Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From GlobeAndMail.com:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=bnTitle colSpan=2>New Corvette Priced to Compete
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bnByline width=300>
By ALEX LAW
Thursday, July 29, 2004</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
For years, I watched Dave Hill decline to give any and all auto writers information on the next iteration of the Chevrolet Corvette -- except to say it would be better than the current one, which was already a fabulous piece of work.
<!-- /Summary -->Now that the 2005 Corvette (code named C6) is coming onto the market sporting greatly-increased performance, comfort and content levels, you realize Hill, the chief engineer and the man most responsible for its creation, was actually telling us all we really needed to know.
In every conceivable way except possibly style (some people don't like the new body proportions and the headlights that don't flip out of sight), the 2005 Corvette is better than the model it replaces.
Donna Martin, who is in charge of marketing small and sporty cars for General Motors of Canada, said that even the car's fuel-economy levels are improved.
The MSRP for the coupe model is actually lower, having dropped to $67,395 in 2005 from $69,940 for the 2004 model. It is true the convertible's sticker price has gone up (to $79,495 from $75,990), but Martin figures most people won't mind because that includes a slick power roof instead of the manual affair of the previous model. (There is still a manual roof, but it won't be sold in Canada, just the United States.)
There is also a hardtop roof package for $2,030 that includes a one-piece, body-coloured panel and a one-piece, transparent roof panel.
The coupe is already being built and should be in Chevrolet's Canadian dealerships before the end of August, said Martin, with the convertible to follow shortly after.
"When we debuted the new Corvette earlier this year," she said, "we announced the sixth-generation models would deliver more power, more passion and more precision than any of their predecessors."
Now, she says, GM of Canada has added a fourth P to the equation -- more competitively priced.
In achieving his goal to build a better Corvette, Martin thinks Hill made it considerably more sophisticated than anything to bear the famous logo before.
"This Corvette is a no-excuses car," said Martin.
She expects it will also appeal to buyers looking for a ferocious sports car that stands up to the best Europe can offer, but for considerably less money.
Highlights of the new Corvette have to include these features, which are all standard on both the coupe and convertible models: A V-8 engine that's good for 400 hp and the same amount of torque; a six-speed manual transmission or a no-charge four-speed automatic updated from the previous generation 'Vette that uses a new Shift Performance Algorithm to handle the extra torque; keyless access with push-button start; larger tires and wheels, 18-inch in the front and 19 in the back; HID Xenon headlights; an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with seven speakers and in-dash six-disc changer; heatedats.
Additional options are:
A Z51 Performance Handling Package for $2,170 that includes cross-drilled rotors, performance gearing, special tires, springs, shocks, stabilizer bars and coolers for oil, power steering, transmission and axle;
Magnetic Selective Ride Control, the slickest adjustable suspension on the market for $2,525;
A high-performance 3:15 rear axle ratio on the automatic for better launches, retailing for $555;
A navigation system with GPS, colour touch screen display, voice recognition and an upgraded stereo for $2,030;
OnStar safety and security system, for $995 a year;
Polished five-spoke aluminum wheels for $1,900.
alaw@globeandmail.ca
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=bnTitle colSpan=2>New Corvette Priced to Compete
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bnByline width=300>
By ALEX LAW
Thursday, July 29, 2004</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
For years, I watched Dave Hill decline to give any and all auto writers information on the next iteration of the Chevrolet Corvette -- except to say it would be better than the current one, which was already a fabulous piece of work.
<!-- /Summary -->Now that the 2005 Corvette (code named C6) is coming onto the market sporting greatly-increased performance, comfort and content levels, you realize Hill, the chief engineer and the man most responsible for its creation, was actually telling us all we really needed to know.
In every conceivable way except possibly style (some people don't like the new body proportions and the headlights that don't flip out of sight), the 2005 Corvette is better than the model it replaces.
Donna Martin, who is in charge of marketing small and sporty cars for General Motors of Canada, said that even the car's fuel-economy levels are improved.
The MSRP for the coupe model is actually lower, having dropped to $67,395 in 2005 from $69,940 for the 2004 model. It is true the convertible's sticker price has gone up (to $79,495 from $75,990), but Martin figures most people won't mind because that includes a slick power roof instead of the manual affair of the previous model. (There is still a manual roof, but it won't be sold in Canada, just the United States.)
There is also a hardtop roof package for $2,030 that includes a one-piece, body-coloured panel and a one-piece, transparent roof panel.
The coupe is already being built and should be in Chevrolet's Canadian dealerships before the end of August, said Martin, with the convertible to follow shortly after.
"When we debuted the new Corvette earlier this year," she said, "we announced the sixth-generation models would deliver more power, more passion and more precision than any of their predecessors."
Now, she says, GM of Canada has added a fourth P to the equation -- more competitively priced.
In achieving his goal to build a better Corvette, Martin thinks Hill made it considerably more sophisticated than anything to bear the famous logo before.
"This Corvette is a no-excuses car," said Martin.
She expects it will also appeal to buyers looking for a ferocious sports car that stands up to the best Europe can offer, but for considerably less money.
Highlights of the new Corvette have to include these features, which are all standard on both the coupe and convertible models: A V-8 engine that's good for 400 hp and the same amount of torque; a six-speed manual transmission or a no-charge four-speed automatic updated from the previous generation 'Vette that uses a new Shift Performance Algorithm to handle the extra torque; keyless access with push-button start; larger tires and wheels, 18-inch in the front and 19 in the back; HID Xenon headlights; an AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with seven speakers and in-dash six-disc changer; heatedats.
Additional options are:
A Z51 Performance Handling Package for $2,170 that includes cross-drilled rotors, performance gearing, special tires, springs, shocks, stabilizer bars and coolers for oil, power steering, transmission and axle;
Magnetic Selective Ride Control, the slickest adjustable suspension on the market for $2,525;
A high-performance 3:15 rear axle ratio on the automatic for better launches, retailing for $555;
A navigation system with GPS, colour touch screen display, voice recognition and an upgraded stereo for $2,030;
OnStar safety and security system, for $995 a year;
Polished five-spoke aluminum wheels for $1,900.
alaw@globeandmail.ca
