When I first saw the new C6, introduced two years ago at the Detroit auto show, I wasn't as thrilled as I'd hoped I would be.
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The Ferrari 575M-like C6 headlight clusters are the most radical departure from previous pop-up lamps. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)
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Maybe I was expecting too much; possibly a modern interpretation of 1963's 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 didn't seem much different than the C5.
Now, having driven both a coupe and a convertible, I've 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 compared to the C5) are aggressively modern, and
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| Chevy managed to maintain the model's 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, Canadian Auto Press) |
its rear end styling is absolutely gorgeous. Chevy managed to maintain the model's 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 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.
