We'll go right back to the beginning, eight months ago and the "big question"; we asked back then: does this American car work in Britain and Europe?
We know it's fantastic value, for what it is, at $49k. But what's that like to live with?
Before we get round to answering, we should point out that this has been the most popular long-term test car we've ever had. Without question. A weekend didn't go by without a request for a loan of it. And then when people did get into it, the Vette was tremendous fun and massively fast, without being frightening. Beautiful and distinctive, without being in-your-face like a Ferrari, and loved by everyone who saw it. People who matter, people who know cars and appreciate them, knew how good this Corvette was. A very cool quality for a car to have.
So its popularity speaks volumes. Not a bad word was said ? certainly nothing harsh or uncomplimentary. But despite that, living with a car every day will inevitably throw up small niggles and problems. In the Vette's case, they're easily fixed.
The car should have auto-up and auto-down windows. The passenger side glass lacks that, which isn't good on a $49k car. And the driver's seat should have electric backrest rake adjustment, and an infinitely adjustable steering-wheel rake adjustment, too. Otherwise the car is well-equipped, with heated leather seats, heads-up display, satellite navigation, an excellent stereo and climate control. Well, I say "excellent stereo," but it lacked an iPod port and Bluetooth connectivity: two more black marks that might make a big difference to customers with this sort of money to spend. That needs fixing on the next model please, GM. Please.
Dynamically, my only gripe was with the steering. Power, handling, brakes, grip, agility, gear change, great. Steering? Only average for a performance car like this. You start to notice it as soon as you pull away, thanks to a lack of self-centering.
Say you've reversed out of your parking spot, and are now driving forward at full lock, and then straighten up: the steering wheel will run through your hands to a point, but not enough, and you have to help it the extra quarter-turn to the straight-ahead. It's a sign of a general lack of precision and meatiness. On the move, you never quite ? and this is a relatively minor thing, but obvious ? feel that you have a handle on what the front end is doing. The problem is the steering: nicely geared and an attractive, easy-to-use wheel, but just a shade lacking in feel. It's something the engineers should look at once more. Pull a Porsche or Lotus apart, then. Analyze that.
Would I have a Corvette over a Porsche 911? We'd be looking at a used 911 for this money: you might pick up a two-year-old S for $50k with about 30,000 on the clock.
That's a tough call ? you're not getting a brand-new car. And it's a car that'll be 100 hp down on this big 430 hp V8. On the other hand, the used Porsche would probably hold its value a little better than the Vette. It's too difficult a call for me to make: I can't quite bring myself to say that I'd have this C6 over a 911, even an older one. But it's oh so close. Of course, if you look for used C6s, you could have one with near-delivery mileage for $30k and spend the rest on a round-the-world vacation. That I can relate to.
Nothing really matters in this car, though, other than the engine. The engine is the thing's heart and soul and beat, its very reason to exist, and it is a storming, hard-revving, mind-mashing motor, the kind that you can't quite believe still exists in a 21st-century car. But exist it does, piling on the speed in one glorious easy swoop. You can pull away in third gear and run to over 110 mph before the rev limiter cuts in. I can't think of too many cars that'll do that. And it does it in a great, galloping charge, a mighty linear surge that has no flat spots, no dips in urgency. This is simply a great engine, more exciting than a 911's can ever be.
The other advantage over a 911 is the space: the Vette has a genuinely big load area, with a stretchy cloth cover and small wheel arch intrusions thanks to the lack of suspension uprights. It will take two full-size golf bags ? don't underestimate the importance of that in the Vette's main market. And the roof comes off, too, another feature you won't find on a 911, unless you go for a pansy Targa.
The mighty 6.2-liter small-block engine doesn't have much weight to pull around: only a bit over 3,100 lbs, and the car never felt anything other than light and nimble and extraordinarily fast. But you could putter around in it without thinking: I did a lot of commuting and never tired of the car, never wished I was in anything else. It couldn't be easier to drive, as the many people who drove it in this office confirmed. It's smaller than you think ? same length as a 911, slightly wider ? and easy to see out of, easy to park, and if you want to ease yourself into the idea of 430 hp, the car lets you do it. And all the while, with a lot of town work mixed in with fast highway runs, the car was averaging 23.6 mpg and that's very good indeed for a 198 mph supercar.
It had its quirks, too. It would grumble and lurch a bit when it was cold. You had to leave it in reverse when you parked it, in order to close it down and activate the alarm.
And do you know what? Every manual car I drive from now on, I'll be leaving in reverse overnight, to honor the memory of this mighty Corvette. A magnificent car.
http://www.topgear.com/us/blog/more/long-term-corvette
enjoy
Facebook
Twitter