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Review: Chevrolet Corvette
A little smaller, a bit trimmer, the new 'Vette raises the bar for sports car value even higher.
November 19, 2004: 4:20 PM EST
By Lawrence Ulrich, Money Magazine

Detroit (Money magazine) - The 1997-2004 C5 rebuilt Corvette's reputation as the world's best sports car for the price. The new C6 is less of a leap, but it takes a great car and makes it better, stronger and faster.

Back at their best
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• Introduction
• Ford Mustang
• Chevrolet Corvette
• Porsche 911 Carrera/Carrera S

Testing the car over GM's snaking Milford Road Course, I was struck by the C6 Corvette's clear gains in power, handling and refinement.

Chevrolet's designers cut a welcome five inches off the car's length, an inch in width. The lines suggest that this is still a brute, but an elegant one. The C5's chunky butt -- its least appealing feature -- has been modestly reshaped. And finally, the once cheesy interior is acceptably refined for a car that costs $45,000.

Climbing aboard is easier, with the front roof pillar and windshield angled further from the door opening, and the seats more supportive. The handsome convertible model also adds a power-folding feature to its soft top.

As before, surprising fuel mileage (19 mpg city/ 28 mpg highway), cavernous luggage space and expected outstanding resale value are practical icing on this cake.

The performance story starts with a larger 6.0-liter pushrod V-8 with a giddy 400 hp, up from 350. (Next year's special Z06 model should hit 500 hp.) The 0 to 60 mph run flashes past in 4.2 seconds with the new, shorter-throw, six-speed manual shifter. Top speed is a license-shredding 186 mph, up from 175. It sounds great too, emitting the lusty exhaust note that the C5 lacked.

A new generation of Goodyear run-flat tires pays real dividends in performance and comfort. The new 'Vette grips harder, yet the tires are quieter and smoother riding. Out on the highway, I found a markedly quieter cabin, thanks to 15 added pounds of sound-absorbing material.

2005 Chevrolet Corvette  
2005 Chevrolet Corvette

Downsides? The new standard keyless entry is a pain, with manual-transmission drivers forced to pop into reverse to shut off the ignition. And the four-speed automatic transmission, while acceptably quick and smooth, inexcusably lacks a useful manual-shift function.

Quibbles aside, the Corvette has raised its already lofty bar for sports-car value, delivering six-figure performance for less than $50,000.  Top of page


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Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.