2005 Chevrolet Corvette Review

Specifications

Close to Z06 Performance from a Base Vette

For years I spent time at various racetracks, auto shows, product launches and industry dinners all over the world with Dave Hill, not talking about what he planned to do with the 2004 Cadillac XLR and 2005 Chevrolet Corvette.

I mean, I watched an endless stream of auto writers trying to trick or badger GMs vehicle line executive for performance cars into spilling the engineering beans early and saw each and every one of them rebuffed with a wry, wait-and-see smile.

Hill would sometimes talk in general terms to me about his aim for both cars, which share a common architecture, and thats when Id see the steely determination that he is capable of and get excited about what the automobiles would be like. He would also be specific about the Corvette and promise a comprehensive upgrade, which always sounded like quite a challenge for a car that already had genuine world-class status.

Well, nothing short of world-class excellence was what Hill had in mind, the kind of excellence that stands second to no other companys.

When I would hear these things early in GMs renaissance, I would often apply salt as required. But I also appreciated the reach of the mans vision, since it meant that the XLR and Corvette were bound to be good even if they only came close to what Hill was after.

Well, now there are lots of people who would argue that the Cadillac XLR stands second to no other luxury roadster anywhere, especially in terms of style, stance and quality, and I am one of them.

That tended to make me think the next Corvette — the C6, for sixth generation — would be just as persuasive a product, and now that Ive seen it and been given prodigious amounts of background exposure to it, I am no longer in any doubt.

The key rumors are true — the C6 Corvette Coupe is smaller and leaner, the engine is a 6-liter V8 and its performance ratings are huge, the look is sleeker and more European, its every-day livability is improved, and the signature hidden headlamps end their run after 33 years.

Hill and his folks have tried to build a sportscar that is easily the best buy in the segment, and theyve succeeded. C6 combines awesome performance with impressive comfort and a sticker price that is low, in relative terms. I also wouldnt be surprised if it was the best built of all the cars in its class, and less likely to cause its owners to suffer lost time or money.

Listen to Hill on the subject and see if you dont understand the feeling of determination that I got in our conversations: “Our goal is to create a Corvette that does more things well than any performance car. Weve thoroughly improved performance and developed new features and capabilities in many areas, while at the same time systematically searching out and destroying every imperfection we could find.” Makes you glad youre not the cause of some wind noise or something, doesnt it?

Having said all that, I understand that I risk sounding sadly sensible when I talk about value in a sportscar, so let me add quickly that the C6 is also very attractive and likely to be very, very quick.

Actually, saying a car this light (about 3,240 lbs) with horsepower and torque ratings at the 400 level is likely to be quick also sounds silly, but I didnt get a chance to drive it so I cant comment definitively.

Because youre undoubtedly wondering, the 6-liter small block delivers the peak horsepower at 6,000 rpm and the peak torque at 4,400 rpm, administered to the rear wheels through either a four-speed automatic or a Tremec six-speed manual.

Youll be able to upgrade the final-drive to 3.15 from 2.73 for better launches with the automatic, or add the Z51 performance package for all around fun with the six-speed.

This information should start to give you the idea that — despite its sensible streak — the C6 is going to be a major threat on tracks around the world.

Thats certainly what Hill and his folks had in mind for a car thats set to debut in the summer of 2004, with a convertible version to follow shortly thereafter.

The C6 is more competition-influenced — given our championship experience with Corvette Racing — than any previous Corvette, Hill said. Our goal was a performance car at home in virtually any environment. That means more than just raw performance.

Hill said his team made countless enhancements, ranging from major changes to minor adjustments, since the C6 aims to perfect the Corvette formula of power, passion and precision delivered with great value.

To ensure the cars overall improvements, Hill and his team worked to strengthen the chassis that supports everything else.

Hill said the key features of the chassis — low weight, high strength, cored composite floors, enclosed center tunnel, rear axle-mounted transmission and aluminum cockpit structure — have all been extensively revised to extend Corvettes total performance, with enhanced structural integrity, feel, refinement and quietness.

As a result, Hill said, the overall vehicle weight is about the same as the C5s, despite the addition of such mass-increasing elements as larger wheels and tires, more robust brakes and increased body acoustics and interior features.

Into that more useful skeleton, Hill installed a new heart — the LS2 6-liter small-block V8 using GMs new Gen IV family of engines. It is the largest, most powerful standard small-block engine ever offered in Corvette, and it makes you wonder what the heck theyre going to come up with for the super-performance version that is absolutely in the cards.

One of Hills primary efforts to search out and destroy imperfections involved the Corvettes transmissions, with a particular eye to improving performance.

Along with the two sets of final drive ratios, the Tremec six-speed also got improved shift characteristics, with all new synchronizers reducing travel by 10 percent, and a shifter knob thats an inch shorter and redesigned for better driver operation.

The Hydra-Matic 4L65-E automatic is an upgraded version of the C5s 4L60-E, strengthened and revised to accommodate the massive amount of torque cranked out by the LS2. It includes GMs advanced Performance Algorithm Shifting, Hill explained, which automatically selects the optimal gear for a given driving condition and makes it a willing accomplice for performance driving and hard cornering.

To that end, none of the suspension bits has been carried over from C5. The short-long arm and transverse leaf spring independent suspension configuration is the same, but the cradles, control arms, knuckles, springs, dampers, bushings, stabilizer bars, and steering gear are all redesigned.

Even the famous or infamous Extended Mobility Tires (EMT) are new in the C6, using the latest sidewall design and compound technology available in run-flats so that they play a critical role in the tuning of the suspension for excellent handling and comfortable ride.

Though Corvette is famous for its road-going skills, Hill said C6 improvements in ride and handling include greater lateral acceleration, more body control, less noise transmitted from the road, and better traction and stability in corners.

The specific tuning changes in the chassis and suspension include suspension and steering geometry optimized for better handling and ride, Hill said, along with advanced compounds in the tires, new directional control arm bushings, increased caster angle and greater suspension ride travel.

The result is a Corvette that is more poised at even higher handling levels, yet easier to drive, Hill said.

So that drivers can choose a suspension setup that suits their demands, therell be three suspension choices in C6 — Standard, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and Z51 Performance Package.

The Standard suspension is tuned for a balance of ride comfort and precise handling, Hill said, while the optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension features magneto-rheological dampers that detect road surfaces and adjust the damping rates to those surfaces almost instantly for optimal ride and body control.

The F55 system has been improved for the C6, allowing drivers more differentiation in character between its Tour and Sport choices.

Hill said the Z51 Performance Package brings the 2005 Corvette Coupe very close to the same performance level as the widely admired Z06.

The Z51 uses more aggressive dampers and springs, larger stabilizer bars, and larger, cross-drilled brake rotors for optimum track performance capability while still providing what Hill called a well-controlled and comfortable ride.

Racetrack testing proved that a C6 with the Z51 suspension almost equals the lap time of a C5 Z06, which again makes you wonder what the upgraded performance version of the C6 will be like.

Whatever criticism comes the C6s way will probably involve its style, since dropping the pop-up headlamps in favor of exposed Xenon hi-intensity lamps will strike many people as sacrilegious, and the Corvette now has an undeniable European flair, which may not seem right in the great American sportscar thats built in Kentucky.

Not everyone may like that its shorter (by five inches) and narrower (by an inch), since this decreases the cars famous predatory hood. Its not exactly effete or anything, but the C6 does have a different stance.

The side and rear looks are more familiar, and thats a good thing. So are the new tires, which are 18-inch up front and 19-inch in the back.

Overall, I dont know that anyones going to fall to their knees in awe of the new look, but its sleek and stylish and there are no ugly bits and you have to be thankful for that. Consider the BMW Z4 in that regard.

Its hard to imagine anyone who wont prefer the new interior, since its yet more evidence that GM is starting to get the hang of crafting better interiors.

According to Hill, The passion on the outside is reflected in an all-new interior. The twin-cockpit layout incorporates sophisticated contours, leather-like surfaces that are richer and softer, and pleasing details including metallic accents and an expressive use of color.

The instrument panel and door trim areas uses lots of cast skin, which Hill said is able to retain the look and feel of genuine leather with excellent softness, low gloss and low glare that conveys an overall premium appearance and quality.

Anodized aluminum accents such key areas as the manual shift knob and door release buttons, and includes a screen-printed appliqué that minimizes sun glare and is resistant to temperature changes and fingerprints.

Corvette for 2005 contains many new electronic technologies, including Keyless Access with push-button start, and optional features such as a reconfigurable head-up display, DVD-navigation system with voice activation, and OnStar.

For Hill, whats not in the C6 is just as important as what is there. He likes to call it eliminating the little imperfections and potential dis-satisfiers that sportscar customers formerly had to accept.

So all of the major user interfaces — the hood, the doors, and the rear hatch — were designed for top quality performance, look and feel.

The hood is still forward-hinged, for example, but is 15 percent smaller, 35 percent lighter and 40 percent stiffer.

As well, the rear hatch has a power-operated single-cinching latch for excellent fit and easy operation, and the doors are stiffer and easier to close, doing so with a more refined sound.

There are indeed no traditional door handles on the 2005 Corvette, since it features GMs Keyless Access with Push Button Start technology. By detecting the proximity of the key fob, Hill explained, the system both unlocks the doors and allows it to be started.

Noise — or at least its elimination — was a major concern for Hill, so C6 gets indexing side-window glass and redesigned seals, as well as many improvements in tires, suspension, and body structure.

In all, it looks like Hill stayed quiet all those years about his plans for the C6 because he intended to let the new Corvette do the talking for him.