Chevrolet Corvette C6 5th Gear Extended Review

In continuation of the subject Chevrolet Corvette C6 Fifth Gear Review I present this post with extended description of the Corvette C6 features.

STYLING

Sharp, classic looks give the Corvette an imposing road presence. The most recent 2008 C6 styling has barely changed from the old version but that's probably a good thing.

HANDLING

It's easy to assume an American sports car won't suit UK roads, but the latest Corvette deals with curves ably. It's easy to drive hard too. Enter a corner too fast and the front-engined Corvette just washes predictably into understeer - from there you can get the tail out if you like with a bit more throttle. The C6 always feels like a heavyweight, though, compared with lithe European rivals.

COMFORT

European-spec Corvette's are more stiffly sprung than their American counterparts, which helps control the body movements of this 1500kg sports car. That does mean the ride's firm, but bump absorption isn't completely compromised. And the driving position is good too. There's an adaptive Magnetic Selective Ride system on the option list, but it's not worth the premium.

QUALITY + RELIABILITY

Cabin quality is akin to a mid-range French family hatchback - if you've ever owned a modern Renault or Peugeot you'll know what we mean. The Corvette's a million miles from a 911, but most people could live with it. Although annoying niggles like a failing electric boot release has been reported on some test cars.

PERFORMANCE

Masterful straight-line speed and the roaring symphony of Chevrolet's V8 engine ensure breathtaking excitement. An abundance of torque means you never doubt that the C6 would be capable of 190mph plus.

ROOMINESS

There's a very useful amount of space in the Corvette, even when it's compared to genuinely useable sports cars like the Porsche 911 or Audi R8. That's because the Corvette's built to meet the demands of the American market, and its no bad thing. The cabin could be packaged more cleverly though, freeing up more storage space.

RUNNING COSTS

A Corvette would not impress your bank manager. Thirsty American sports cars like this tend to depreciate very quickly, and that's before you consider how much petrol the 6.0-litre V8 uses. Or how much a left-hand-drive car with this sort of performance costs to insure.

VALUE FOR MONEY

Chevrolet will sell you a generously specified Corvette C6 for under �50k, and it will comes with a proper warranty and full dealer support. That's excellent value for a bona fide supercar. Annoyingly, if you lived in America, you could buy a Corvette for half that price.

STEREO / SAT NAV

High-end electronics come as standard on the Corvette C6. The sound system is particularly impressive.

ENVIRONMENT

Buying a Corvette is about as environmentally friendly as dowsing a polar bear with petrol and setting it alight: the C6's V8 emits a whopping 316g/km CO2.