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2006 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Road Test

The Bowtie Beast Gets Manners

When I was a teenager in the late 70s, I wouldnt be caught dead in a Corvette. Dont get me wrong, Id loved the chrome bedecked 50s cars and stunningly beautiful Stingrays of the 60s, and even the late 60s to early 70s Mako Shark body style Stingrays were kind of cool when they came out, but as the fuel crisis took its toll on all things enjoyable the once race capable Vette received swoopier styling and a more anemic V8 under the hood, making it a much less credible sports car.

Soon came the oh-so-cool wanna-be wearing his multi-color stretch polyester button up shirt, white cotton Britannia flares wrapped so tightly around the crotch that future fatherhood was in jeopardy, gold chains dangling amid wooly chest hairs, and big, big hair, and how could there not be jokes associated: "Whats the difference

As the fuel crisis took its toll on all things enjoyable the once race capable Vette received swoopier styling and a more anemic V8 under the hood, making it a much less credible sports car. (Photo: General Motors)?

between a Corvette and a cactus," was a popular one. "With a Corvette the pricks on the inside."

The 1984 Corvette changed all that, well that and it wasnt very cool to wear such tacky clothing anymore. Like 80s styling, with which only big hair had remained and then only with some new wave bands, the Vette was much more subdued. It also returned to credibility to the nameplate as a world-beating sports car, restoring

Some felt the C5 was too soft around the edges, a little more Acura NSX than all-American supercar. (Photo: General Motors)?

respectability to Detroit. It improved over the years, eventually in the late 90s evolving into the C5, five representing the fifth generation.

Some felt this model was too soft around the edges, a little more Acura NSX than all-American supercar. Still, there was no denying it was a looker, and for good reason sales took off. No doubt its improved performance, moving it off the line faster than many Europeans, helped it move off the showroom floor quickly too.
When I first saw the new C6, introduced two years ago at the Detroit auto show,

The Ferrari 575M-like C6 headlight clusters are the most radical departure from previous pop-up lamps. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

I wasnt as thrilled as Id hoped I would be. Maybe I was expecting too much; possibly a modern interpretation of 1963s split window, or something to that effect. Instead, the pop-up lights which gave way to new Ferrari 575M-like clusters were the most radical departure from the outgoing car, while the overall shape didnt seem much different than the C5.

Now, having driven both a coupe and a convertible, Ive warmed up to the look. Yes, its frontal design is a bit conservative, but its short overhangs, thanks to five inches lopped off the ends, and curvaceous yet edgy fenders (almost Mako Shark-like

Chevy managed to maintain the models traditional quad tail lamp setup, but incorporate them into a new design that is light years more advanced than the previous Corvette. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

compared to the C5) are aggressively modern, and its rear end styling is absolutely gorgeous. Chevy managed to maintain the models traditional quad tail lamp setup, but incorporate them into a new design that is light years more advanced than the previous Corvette. The rear diffuser helps to give it that just-swept-1st-2nd-and-3rd-at-Sebring appearance, complemented by a Kamm-shaped fascia that appears ultimately wind cheating.

It is aerodynamically designed, by the way, a fact that can really be felt at high-speed on the open road where its 0.28 drag coefficient and integrated anti-lift characteristics

The previous C6 I drove was equipped with the the Performance Handling package, that included stiffened the springs, stabilizers and shocks, etc, but this particular roadster came with the stock suspension, much better suited for daily driving.  (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

shine. The open road, of course, is where any modern Corvette excels, and in the case of the new roadster, I felt none of the traditional negatives associated with a car losing its top. Actually, not only was my test car rock solid over any surface at any speed, showing no body flex or cowl shudder at all, but I liked it a lot better than the coupe I tried previously.

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