Chevrolet Corvette C6

According to Chevrolet, three words characterize the all-new, sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette–power, precision and  passion. Certainly, previous editions of the legendary Corvette offered all three, but in this newest version of Chevrolet’s 50-year-old icon, its  engineers and designers have aimed to give the model serious enhancement in each of these key categories. Thus,  the new car is gifted with a heavily revised small-block V-8 engine offering a potent combination of  400 pound-feet of torque  and 400 horsepower, more elegantly expressive styling and a closer attention to fit-and-finish details that are designed in.

No mere stylistic improvements

As Corvette Chief Engineer Dave Hill said, “The Chevrolet Corvette C6 represents a comprehensive advancement to the Corvette. Our objectivel is to create a Corvette that does more things well than any performance car.” And, he could have added, at a price that will allow the model not just to symbolize a performance figurehead, but also to sell in serious numbers in a very crowded marketplace. Further, Hill stated specifically that one of the goals of his Corvette team was “systematically searching out and destroying every imperfection we could find.” With this in mind, the C6 Corvette is destined to achieve higher levels of color matching,  body panel quality, and fit-and-finish inside and out than previous Corvettes.

Of course, Corvette engineers strived to please Corvette aficionados with the new C6, but, at the same time, they also seek to add new buyers to the fold, buyers who seek excellent performance but at the same time are not willing to endure poorly executed interiors, bone-jarring ride,  and indifferent quality. These buyers want it all–near racetrack level performance coupled with a high level of refinement. On top of this, they demand a car that looks amazing  and makes a positive statement about their judgment.

The good news is that Corvette designers and engineers  have appeared to achieve all these objectives. The new C6 design is unmistakably a Corvette yet also unmistakably nothing like the C5 and the generations that came before it. While retaining such masterpiece Corvette design cues as four round taillights and side coves, the C6 design presents a fresh face festooned with exposed “projector” headlights faired behind a polycarbonate enclosure. The lights top a low-mounted egg-crate grille, another curtsy to past Corvettes.

Performance on gridlock and track both upped

From the very beginning,  engineers dreamed that new C6 Corvette would take a logical step up in performance, and that meant much more than simply injecting it with more horsepower. Corvette engineers wanted to create a car that is more agile, more “tossable”  and “placeable”  on the racetrack, while also making it more comfortable in daily driving. That is a tall order, but they accomplished the work,  in part, by shrinking some of the car’s major dimensions while expanding others.

In pursuit for more agility, they designed the new car with an overall length of 174.6 inches and an overall width of 72.6 inches. That is 5.1 inches shorter and 1.1 inches narrower than the C5, but, at the same time they fitted that package on a wheelbase that is 1.1 inches longer for improved ride quality, even better straight-line tracking,  and to allow the C6 to maintain C5 levels of interior room and class-leading cargo space.

The seach for more agility and  better overall handling extended to chassis design. The C6 retains main features of the previous-generation car– hydroformed steel frame rails,  enclosed center tunnel, cored composite floors, backbone structure, rear-mounted transmission and aluminum cockpit structure–but with suspension components that have been substantially changed. In fact, none of the suspension bits have been carried over from C5. The short-long arm double-wishbone front and rear suspension configuration stays, as does the transverse leaf spring independent design, but the bushings, stabilizer bars, control arms, springs, dampers, and steering gear are completely redesigned. The  objective: superior handling with improved ride quality. To that end, the Extended Mobility Tires (EMT) are also new, taking advantage of the latest compound technology for run-flat capabilities, and they play a crucial role in the tuning of the suspension for a comfortable ride and maximum handling.

Smoother, safer, faster car

With these enhancements in place, Chevrolet engineers claim improvements in handling and ride  that include greater lateral acceleration,  less noise transmitted from the road, more body control, more relaxing ride, and better traction and stability in corners. However, lest you think the Corvette has “gone soft,”  Corvette engineers say the C6 offers enhanced ride quality while at the same time achieving race-tuned C5-like numbers on the track.

At the core of the car is its powerplant, and the new LS2 small-block V-8 promises to be the heart of a lion. Built off General Motors’ Gen IV small-block family of engines, the LS2 delivers striking peak output numbers–400 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque at 4400 rpm. That represents an increase of  fifty horsepower and 40 lb.-ft. of torque over the previous Corvette’s LS1 engine. But there’s more to this engine than just a  strong power peak. It also delivers its torque and power  over a very broad rev range, making it very usable in everyday driving and retaining Corvette’s reputation as the supercar that is easiest to drive well.

How have Corvette engineers  attained all this? The laundry list of changes is long, but among the chief changes are  a compression increase to 10.9:1 accompanied by more sophisticated knock-sensing,  an all-new aluminum block casting with increased cylinder bore diameter that boosts displacement to 6.0 liters, and higher lift cams that take advantage of better cylinder head flow. Whether mated to a revised, easier-shifted 6-speed manual transmission or an up-rated 4-speed automatic transmission, the C6 offers thrilling performance throughout the rev band with a level of sophistication, quiet,  and fuel economy that set new levels for performance cars.

Interior finish  improved with aluminium

Finally, when it comes to precision, Corvette designers and engineers  have gone to new lengths to deliver  functionality and craftsmanship that high-line sports car buyers demand. To achieve this, they have utilized “cast skin” throughout the interior, using its soft, low-gloss characteristics to give the car a premium look. The cast skin has been accented by subtle touches of anodized aluminum in items like the door release and the shift knob buttons.

On the exterior, the Xenon high-intensity discharge lamps are accompanied by keyless access that eliminates the need for traditional door handles. In its quest to jettison,  prospective customer “dis-satisfiers” Corvette engineers paid particular attention to important areas like the doors, hood, and rear hatch, designing mechanisms that both look and work better in everyday use.

The result of the emphasis on the three “P’s”–passion, power,  and precision–is a C6 that will take its place in the Corvette pantheon as the best ever, pleasing both the Corvette faithful and a fresh  legion of buyers who will be drawn by the model’s arresting fine  looks and stellar performance.

—© Studio One Networks—

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