Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From Car & Driver:
10 Best Cars: Best Performance Car
Chevrolet Corvette
January 2005
Chevrolet calls the C6 all-new. In fact, there’s a lot of C5 under the new skin, which is no insult, considering the C5’s merits—but there’s no question that this makeover yields an even more impressive Corvette: faster, better to look at, more refined, and more pleasant to live with.
Although the fundamental structural elements haven’t been redone—after all, the C5’s chassis was one of the stiffest in sports-car-dom—this is a tidier Vette. The wheelbase has been stretched 1.2 inches, enhancing ride quality, and overall length has been trimmed 5.1 inches. The hindquarters have been reduced, too, and all the pruning yields curb weights down by about 60 pounds. A longer wheelbase and a shorter body equal better proportions: The new Vette looks lean, mean, and agile—especially in convertible dress.
We mentioned faster. The C5’s standard 350-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 has been replaced by a 400-hp, 6.0-liter version. Mated with the improved (shorter shift throws) six-speed manual, it scoots the C6 to 60 in 4.3 seconds. Only the C5 Z06 is quicker, and we expect a big uptick (500 horsepower, 500 pound-feet) on the Z06 front when the C6 edition debuts this month in Detroit.
We don’t all love the new keyless electronic features—door locks and ignition—but the rest of the C6 package is just flat unbeatable in this price class.
10 Best Cars: Best Performance Car
Chevrolet Corvette
January 2005
Chevrolet calls the C6 all-new. In fact, there’s a lot of C5 under the new skin, which is no insult, considering the C5’s merits—but there’s no question that this makeover yields an even more impressive Corvette: faster, better to look at, more refined, and more pleasant to live with.
Although the fundamental structural elements haven’t been redone—after all, the C5’s chassis was one of the stiffest in sports-car-dom—this is a tidier Vette. The wheelbase has been stretched 1.2 inches, enhancing ride quality, and overall length has been trimmed 5.1 inches. The hindquarters have been reduced, too, and all the pruning yields curb weights down by about 60 pounds. A longer wheelbase and a shorter body equal better proportions: The new Vette looks lean, mean, and agile—especially in convertible dress.
We mentioned faster. The C5’s standard 350-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 has been replaced by a 400-hp, 6.0-liter version. Mated with the improved (shorter shift throws) six-speed manual, it scoots the C6 to 60 in 4.3 seconds. Only the C5 Z06 is quicker, and we expect a big uptick (500 horsepower, 500 pound-feet) on the Z06 front when the C6 edition debuts this month in Detroit.
We don’t all love the new keyless electronic features—door locks and ignition—but the rest of the C6 package is just flat unbeatable in this price class.
