The present-generation (C6) Corvette debut was 2005 and boasted excellent improvements in performance, build quality & styling. The Corvette revamped suspension provides both sharp handling & a compliant ride. Design changes include the return to exposed headlamps (first time since '62), crisper fender peaks and a visual slimming of the big rear end. The interior was upgraded with better materials and the convertible's top could be power-operated. At its debut, it had a 6.0-liter V8 developing 400 hp.
Known to sports car enthusiasts as the C6 (for sixth generation) was all-new for model year 2005. It's much better than the C5 it replaced, which was a solid sports car in its own right. What makes the C6 better is everything: performance, refinement, ease of operation. It's more comfortable and easier to drive, not only on the road, but also on a race track. It quickly infuses the driver with confidence. It feels like it has more grip than the C5, and it does. It's more agile than before yet more stable. Its new brakes are excellent and, yes, it's faster.
The following year brought the 7.0-liter, 505-hp Z06 model as well as a new six-speed automatic transmission. For 2007, America's sports car received larger brakes (for Magnetic Ride-equipped versions), available two-tone leather interior and a couple of special editions including an Indy Pace Car convertible and the Ron Fellows (a successful Corvette race driver) Z06. More power came about for the base versions in 2008 thanks to the now-current 6.2-liter V8. Chevy also made interior, manual transmission and steering improvements this year. The new ZR1 arrived for '09 and the following year saw the introduction of the Grand Sport, which essentially replaced the former Z51 handling package.
