Corvette C6 Convertible

The Corvette C6 was presented at the «Detroit North American International Auto Show» in 2005 after 5 years of development. It then took a good year before it hit the roads, which is why the 2006 model of the C6 only made its first customers happy in 2006.

At its launch in 2005, the new car was warmly welcomed and described as the best Corvette in history. The few critics simply considered it «not new enough», which was due to the visual similarity with the C5 and the parallel production of the luxurious Cadillac XLR, which was launched in 2004 and shared a few parts with the C6. It was only after the XLR was finished that the Corvette team was able to devote itself fully to the C6.

The C5 was often criticized for its size, as it was significantly larger than all other first-class sports cars and was rather unsuitable for city traffic. The next generation was to be smaller and therefore somewhat cheaper and easier to sell in the European market.

The C6 was actually smaller than its predecessor. It was a full 13 cm shorter and 2.5 cm narrower, while the wheelbase was extended by 3 cm. At the same time, the wheels were also one inch larger, with 18-inch wheels at the front and 19-inch wheels at the rear.

The dashboard and seats were also renewed with better upholstery and excellent side supports. The aluminum and metal look was intended to give the car a modern touch. The doors were electrically locked, with mechanical operation in the event of a failure, and a keyless system was also new.

The exterior was based on the Corvette C2 Sting Ray and the rear on the YF-22 Jet Fighter. Furthermore, the traditional four rear lights were given a rounder shape instead of the slightly angular ones of the C5. The front headlights were a completely new design and for the first time since 1962, hinged headlights were no longer used. This was partly because they worsened the aerodynamics of the car and partly because free-standing headlights were simply lighter and cheaper.

The V8 small block was completely revised, bored out to 5,967 cc and the compression increased from 10.1:1 to 10.9:1. The optimized air intake provided 15% more air, the exhaust system was made of new light alloy and the exhaust flow was improved by 20%. This resulted in a power increase of 50 hp, which meant that the standard C6 had only 5 hp less than the ZR1 version of the predecessor model. However, the LS2 weighed almost 7 kg less thanks to the new water pump and aluminum oil pan. The chassis was taken over from the C5 and reinforced all round, making the car much easier to maneuver.

And now the kicker: thanks to better quality and a price that was 125 dollars cheaper than the C5 coupe, the C6 offered excellent value for money. In 2005, it was voted one of the 10 best cars of the year by the US magazine «Car and Driver». In addition, the US magazine «Road & Track» wrote: „The C6 has no real weak points and many strengths. It has world-class performance, a high level of comfort and is available at almost half the price of a Porsche Carrera S“.