Vette News - Corvette: Milestones & More - C6
Over its 60-odd-year run, the Corvette has largely stuck to its original objective of providing homegrown performance wrapped in a stylish, two-seat package. Its journey has at times been an uncertain one, but now in its seventh generation, it's safe to say the hits have outnumber the misses. Here's our look at the Corvette story from conception to the C7. This is article six in a series of seven.
C-6: 2005 - 2013
2005: Filing the C5 down to a tidier, lighter, 5.1-inch-shorter package on a longer wheelbase, the C6
is the first Corvette with headlights since 1962. It also gets a nicer interior and seats, and finally powers
up the convertible top. Plus the base price is $290 lower. Hill says it is more about perfecting rather than
inventing. We think they succeeded: Writes C/D's Larry Webster in our first test: "It's the perfect everything
sports car: fast enough to keep you interested during a day of lapping and refined and comfortable enough to make
the slog home, or the daily commute, a relaxing experience."
2006: A redesigned Z06 returns after a one-year absence. An aluminum frame, fixed magnesium engine cradle,
and carbon-fiber appointments all contribute to weight savings. A new 7.0-liter small-block makes 505 hp and 470
lb-ft of torque in the Z06, and a six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission is introduced.
2007: The Ron Fellows Championship Edition is the first signed limited edition in Corvette history.
2008: A new LS3 6.2-liter V-8 appears as the base engine, increasing output from 400 hp to 430 hp. And
lest anyone in Speedway, Indiana, forget what the Corvette looks like, an E85-fueled Z06 paces the 500 with
Patrick Dempsey at the wheel.
2009: The new Corvette ZR1 debuts, roaring to a top speed of more than 200 mph thanks to the muscle of
its supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V-8.
2010: The Grand Sport model returns, powered by the base LS3 V-8 and packing the elements of the discontinued
Z51 performance option. Side airbags are now standard on all models.
2011: With seven available models, including the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, the lineup and option availability
is the greatest in Corvette history. Curiously, a Corvette doesn't pace the Indy 500.
2012: To celebrate the division's 100th birthday, Chevrolet busts out a Centennial Edition package (available on
all Corvettes), featuring Carbon Flash Metallic paint, satin-black graphics, satin-black wheels with red stripe,
unique badges, a specially trimmed interior, and Magnetic Selective Ride Control. More important, the Corvette returns
to pace Indy with celebrity chef Guy Fieri at the wheel.
2013: With the C7 around the corner, Corvette news is limited to the 60th Anniversary package and the introduction
of the one-year-only 427 convertible, which is as close as Chevrolet got to producing a droptop Z06. It sprints to 60 mph
in 3.9 seconds.
Credits: Internet article/series by Andrew Wendler and Kevin Wilson