DRIVEN: Chevrolet Corvette C6 - Hang on Tight

Story by Mark Atkinson
Photos by Ed Gatner
Evolution is a funny thing, especially in the car business. Some manufacturer change products so fast you wondered if they were ever there in the first place, while others will simply let a model age until it’s ready to collect a pension.

The Chevrolet Corvette is the perfect example of one that leans more to the latter than the former. It’s by no means the worst out there – The Acura NSX is essentially untouched since its 1989 introduction, and the Ford Ranger could be the ultimate definition of ‘long in the tooth’ despite numerous facelifts.

The Corvette’s been around since 1953 and only in 2005 are we seeing the sixth generation of the venerable sports car – the Honda Accord has done more in half the time. Each passing generation swung closer and closer to the title of world class – the closest being the Z06 version of the last-generation C5 – only to miss because of a too-stiff ride, too large body or too rattley interior, although criticisms have hardly stalled sales at all.

Now, with the launch of the C6 Corvette, Chevrolet has finally mixed the near-perfect batch of size, power and handling into a price point thousands less than its competition.



It’s easy to tell that the C6 is evolutionary rather than revolutionary compared with the C5, although while the general shape is the same, it’s the dramatic details that really count.

First off are the new exposed headlights rather than the pop-ups seen on ‘Vettes since 1963. They add a cleaner look – and deliver more light – than the sealed-beam units of old. Also, the redesigned rear – an inch narrower than before – takes away criticisms of the C5’s, ahem, ample back end.

Chevrolet obviously listened to the Corvette’s critics about its size, seeing as they shrunk the C6 by 5.1 inches, but extended its wheelbase by 1.2 inches in the process. Whether you believe it or not by looking at it, the C6 casts nearly the same shadow as the venerable Porsche 911, a car always complimented for its compact-ish size.
The Corvette C6 comes in three flavours of suspension stiffness: stock, F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control (as debuted on the 50th Anniversary C5) and the Z51 Package. Our tester featured the hardcore Z51 package, something that just about every solo competitor on the continent is going to aspire to.



Under the composite skin, the Corvette retains its Hydroformed steel chassis and suspension setup – SLA double wishbones at all four corners with transverse-mounted composite leaf springs and monotube shocks. The geometry’s been tinkered with a bit to provide more travel – 0.3 inches up front and 0.8 inches out back – while front caster has been increased as well.

Combine that with the Z51’s retuned spring, stabilizer bar and damping rates, and you get a Corvette that not only performs like the much-vaunted C5 Z06, but costs less in the process. Also included when you tick the option box includes power steering, engine oil and transmission coolers; larger brakes with cross-drilled rotors, specific tires and performance gearing, and a Z51-specific six-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic is available in any C6 as a no-cost option.

That upgraded rubber is sized the same as the regular C6 – Goodyear run-flats sized 245/40ZR18 up front with big 285/35ZR19’s out back – but the compound and tread patterns are different for the Z51. Also, brakes increase in size from 12.8 inches/12 inches front/rear to cross-drilled 13.4 inches/13 inches.



The biggest surprise for Corvette fans will be what greets them under the Corvette’s long hood – a new, 6.0-liter 400-horsepower V8 engine. Dubbed the LS2, the all-aluminum unit is a bored version of the previous LS1, and features a 10.9:1 compression ratio. It’s a monster of an engine, hitting its power peak at 6,000 rpm on the way to a 6,500 rpm redline. The 400 lb-ft of torque is delivered at a high-ish 4,400 rpm, but there’s still plenty to be found just off idle.

The combination is potent enough to absolutely launch you into the stratosphere with a gentle nudge of the gas pedal, pulling like a locomotive in whatever gear you choose.

Thanks to the liberal use of aluminum and magnesium in structural and chassis components, the C6 actually weighs less than the regular C5; it only tips the scales at 3,179 lbs. Also, thanks to the use of a rear transaxle rather than a traditional transmission, the Corvette has a near-ideal 51/49 weight distribution, which helps in its handling balance.



Using a heavy right pedal is almost encouraged thanks to the frustrating ‘skip-shift’ feature designed improve in-town fuel economy – if you don’t boot it off the line in first gear, the transmission will lock out second and third, forcing your next shift straight into fourth. Give it the nuts, though, and you’re shifting like a champ.

Speaking of the transmission, though, while shifts are improved over the C5, the Tremec T56 is still very agricultural, needing a firm hand to direct where you want it to move.

Around town the stiffer Z51 suspension doesn’t beat you up – the damping is such that potholes and the like are more suppressed than before. It’ll still track all over the place on the highway thanks to the larger front tires, but that just serves to keep you awake and alert.



Now, with 400 horses on tap, it is plenty easy to turn the expensive Goodyears into smoking piles of rubber; Chevrolet’s seen fit to throw in the obvious traction control and proprietary Active Handling systems.

Active Handling features three settings in regards to just how out of shape you can get the Corvette before the computers rein you in.

With everything fully on, the C6 allows you a surprising amount of wheel spin and yaw before it takes hold and straightens you out. Push the button once for Competition Mode, which increases those angles substantially. Only a very small percentage of Corvette drivers will feel that Competition Mode is confining; for the most part, it helps make the driver look more skilled than he is.

The third mode is, of course, fully off, which means the only computer chip between you and the tire barrier is your brain. The fact that you can turn it completely off is something to be celebrated in this time of increased interference, but there’s no need to use that option while driving on the street – the C6’s limits are so high that you should never touch them in on-road driving.



Thankfully, the Corvette’s cabin has been updated along with the rest of the car as the C5’s was a huge point of contention; it was functional, but very unattractive and cheap. While the C6’s isn’t a Mercedes by any stretch, at least now it rises above the Cavalier level of before. Easily adjustable leather-covered seats hold you tight in the turns, and the power tilt and telescoping wheel makes finding a comfortable position an easy prospect.

The dash is tasteful in appearance, while the nicest feature has to be the revised heads-up display with not only a speedometer, but also a digital tach and G-meter – once you get comfortable with the eerie green graphics floating on the road in front of you, of course.

Pricing starts at $67,395 for the already hugely functional C6, while adding a navigation system is a $2,030 option. The F55 Magnetic Ride Control costs $2,525, while the Z51 package seems an absolute bargain at only $2,170. To get a Corvette optioned like our tester, you’d have to pony up $70,765, including $1,100 destination charge. In typical Chevrolet style, that’s still less than you’d pay for a comparably equipped BMW M3, and thousands less than a comparable Porsche.

So the 2005 C6 offers greater style, more power, better handling and higher performance than any Corvette yet, with only a small increase in price. It seems like a no-brainer to say that this is one Chevrolet that we hope sticks around for a long time to come.