The Corvette gets faster and cushier
The worst-kept secret in the auto industry was that the sixth-generation ’05 Chevrolet Corvette would come out this fall and for the first time would share a platform -- with the ’04 Cadillac XLR roadster.
Spy photos in car magazines revealed that for the first time since 1962, a ‘Vette will come with fixed, not hidden, headlamps.
Then at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this month, Chevrolet also revealed that Gen VI for the first time would offer heated seats, a voice-activated navigation system, a power convertible top (optional) and dual cup holders that not only will hold a pair of 20-ounce drinks but also are guaranteed not to spill a drop even in “high-performance driving.”
The new Corvette, or C6, is a vehicle with “more power, passion and precision” than Gen V, or C5, says Corvette marketing manager Rick Baldick.
But it’s also a tad smaller -- 5 inches shorter overall, though the wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer and 1 inch narrower. Chevrolet insists that this will contribute to a more nimble, more agile sports car than the previous generation (1997-2004) but won’t rob cabin room.
The C6 continues what was started by the C5, the first Corvette to subtract the pain from the sports-car equation. This pleased most but rankled a few enthusiasts.
“Prior to the C5, you always had trade-offs in a sports car,” Baldick said. “The C5 brought this car into the 21st century by providing a civilized car that could still do zero to 60 mph in 4 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12 seconds and reach a top speed of 175 mph. You no longer sat at a light idling while the windows shook because with new technology, you don’t have to accept ‘no pain, no gain’ anymore in a sports car.”
And the C6 is just like the C5 in that respect, only it delivers more power while providing a better ride and better handling as well as better amenities, he said.
Power comes from a new LS2 V-8 that develops 400 horsepower and delivers 400 pound-feet of torque, a considerable improvement from the 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque in the base 5.7-liter V-8 in the C5.
But the C5 also offered a 405-horsepower, 400-pound-feet-of-torque version of the 5.7-liter in the top-of-the-line Z06. The Z06 will return in the C6 for ‘06, Baldick said, so stay tuned for an optional engine.
The C6 will first appear as a coupe with removable top (body-colored or clear). A convertible comes later, but no date has been set.
“The coupe comes out late this summer and, when we’re confident everything is working well, the convertible will come out,” Baldick said. “That could be weeks or months later. We’re not going to lock into a date because our first priority is to build the best we can.” The C6 is meant to look like a Corvette, only a more modern version. Highlights include an egg-crate grille reminiscent of the ‘50s ‘Vette, a center hood bulge, four round tail lamps and a hood that’s 15% smaller and 35% lighter.
The cabin features a new cockpit with white LED gauges backlighted for day and night driving and standard power seats with manual recline but no side air bags, or optional power seats with power lumbar as well as side-bolster adjustment plus side air bags.
Though the Corvette is new for ‘05, Chevy insists that not much on the ’04 needed fixing, though there were gripes about plastic trim and the need for a more powerful base engine. The 400-horsepower 6-liter addresses the power gripes, and a low-gloss “cast skin foam” trim that’s soft and looks like leather answers the decor complaints.
Because the C6 shares platforms -- but not suspension geometry or engine performance -- with the Cadillac XLR, it also shares the technology that allows keyless access and push-button start. Unlike the XLR, however, it won’t offer adaptive cruise control, which detects when you’re getting too close to a vehicle and slows you down to prevent an impact. XLR is luxury, ‘Vette is high performance, and that’s why it comes with chassis and suspension tuned for greater lateral acceleration, more body control, less noise and better traction and stability.
There’s a choice of three suspension settings for optimum ride, optimum handling or both.
ABS, traction control and an active handling stability system are standard in the new Corvette and are designed to keep the wheels side up and the car heading in the direction pointed, providing you don’t try to overcome the laws of physics.
Other upgrades include tweaking the six-speed manual and the four-speed automatic for smoother shifting; adding larger wheels (18-inch front, 19-inch rear versus 17/18) and a new generation of run-flat tires that offer a better ride and improved handling; and offering xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps (exposed, remember) without the blue tint that irritates some oncoming motorists.
The C6 also comes with an AM-FM radio with CD player and MP3 capability as standard; a center console enlarged to hold cellphone, sunglasses and six CD cases; pockets in the doors that hold video and DVD cases; and a guarantee that the trunk still holds two golf bags with clubs.
Options include head-up display, a DVD navigation system with a 6.5-inch color screen and voice activation in a variety of languages, XM satellite radio, a Bose audio system upgrade and an OnStar emergency communication system.
The head-up display offers a choice of street or track mode to provide readings of key information along the bottom of the windshield in front of the driver. In street mode, you get displays for speed, turn indicators and gear selection. In track mode, you get tachometer, speedometer, engine condition and G-force readings in corners.
No word on pricing, because dealers can’t take orders until April, Baldick said.
