C6 Corvette
Compared to the fifth generation, the "C6" gets an overhaul of the suspension geometry, all new bodywork with exposed headlamps (for the first time since 1962), a larger passenger compartment, a larger 6.0 L engine, and a much higher level of refinement. Overall, it is 5.1 inches (13 cm) shorter than the C5, but its wheelbase has increased by 1.2 inches (3 cm). It is also one inch (2.5 cm) narrower. Chevrolet hopes the new design will attract buyers of comparable European sports cars like the Porsche 911, but some purists dislike the new styling. The 6.0 L LS2 V8 produces 400 hp (298 kW) at 6000 rpm and 400 ft·lbf of torque at 4400 rpm.
With an automatic transmission, the Corvette achieves 18/26 mpg (city/highway), and the manual transmission with 18/28 mpg. The Corvette's manual transmission is fitted with Computer Aided Gear Shifting (CAGS), obligating the driver to shift from 1st directly to 4th when operating at lower RPMs. While this boosts the EPA's derived fuel economy, thus allowing the buyer to avoid paying the "gas guzzler" tax, it is an open secret that more than a few savvy sixth-generation Corvette owners with manual transmissions simply have a $20 aftermarket part (CAGS eliminator) fitted to their vehicle to re-enable a normal 1-2-3-4-5-6 sequence at any RPM.
For the 2008 model, the Corvette receives a new engine, the LS3. With displacement increased to 6.2 liters, power is increased to 430 hp and 424 lb·ft of torque, or 436 hp and 428 lb/ft of torque with the optional vacuum actuated valve exhaust. The manual transmission also has improved shift linkage along with the replacement of the previous T56 transmission with a new TR6060, 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 steering has also been tightened up for much improved feel. The wheels were also updated to a new five-spoke design.
Z06 Corvette
The Corvette Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005. It has a 7.0 L (7,008 cc/427.6 in³) version of the Small-Block engine codenamed LS7. The Z06 achieves 16/26 mpg (city/highway), and the output is 505 hp (376 kW). Dave Hill, the chief engineer for the C6 Corvette, says that it is a much further departure from the standard Corvettes, and more like the C6-R that GM is building for the American Le Mans Series. In the summer of 2005, GM and Corvette Racing driver Jan Magnussen brought the new Z06 to the Nürburgring in Germany. Magnussen drove the Z06 to a time of 7:42.99. Car and Driver recorded a 0-60 mph time of 3.6 seconds in their March 2007 comparison test. In addition to the larger engine, the Corvette Z06 has a dry sump oiling system, and connecting rods made out of titanium alloy.
The primary structural element of the sixth-generation Z06 is aluminum instead of steel as on the non-Z06 cars. The hydroformed aluminum frame remains dimensionally identical to its steel brethren but are significantly lighter. The front fenders are made of carbon fiber to reduce weight, while wider rear fenders allow for the wider tires necessary to deal with the engine's increased power. The Z06 officially weighs 3132 lb, giving it a power to weight ratio of 6.2 lb/hp.
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