2005 Chevrolet Corvette Review

Specifications

Decadent Drop-Top

Chevrolet isnt about to wait to release its next-generation Corvette roadster, launching the new drop-top in Geneva only two months after the coupe debuted in Detroit.

Why Geneva? Good question. Corvette has long been an American ambassador to Europe, albeit in very small numbers, but with the success of this years Le Mans conquering No. 63 Corvette C5-R, the second year of domination in the GTS sports car category, Chevy is starting to gain in notoriety in the olde world.

And it isnt like the North American public will snub the new convertible because the bowtie brand has chosen to launch it overseas. Actually, quite the opposite is true. After years of not quite measuring up when it comes to interior ergonomics, fit and finish and quality of materials, big issues in Europe and increasingly important here at home, the C6 Corvette looks to be mostly on the mark. If an American car can stand up to the scrutiny of the Europeans, or so the belief goes, then it is no doubt good enough for us.

Europeans should appreciate the new cars conservative good looks. Chevy didnt exactly push the envelope when it comes to exterior styling, instead relying on its strong, loyal customer base to buy into an evolutionary design.

One thing thats for sure, the car looks like a Corvette. Its Kamm-style rear fascia incorporating circular quad taillights, raked beltline melding into swooping front fenders, are all dead giveaways. The only “radical” change to the coupe and convertible, as compared to the 1997 through 2004 C5, is a move to fixed headlamps, a design element the model hasnt featured since the 1962 model year. And it makes a lot of sense, being that most jurisdictions have passed daytime running light laws that would keep them exposed more often than tucked away out of sight. Aerodynamic efficiency being as important to new vehicle design as it is, they had to go.

Theres something else the new convertible has in common with the 1962 car, it was the last model year that saw Chevy build only a Corvette roadster. OK, thats not totally in common is it? But theres some kind of tie-in. Americas sports car started life way back in 53 as a convertible with the availability of a removable hardtop coming later in its second generation car. The first coupe came in 1963, the much loved Sting Ray.

Of course, I wouldnt be the only one to wish Corvette would return to such styling glory days. But unlike Ford, which is focused on looking in the mirror for tomorrows next design ideas, resulting in the 2005 cum 1967 Mustang and completely retrospective GT (40), Chevrolet is attempting to come up with fresh, new designs that dont completely depart from traditional values, in the case of Corvette anyway.

Is the new design a runaway show-stealer? Well, to the Corvette faithful, and there are lots of them, it should be pleasing enough to cause some excitement. To the rest of the enthusiast world, which includes me, it seems a bit on the mild side. The Vette has long been about bold expressionism, unabashed aggression and in your face one-upmanship. The C6 might even be more subtly executed than the C5. The immature bad-boy no the block has grown up and gotten all sophisticated, which is OK in some aspects, such as interior quality, but maybe a little too tame from a styling standpoint.

On the positive its five inches shorter than the C5, improving low and high-speed maneuverability without impeding interior space according to GM. The new skin reduces the drag coefficient to 0.28, making it the most aerodynamically efficient Corvette ever. Whats more Chevy has integrated anti-lift characteristics into the design, reportedly enabling improved high-speed stability.

An even bigger story behind the 2005 Corvette coupe and convertible is the engine, a new 6.0-liter V8 that puts out 400 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 400 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Configured with its 6-speed manual transmission the new base model attains 60 mph in a tidy 4.1 seconds, reduced further to 4.0 seconds in Z51 Performance Package trim. The quarter mile arrives in a mere 12.6 seconds and 114 mph, just before maxxing out at a supercar-like 186 mph. Incidentally, thats faster than any production Corvette ever built, including the famed ZR1 or Z06!

Amazingly, environmental issues arent thrown out the window, or more precisely the open top, with Corvettes new performance upgrade. Due to reduced vehicle mass and aerodynamic optimization, plus the efficiencies of the new 6.0-liter LS2 V8 engine, the 2005 Corvette delivers an estimated combined city/highway rating of about 22 or 23 mpg, which is virtually the same as the outgoing model despite the 14.5 percent improvement in horsepower.

When compared to leading sports car rivals the new Corvette comes out on top in output versus fuel economy specs. GM explains it this way: “When the LS2s 400 horsepower is multiplied by its combined city/highway mileage estimates, it yields an index of 9,040.” How does the competition stack up? Porsches 911 GT2, which features 477-hp and a 18.2 mpg city/hwy rating, achieves an index of 8,681. The 500-hp Vipers thirsty 8.3-liter V10 results in 15.5 mpg combined and a rating of 7,750. Ferrari is much worse at 6,541 for the 515-hp 575 Maranello, which achieves 12.7 mpg, while the Modena only manages the same 12.7 mpg combined city/hwy fuel economy specs while producing 400-hp, for a last place 5,080. But of course the high-revving sound of its V8 engine, to some, is priceless.

But North American enthusiasts often prefer the rumble of large displacement V8s, an exhaust note the previous Corvette had down to perfection. No doubt the 2005 model will only improve on such nuances.

But youve read all about engine performance in previous C6 coupe reviews Im sure. What about the new convertible?

“We designed the Corvette from the outset as an open car, so theres no compromise in ride, handling and performance for the Convertible compared to the Coupe,” stated Dave Hill, chief engineer for the Corvette and vehicle line executive for GM Performance Cars. “This sixth-generation Convertible is a large step forward, featuring greatly improved function, appearance and quietness.”

The new Vette Convertible gets an optional power-operated soft top, something not seen in the model since 1962 - theres another tie-in. The power top, designed and manufactured in partnership between GM and Car Top Systems, Gmbh, in Germany, requires the push of a single-button to lower or rise in only 18 seconds. A manual top continues as standard.

The new canvas top, that will come in a choice of black, beige and grey, features a more integrated “contoured appearance” which hides the underlying framework better than most of its rivals, according to GM. The result is a nicer appearance and improved aerodynamics.

“We sweated the details to ensure that the Convertible driver has all the performance of the Coupe, with surprising quietness and excellent storage capability for a roadster, top-up or top-down,” Hill added.

The Corvette ragtop now features indexing side glass, a wind noise reducing feature that became popular on BMWs coupes and convertibles and now shows up on lower level cars such as Chryslers new PT Cruiser Convertible.

According to GM, computer airflow models were used to improve aerodynamic characteristics even before the first designs hit the wind tunnel, which is how most new cars are made. The Corvette Convertible features a new aluminum windshield frame, designed with this method to promote conversation level quietness even when the top is down at highway speeds. When the top is up the cars thick, five-layer Twillfast fabric is said to enhance insulation while improving durability.

GM designed in practicality to the new Corvette roadster too, with a fairly decent 10.5 cubic feet of cargo space available when the top is up and 5.1 cubic feet with the top down. This is achieved via a new rear bulkhead improving available space as well as an added cargo area behind the seats. Also, the addition of the power top mechanisms doesnt impinge on cargo space at all. In comparison the smaller Porsche Boxster uses front and rear compartments to deliver 9.2 cubic feet of trunk space, top up or down.

Visibility is often compromised in convertibles, but Chevy at least made the rear view better by increasing the size of the back window by 18.5 percent over last years car. A rear defogger continues to be standard.

When perusing the 2005 Corvette specs I was impressed that Chevy actually managed to reduce the cars curb weight when compared to the 2004 model. The Convertible continues this trend with a commendable 49 pound reduction, resulting in an overall weight of 3,199 pounds. The truly impressive part is that the optional power top brings only 14 pounds to the table, which if included still weighs less than the outgoing cars manually actuated top.

GM states that all Corvette Coupe options can be had on the Convertible, including OnStar, XM Satellite Radio and DVD-Navigation. The technology sharing continues with a triple play of suspension choices, including Corvette Standard Suspension, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and the new Z51 Performance Package.

But while purists will salivate when reviewing the Z51 package, theres a lot to be said for the completely revised standard chassis. Underpinning the requisite composite body panels is an all-new hydroformed steel frame with aluminum & magnesium structural and chassis components. Both front and rear suspension setups feature a short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone configuration with cast aluminum upper and lower control arms. The car continues forward with its unorthodox transverse-mounted composite leaf springs, plus monotube shock absorbers front and back.

A speed sensitive, magnetic power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system is in place to optimize handling at all speeds and driving styles, featuring a 16.1:1 steering ratio resulting in a 39 foot turning circle. Wet weather handling is enhanced with electronic traction control.

The new convertibles power assisted, ABS equipped, four-wheel disc brakes feature 12.8 inch diameter by 1.26 inch thick front and 12.0 inch diameter by 1.0 inch thick rear rotors in stock trim, beefed up to 13.4 inch diameter by 1.26 inches thick up front and 13.0 inch by 1.0 inch rotors in the rear when equipped with the Z51 package.

Z51 cars also get upgraded tires from the standard 18 by 8.5 inch front and 19 by 10 inch rear alloys on P245/40ZR-18 front and P285/35ZR-19 rear Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Extended Mobility performance tires, to the same size wheel sizes sporting identically sized Goodyear Eagle F1 SC Extended Mobility tires with an asymmetric tread pattern.

Chevy states the Z51 Performance Package, which includes slightly modified transmission ratios, makes either 2005 Corvette coupe or convertible close to matching the current Z06 models track performance. Not bad. I can only guess at what the next-gen Z06 will be like?

In the end the new Corvette Convertible joins the Coupe as one of the best performance values available. Production of the drop-top begins in the fall of 2004, just after the Coupe starts production during late summer.

No doubt, despite its conservative styling, the C6 will sell quickly. Its been a long time coming, initially expected to show up for Corvettes 50th anniversary, and customers are biting at the bit to take one home.

I feel the same way about spending a week behind the wheel, and look forward to featuring my driving impressions when the opportunity presents itself. Who knows, like Ive experienced with other new designs that at first dont excite, quite possibly the C6 Corvette will grow on me. Only time will tell.