The Chevrolet C6 CorvetteThe C6 Corvette had a tough job. There were five generation of the American sports car ahead of it, half a century of superb, powerful cars that got the pulse racing and the blood pounding. How could you not only compete with that, but actually better it? The C6 Corvette managed it brilliantly. It's quicker, quieter, more refined and more comfortable than the C5. The C6 Corvette looks similar to the C5, particularly from the side, but it's shorter overall with a longer wheelbase. Up front it has a face again with a full width grill and exposed headlights. It has a bit less ground clearance than the C5 and it's narrower.
If you owned a C6 Corvette fuel economy may not be a priority, but it gets a creditable 23 mpg with the manual transmission in combined city/highway driving. Getting the latest generation Corvette where it is wasn't easy. The C6 had to be designed with technology that was still being developed to achieve the various contradictory goals. Just how do you make a supercar more powerful and faster, but quieter and more comfortable at the same time? Advanced materials let the designers slash weight in body panels. The hood for example was 15% smaller than the C5 but 35% lighter and 40% stiffer. Engineers and designers used extensive wind tunnel testing to hone the shape so 186 mph was possible. Seventeen computers power the C6 Corvettes high-tech electronic system, controlling a variety of functions such as anti-lock braking and stability control. Even the throttle is drive-by-wire with no physical connection between the throttle and the engine. The accelerator pedal is actually a position switch, sending a signal to a small motor that operates the throttle. Even the shock absorbers are computer controlled with the magnetic-selective ride option. They are magneto-rheologic, filled with a special fluid that contain randomly suspended iron particles that change the flow properties of the fluid depending on the electric charge sent to a magnet in each shock. Large wheels and tires help the handling, but there isn't space for a spare, so the C6 Corvette uses EMT, or extended Mobility Tires, better known as run-flat tires. Inside the car things are just as advanced. How about a high-tech head-up display, a radio that changes tone depending on outside noise, and an optional satellite navigation system? Even the two cup holders are designed so that a Coke bottle won't tip over in a 1.0-g corner. The C6 took the Corvette to the next level of power, precision, comfort and quality. The question that may be asked in a few years is, if the C6 Corvette is 99% perfect what do you do for an encore? How can you make the C7 better? You can be sure the designers and engineers will come up with the answer. Return from Chevrolet C6 Corvette to Chevrolet Pictures and Articles |
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