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2008 CHEVROLET Corvette Z06
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2001 w Jefferson ST Joliet, IL 60435
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2008 CHEVROLET Corvette Z06
| Media Reviews |
The great American sports car.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a lot of fun to drive in any iteration. The LS3 V8 engine sounds great, and its low, throaty roar is accompanied by thrilling acceleration. Stand on the gas and even the automatic will chirp the rear tires when it shifts into second. The LS3 V8 has been updated for 2008 from last year's LS2. It now displaces 6.2 liters (376 cubic inches) and generates 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque. To put this in perspective, that's 25 hp more than the previous-generation Z06 engine. The Corvette can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and cover the standing quarter-mile in 12.5 seconds. That's quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera or Jaguar XK8 and comparable to a Ferrari F430. There's lots of torque at all engine speeds, and throttle response is even more willing for 2008. Stand on the gas and the Vette goes. The 2008 Corvette can lap a racing circuit nearly as quickly as the old Z06, and it boasts a top speed of 190 mph. We haven't experienced 190 mph, but on a tight racing circuit we found the current Corvette much easier to drive than older models. Today's Corvette is easier to drive hard in the turns, braking hard, then powering out under hard acceleration. The Corvette is happy cruising around, as well. It gets an EPA-rated 16/26 mpg City/Highway with the manual, 15/25 mpg with the automatic. The six-speed automatic and six-speed manual are each appealing in their own right, so choosing between them comes down to priorities and personal preference. We're here to tell you the manual is a viable option as a daily driver. It shifts easily and the clutch is easy to operate smoothly. For fuel economy purposes, Chevrolet includes a mechanism that forces you to shift from first to fourth gear when accelerating slowly. We find this annoying, but adjusted to it. This fuel-economy strategy can be avoided by revving higher and waiting longer to shift. Fifth and sixth gears are both overdrives, again to improve fuel efficiency. Shifting through the gears is a lot of fun and it's easy to brake and downshift using the heel-and-toe method when approaching a corner (actually by braking with the ball of the foot and blipping the throttle with the right side of the foot). In short, it's a modern, easy-to-operate manual; we'd own one. The automatic is best for commuting in stop-and-go traffic, and it gives up little to the manual in performance. The Paddle Shift automatic offers manual shifting via steering-wheel levers and an electronic controller with more computing power than the typical PC had 10 years ago. The relatively close ratios offer good performance and smoothness by allowing the engine to run at optimal rpm more often. First gear has a high ratio, delivering impressive acceleration off the line. Yet both fifth and sixth are overdrive gears, allowing quiet cruising and good highway mileage. If ever a sporting car were suited for an automatic transmission, it's the Corvette, with its big, torquey V8. The automatic does not sap all the fun out of driving the way automatics do in small sports cars with small engines. It's responsive to the driver's intent, shifting hard and fast when you're getting with the program, but shifting smooth and soft when cruising. In the handling department, the Corvette is agile and easy to toss around, benefits of its light weight, trim proportions and refined suspension. The coupe weighs a trim 3,217 pounds. Three suspensions are available. We liked the standard suspension and would not hesitate to order a Corvette so equipped. Ride quality of the C6 is firm but quite pleasant, not harsh. It offers great handling, even on a racing circuit. There's almost no body lean when cornering hard. In short, the cheapest, most basic Corvette is a great car. The Z51 package makes the Corvette even more fun on a race track. Z51 is a substantial upgrade that includes special brakes, shocks, springs, anti-r.
Chevrolet Corvette is easy to live with, easy to drive and more fun than a Sony PlayStation 3. The ultra-high-performance Z06 model pushes the envelope for off-the-shelf production cars to limits hard-core enthusiast drivers wouldn't have imagined a decade ago. For everyday driving, our choice is for one of the standard models, though we'd lie awake at night deciding between coupe or convertible, manual or automatic, before we even got to the whole color dilemma. NewCarTestDrive.com editor Mitch McCullough filed this report from Los Angeles; with Jeff Vettraino in Detroit, and Kirk Bell in Chicago.
The C6 (or sixth-generation) Corvette is now in its fourth year of production. The 2008 Chevrolet Corvettes look the same as the 2007s, in spite of their bigger engines. The Corvette is low and sleek. From some angles it's almost pretty, and it shows a bit of Italian flair. Throughout the car, functional elements dictate design and the result is a forward motion that implies performance. The lines of the bulging hood, the shape of the fenders, and the cat's eye headlights all point forward to a subtle beaklike shape. A pair of fog lights flank a wide air intake below. Vents behind the front tires let hot air out of the engine compartment. The sculpted fenders, sharp creases that sweep dramatically up to the planed rear deck, call to mind race cars as well as jet fighters. At the back, four round taillights recall Corvette's past and make the car look like an F-18 taking off in full afterburner mode. On the functional side, the optics of the reverse lights magnifies the light they throw out to help when backing up in this beast. To move weight from the front of the Corvette, the transmission is mounted behind the seats and connected to the differential, rather than being attached directly behind the engine. In the Z06, this quest for front-rear balance extends to the weight of the battery, which is relocated in the rear cargo area. The Z06 is distinguished from other Corvettes by lots of subtle appearance tweaks, starting with the roof. It's fixed rather than removable, adding an extra element of structural stiffness for track driving. You'll never see a transparent roof panel on a Z06. In front, the Z06 has a wider, lower grille and a separate, unique air scoop above the bumper to shove more intake air under the hood. Its fenders are wider front and rear to cover massively wide tires and rims (the rear wheels are fully 12 inches wide or two inches wider than those on the standard Vette). In back, brake scoops are located in front of the rear wheels, the Z06 spoiler is slightly more prominent, and its exhaust outlets are wider, too (four inches in diameter at the tips). Several Z06 body and chassis changes are not visible. The frame is made entirely of hydro-formed aluminum (the standard Vettes have steel rails), with a magnesium engine cradle, and its fenders are formed from ultra-light carbon fiber. As a result, and despite a much heavier engine and drivetrain, the Z06 weighs 50 pounds less than a standard Corvette coupe.
The Corvette cabin features premium soft surfaces, nice grain in the materials and elegant tailoring. The dashboard is finished in a soft material that feels rich to the touch. Real metal accents are used, but they don't generate glare. The electronics displays serve the driver without getting in the way. The steering wheel is relatively small, measuring just 9.4 inches in diameter. It feels good in the hands, and it affords a good view of the instruments. The seats are comfortable and fairly easy to adjust, though moving the manually operated backrest forward is a problem because your weight is invariably resting on it when you want to adjust it. Sitting in the Corvette evokes that feeling of sitting deep down in a massive machine. There's plenty of headroom and the windshield doesn't seem too close to the driver's face. Hefty side bolstering on the optional sport seats, even more so with those in the Z06, makes it more difficult to slide in, but the bolsters squeeze around the thighs and torso and hold the driver like Velcro. For 2008, the Corvette is available with a special two-tone leather package that adds leather upholstery to the top of the instrument panel, upper door panels, and console cover. The effect is a more elegant, higher end look than the Corvette has had in the past. The instruments are big analog gauges, easy to read at a glance. The Z06 gets a unique cluster with more gauges. The Corvette is, thankfully, devoid of a lot of digital readouts. One exception is the head-up display, which projects speed, rpm and even g-forces onto the windshield, a handy and entertaining feature. The upgrade Bose stereo system includes redundant controls on the steering wheel hub for most functions. Cubby storage is decent. The glovebox is roomy, and in the coupe, there is 22.0 cubic feet of storage space under the glass behind the rear seats. That's more than the trunk space in a sedan, with plenty of room for golf bags. You need to be careful when loading to avoid scratching the bodywork, however, and the liftover height is high; this is not a sedan or everyday hatchback. There's no need to take the key out of your pocket to unlock the Corvette or start its engine. Simply walk up and pull the door handle. With the keyless start feature, sensors detect your key and unlock the door. Climb in, buckle up, and press the starter button. We're not sold on the benefits of keyless starting, but it can be convenient. The convertible's five-layer fabric top is available in four colors, and it offers power operation. The power top operates with a single-button control and completes its cycle in 18 seconds. An easy-to-operate manual top is standard. The convertible looks good with the top up, and it looks terrific with the top down, with body-color trim that gives it the racy appearance of an open-cockpit Le Mans prototype. The convertible gives up some cargo capacity. It offers 11 cubic feet of storage with the top up, which isn't bad for a roadster, and 7.5 cubic feet with the top down.
(Show more reviews)
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Locking Rear Differential, Rear Wheel Drive, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control, Power Steering, Aluminum Wheels, Tires - Front Performance, Tires - Rear Performance, Auto-On Headlights, HID headlights, Auto-Off Headlights, Fog Lamps, Heated Mirrors, Power Driver Mirror, Power Passenger Mirror, Heated Exterior Driver Mirror, Heated Exterior Passenger Mirror, Intermittent Wipers, AM/FM Stereo, CD Player, MP3 Player, Auxiliary Audio Input, Satellite Radio, Leather Seats, Bucket Seats, Heads-Up Display, Power Driver Seat, Auxiliary Pwr Outlet, Front Floor Mats, Adjustable Steering Wheel, Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel, Trip Computer, Power Door Locks, Power Windows, Cruise Control, Alarm, Vehicle Anti-Theft System, Keyless Start, Keyless Entry, Remote Trunk Release, Rear Defrost, Climate Control, Dual Zone A/C, Electrochromic rearview mirror, Front Reading Lamps, Driver Vanity Mirror, Passenger Vanity Mirror, Driver Illuminated Vanity Mirror, Passenger Illuminated Visor Mirror, 4-Wheel ABS, 4-Wheel Disc Brakes, Daytime Running Lights, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Passenger Air Bag On/Off Switch, Telematics
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This vehicle is located at:
2001 w Jefferson ST Joliet, IL 60435
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