Chevy Nailed The Sixth Generation Corvette--But Who Says You Can't Make A Good Thing Even Better?
It's tempting to begin with a detailed account of the five-decade fairy tale that is Corvette. But rather than risk being long-winded, let's just go with the short version: Since 1953, Chevrolet has been building its sports car for the purpose of competing with some of the finest on the planet. The goal has always been to not only build a world-class driving machine that can run with the best that Japan, Italy, Germany, and everywhere else have to offer, but to do it for a fraction of the cost.
Chevrolet has accomplished that with the Sixth Gen Corvette, and anyone who thinks otherwise is either willingly ignorant or grossly misinformed. Media and experts the world over respect this new-for-2005 Vette not only for its raw performance figures, but for the incredible feel it gives the driver, its real-world versatility, its build quality, and its comparative bargain base price. It's won awards left and right-and not just from power-hungry media leadfoots like ourselves. J.D. Power rates it "among the best" in both Initial Quality and Appeal for its class. Intellichoice rated it Best Overall Value (Sport Class), Top Winner for Highest Retained Value (Sport Class), and Smart Choice for Lowest Fuel in 2006. It's also a Consumer Guide Automotive Best Buy. The list goes on and on!
Agreed, $44,490 for the 2006 model ain't piggy-bank change (2007 pricing will start at $44,995). But think about it: this is a sports car that is as equally at home on Interstate 97 as it is on the Nordschleife. Nowhere else can you combine a sub-8.0 power-to-weight ratio with over 22 cubic feet of cargo volume and 28 mpg on the highway-even if you've got a quarter million dollars to blow.
Is this the best looking Vette yet, or what? Those partial to the C2 and C3's voluptuous, shark-like cues simply have to love the mean, edgy look Chevrolet's design team has penned into the C6. The bubbly C5 and boxy C4 had their appeal, but we're glad Corvette has found its roots again - even if its beloved hidden headlamps are no more. One of the two options on this particular car is the luscious, new-for-2006 Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat, which adds $750 to the sticker (and isn't available on the Z06). As you peruse the photos, you be the judge whether it was worth it! | 
Circular taillights are a welcome throwback to the 1961-90 era, and they fit the razor-sharp lines of current generation's rearend styling surprisingly well. But personally, I'm not sure I like how the dual-dual exhaust tips mimic them. Body overhangs are substantially reduced over the previous-generation-just look at how close the rear wheel comes to the back of the car. The tauter, 5-inch-shorter package helps keep the 3,179-pound base curb weight nearly 70 lbs lighter than the C5. | 
The standard Corvette engine may not be an LS7, but it's a big part of saving up to $25,000 off the window sticker. Though it lacks a liter in displacement and features like titanium connecting rods and a dry-sump oiling system, the 6.0L (364 ci) LS2 is still a 400hp powerhouse efficient enough to skirt the gas guzzler tax-and also achieve a 186-mph top speed. |