The Chevrolet Corvette is an American sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. The first model was designed by Harley Earl and introduced in 1953. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after the corvette, a small, maneuverable warship. It has been produced in six generations in coupe, convertible, t-top coupe, and targa coupe body styles. Originally built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, it is currently built at a GM assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The National Corvette Museum, also located in Bowling Green, documents the car's worldwide history and hosts an annual National Corvette Homecoming. In 2003, the Corvette became the first and only American sports car to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The Chevrolet Corvette is often marketed as, and quoted as being "America's Sports Car". The Corvette is the official automobile of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Compared to the C5, the C6 Corvette received a larger passenger compartment, all new bodywork with exposed headlamps (for the first time since 1962), reworked suspension geometry, and in 2008, a larger 6.2 L (380 cu in) engine. Overall, it is shorter and narrower than the C5 to gain wider appeal to the European market. The 6.0 L (370 cu in) LS2 V8 produces 400 bhp (300 kW) at 6000 rpm and 424 lb·ft (575 N·m) at 4400 rpm, giving the vehicle a 0-60 time of less than 4.2 seconds The new Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005. It has a 7.0 L (430 cu in) version of the small block engine codenamed LS7. At 427.6 cubic inches, the Z06 was the largest small block ever offered from General Motors. Because of the Corvette's former use of 427 cubic-inch big blocks in the late '60s and early '70s, the LS7's size was rounded down to 427 cubic inches. Officially certified output is 505 bhp (377 kW) and has a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph (319 km/h). The ZR1 was formally announced in a December 2007 press statement by General Motors, where it was revealed that their target of 100 bhp (75 kW) per 1 L (61 cu in) has been reached by a new "LS9" engine with an Eaton-supercharged 6.2-liter engine producing a confirmed 638 bhp (476 kW) and 604 lb·ft (819 N·m). It would have a sticker price of about US US$105,000 with the standard interior or US$115,000 with the leather-wrapped interior. The engine is the most powerful engine to be put into a GM production sports car. Top speed is 205 mph (330 km/h)C6 generation
The C6 comes close to retaining the relatively good fuel economy of the C5, due in part to its relatively low .28 drag coefficient and low curb weight, achieving 16/26 mpg (city/highway) when equipped with an automatic transmission. The manual version is the same at 16/26; like all manual transmission Corvettes since 1989, it is fitted with Computer Aided Gear Selection (CAGS) to improve fuel economy by requiring drivers to shift from 1st gear directly to 4th in low-speed/low-throttle conditions. This feature is what helps the C6 avoid the gas guzzler tax while achieving better fuel economy.
For 2008, the Corvette received a mild freshening: a new LS3 engine with displacement increased to 6.2 L (380 cu in), resulting in 430 bhp (321 kW) and 424 lb·ft (575 N·m) (436 bhp (325 kW) and 428 lb·ft (580 N·m) if ordered with the optional performance exhaust). The 6-speed manual transmission also has improved shift linkage and a 0-60 time of 4.0 seconds, while the automatic is set up for quicker shifts giving the C6 automatic a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds, faster than any other production automatic Corvette. The interior was slightly updated and a new 4LT leather-wrap interior package was added. The wheels were also updated to a new five-spoke design.
In 2010, the historical Grand Sport name returns to the Corvette lineup as an entirely new model series. It combines the wide body from the Z06 with the standard C6 powertrain in both targa coupe and convertible models. With suspension and brake upgrades included, the Grand Sport replaces the Z51 option. A new launch control system was introduced that will allow for more optimal launch in all Corvette models. With launch control, the Grand Sport with a manual transmission is capable of a 0-60 time of four seconds flat.
