In the case that driving talent runs out, dual front airbags and optional side impact airbags in the seats maintain occupant integrity. Convertible C6s arrive standard with the side impact bags. Droptops also receive power tops with five layers of cloth, providing durability and better insulation.
Our long-awaited first drive of the new model was not without disappointment. As rain poured down and left deep puddles on GM’s newest test track, dubbed the ‘Lutz-ring’ (after GM V.P Bob Lutz and the famed Nurbring race track in Germany), we were relegated to the nearby roads surrounding the GM Proving Grounds. Fine for a Saturn VUE, even a Red Line version, but a travesty for a C6.
How did it handle? While it steers straight as an arrow, takes corners on point, powers like the wind, and sounds like a tornado brewing under full power, it was a bit squiggly in the puddles under hard throttle, just as it should be, with the back end choosing a separate course from the front on one occasion. Now, for a day with a dry track!
Corvette C6 raises the bar for performance among Vettes. The standard 400-hp engine nearly matches the output of previous high-performance Z06 models. Thanks to revised gearing, however, the C6 also achieves excellent fuel economy. That said, the Corvette defining the 21st century is one of exceptional flexibility and promise.
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