO SearchChicago - Autos Editor
I was taking a cooking class at the Chopping Block in Lincoln Square when the first snow of the season started to fall. We were making decadent holiday desserts, and the glittering snow added to the ambience of holiday cheer.
Then I remembered that I had driven to the class in a Corvette. Gulp.
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait for the class to be over, and though I was supposed to go to lunch afterward with friends, I promptly ditched them before the snow could get any worse.
If you’ve never driven a Corvette in snow, all I have to say is: Don’t. It took me two hours to get from Lincoln Square to Bucktown, and we’re talking about 3.5 miles door to door. To give you perspective, I can run 3.5 miles in 40 minutes. And I’m slow. I was in first gear the entire time and didn’t go over 15 mph once. Even the slightest twitch of the steering wheel caused me to fishtail, and turning corners was like doing a donut in the middle of the intersection. Good times.
Luckily, I did have a few no-snow days in the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette test vehicle, and in terms of sports cars, the ’Vette is still a favorite.
The biggest change for 2008 is the engine. The LS3 6.2-liter engine delivers 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. That’s up from last year’s numbers of 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The test vehicle had the optional dual mode exhaust ($1,195), which increased the power ratings even more to 436 and 428 respectively.
Whether I was sitting still or hurtling down the highway, I could feel the sheer power as it literally rocked the car. Pushing the ignition button made the car shake as the engine rumbled to life, and I could feel the power coursing through the Corvette at every point of contact from my toes to my shoulders.
I’ve always thought the Corvette is one of the best cars on a race track. Thankfully, I had the chance to test this one over the summer, and nothing has changed. With such power under the hood, you can fly up to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. On the twisty track at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, I found myself easily topping 110 mph and barely needed to take it out of third gear.
Transferring that power to the highway, I had a blast accelerating to the speed limit and then letting the speedometer level out. For highway travel, I usually kept my speed in the 65 to 70 mph range, and the tachometer just barely kissed 1,500 rpm. Unfortunately I had way too little highway time, and after the snowbound trek, it was clearly reflected in the miles per gallon.
My final number during the test week was 12 mpg. Keep in mind that after 2 hours in first gear, the mileage estimate had gone down to 8 mpg. I spent about 60 minutes of drive time in the car after that in combined city/highway driving. If I had more time, I’m sure the mileage numbers would have been more on par with the city/highway EPA estimates of 16/26 mpg.
One of the things that I like so much about the Corvette is its comfort. Purists might argue that sports cars aren’t supposed to be comfortable, and I suppose they’re entitled to their opinion. I just disagree. I’ve driven everything from a Ford GT to a Lamborghini Gallardo to a Lotus Elise, and I don’t care how responsive it is or how much horsepower it has – if you’re sitting awkwardly, it’s just not fun. The Corvette has six-way power adjustable seats that suit petite females as well as larger-than-average men. I had a perfect driving position and could see well out the front and rear. I didn’t have to stretch to push the clutch all the way in, and the short-throw shift was in the perfect location for quick, easy shifts.
The seats contour to your body and manage to hug you whether you weigh 100 pounds or 200 pounds. Being on the small side, I didn’t feel that the seats were over bolstered, and virtually everything about the driving position was comfortable.
Another nice thing about the Corvette is that, in addition to being a sports car, it also has plenty of trunk space. In fact, it beats out most sedans with 22 cubic-feet of cargo volume. In my 2006 video review of the Z06, I illustrated this by lying in the cargo area.
The test vehicle had more than $9Kin options, which turned a nice car into an awesome one. From the 3LT Preferred Equipment Group ($4,505) to the Z51 Performance Package ($1,695), the test vehicle had most of the whistles and bells you could ever wish for. The heated seats and Head Up display included in the 3LT package, were among my favorites. But if you get nothing else (though the heated seats are really, really nice), I strongly recommend the removable transparent roof ($750). I was enthralled with it, and found myself sitting in my garage staring at the beamed ceiling through the roof more than once. Driving through the city was another spectacle of visual delight, looking up at the tall buildings through the roof. My passengers were equally entranced.
Every time I drive the Corvette, I love it. It’s better than its competitors in terms of both fun and comfort, and for three seasons at least, it can be an everyday driver. The stiff suspension obviously prefers the smooth highway, but you won’t bite your tongue off on the pot-holed side streets.
The only thing I did not like about the Corvette is the forced shift in the manual transmission from first to fourth during slow acceleration. Because of the frequent stop signs on Chicago side streets, I often did a slow acceleration, which usually involves a shift from first to second before I stop. With the Corvette, I’d shift from first to fourth. If I didn’t immediately shift back down to second, the car would start jerking as I slowed down to hit the next stop sign. So it was a constant first, fourth, third, second, first in the space of seconds. Not a fan.
I’m a huge fan of the C6 generation Corvette with the long lines that hearken back to the Sting Ray and the headlights that echo a Ferrari. With its eye-catching design, the Corvette is always guaranteed to turn heads, and I definitely noticed a few gawkers during the test period. Then again, when you’re the only sports car driving in snow storm the looks they give you are more like: What an idiot.
Oh, well. For something like 275 days of the year, it’s a great car. For the other 90, you can keep it in your garage and polish it. It’s still a great car.
December 18, 2007
BY JILL CIMINILLO SearchChicago - Autos Editor
I was taking a cooking class at the Chopping Block in Lincoln Square when the first snow of the season started to fall. We were making decadent holiday desserts, and the glittering snow added to the ambience of holiday cheer.
Then I remembered that I had driven to the class in a Corvette. Gulp.
Suddenly, I couldn’t wait for the class to be over, and though I was supposed to go to lunch afterward with friends, I promptly ditched them before the snow could get any worse.
If you’ve never driven a Corvette in snow, all I have to say is: Don’t. It took me two hours to get from Lincoln Square to Bucktown, and we’re talking about 3.5 miles door to door. To give you perspective, I can run 3.5 miles in 40 minutes. And I’m slow. I was in first gear the entire time and didn’t go over 15 mph once. Even the slightest twitch of the steering wheel caused me to fishtail, and turning corners was like doing a donut in the middle of the intersection. Good times.
Luckily, I did have a few no-snow days in the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette test vehicle, and in terms of sports cars, the ’Vette is still a favorite.
The biggest change for 2008 is the engine. The LS3 6.2-liter engine delivers 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. That’s up from last year’s numbers of 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The test vehicle had the optional dual mode exhaust ($1,195), which increased the power ratings even more to 436 and 428 respectively.
Whether I was sitting still or hurtling down the highway, I could feel the sheer power as it literally rocked the car. Pushing the ignition button made the car shake as the engine rumbled to life, and I could feel the power coursing through the Corvette at every point of contact from my toes to my shoulders.
I’ve always thought the Corvette is one of the best cars on a race track. Thankfully, I had the chance to test this one over the summer, and nothing has changed. With such power under the hood, you can fly up to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. On the twisty track at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, I found myself easily topping 110 mph and barely needed to take it out of third gear.
Transferring that power to the highway, I had a blast accelerating to the speed limit and then letting the speedometer level out. For highway travel, I usually kept my speed in the 65 to 70 mph range, and the tachometer just barely kissed 1,500 rpm. Unfortunately I had way too little highway time, and after the snowbound trek, it was clearly reflected in the miles per gallon.
My final number during the test week was 12 mpg. Keep in mind that after 2 hours in first gear, the mileage estimate had gone down to 8 mpg. I spent about 60 minutes of drive time in the car after that in combined city/highway driving. If I had more time, I’m sure the mileage numbers would have been more on par with the city/highway EPA estimates of 16/26 mpg.
One of the things that I like so much about the Corvette is its comfort. Purists might argue that sports cars aren’t supposed to be comfortable, and I suppose they’re entitled to their opinion. I just disagree. I’ve driven everything from a Ford GT to a Lamborghini Gallardo to a Lotus Elise, and I don’t care how responsive it is or how much horsepower it has – if you’re sitting awkwardly, it’s just not fun. The Corvette has six-way power adjustable seats that suit petite females as well as larger-than-average men. I had a perfect driving position and could see well out the front and rear. I didn’t have to stretch to push the clutch all the way in, and the short-throw shift was in the perfect location for quick, easy shifts.
The seats contour to your body and manage to hug you whether you weigh 100 pounds or 200 pounds. Being on the small side, I didn’t feel that the seats were over bolstered, and virtually everything about the driving position was comfortable.
Another nice thing about the Corvette is that, in addition to being a sports car, it also has plenty of trunk space. In fact, it beats out most sedans with 22 cubic-feet of cargo volume. In my 2006 video review of the Z06, I illustrated this by lying in the cargo area.
The test vehicle had more than $9Kin options, which turned a nice car into an awesome one. From the 3LT Preferred Equipment Group ($4,505) to the Z51 Performance Package ($1,695), the test vehicle had most of the whistles and bells you could ever wish for. The heated seats and Head Up display included in the 3LT package, were among my favorites. But if you get nothing else (though the heated seats are really, really nice), I strongly recommend the removable transparent roof ($750). I was enthralled with it, and found myself sitting in my garage staring at the beamed ceiling through the roof more than once. Driving through the city was another spectacle of visual delight, looking up at the tall buildings through the roof. My passengers were equally entranced.
Every time I drive the Corvette, I love it. It’s better than its competitors in terms of both fun and comfort, and for three seasons at least, it can be an everyday driver. The stiff suspension obviously prefers the smooth highway, but you won’t bite your tongue off on the pot-holed side streets.
The only thing I did not like about the Corvette is the forced shift in the manual transmission from first to fourth during slow acceleration. Because of the frequent stop signs on Chicago side streets, I often did a slow acceleration, which usually involves a shift from first to second before I stop. With the Corvette, I’d shift from first to fourth. If I didn’t immediately shift back down to second, the car would start jerking as I slowed down to hit the next stop sign. So it was a constant first, fourth, third, second, first in the space of seconds. Not a fan.
I’m a huge fan of the C6 generation Corvette with the long lines that hearken back to the Sting Ray and the headlights that echo a Ferrari. With its eye-catching design, the Corvette is always guaranteed to turn heads, and I definitely noticed a few gawkers during the test period. Then again, when you’re the only sports car driving in snow storm the looks they give you are more like: What an idiot.
Oh, well. For something like 275 days of the year, it’s a great car. For the other 90, you can keep it in your garage and polish it. It’s still a great car.
