Here's the story on this print:
Illustrated Corvette Series No. 143 - 2009 Production Corvette
"Is the C6 Corvette Finished?"
In the summer of 1966, when Chevrolet showed the automotive press its upcoming ’67 model line, the Corvette was still supposed to be a production version of the Mako Shark II show car. It turned out that transforming the show car’s over-the-top styling into something you could actually live with was a major challenge. The C3 “shark” Corvette was instead released as a ‘68 model, and the rest is history. Many years later, some Corvette historians began referring to the ’67 model as “the finished Sting Ray.” In its day, it looked as if Corvette designers had done everything they wanted with the Sting Ray design before it was time to move on. A somewhat similar situation occurred in ’01. Only this time, Corvette engineers really had done all they wanted to do with the C5 platform, so the decision was made to start designing the C6. The new ’05 Corvette hit the ground at nearly top speed and just kept rolling along each year with special-edition models and the Z06.
In 2007, the Corvette rumor mill went into hyper-drive with speculation about a super-Vette that was supposedly in the works. The Net was buzzing with possible names that included “Blue Devil,” “Corvette SS,” “C6 Grand Sport,” “Zora Corvette,” and a few others. Perhaps the boys at GM saw the financial storm clouds that were over the horizon and decided on an early release for the new model. In December 2007, Chevy officially announced “The Return of the King—the ‘09 ZR1.” The following month, the much-talked-about supercar was shown to the public—a full seven months ahead of the normal new-car-announcement schedule.
When the ’05 Corvette was released, its new LS2 engine produced 400 horsepower. By ‘08, the base Corvette’s LS3 was packing 430 horses. Remember, Corvette fans, this is “net” horsepower, not the “gross” power ratings of the old days. A gross-power figure for the new LS3 would be well into the mid-500 range—in the base Corvette! As we rolled into ’09, the C6 Corvette was in an interesting position. Right after the ZR1 debuted, the rumor mill picked up on talk of the C7 Corvette, with a lot of speculation that the car might use a mid-engine configuration. As summer and fall approached and those financial storm clouds started to become visible, talk of the C7 quickly vanished. And considering the current financial state of affairs at GM, it looks like the C6 will be around for some time.
Unlike the transition of C3 to C4, when Corvette performance was at its lowest, the performance of the C6 couldn’t be much better. For buyers with very deep pockets and a lot of nerve, there’s the ZR1, GM’s first 200-mph production car and the first Chevy to cost over 100 grand. A few ticks below the ZR1 is the tried-and-true Z06, and just a tick or two below that is the base model Corvette. Each version has a distinctive personality, but the performance of the three models is surprisingly close.
The ‘09 Z06 distinguishes itself with the same wheels we saw in ’08 on the 427 Z06 Special. The base ‘09 Corvette has slightly restyled wheels and some very minor changes in interior trim; otherwise, it is a carry-over from ’08. In ‘08 power went up to 430 hp, and the Z06’s Dual Mode exhaust was a new option that yielded another 6 horses while lending some added bark and rumble to the car’s persona.
Despite a power spread of nearly 200 hp between the base Corvette and the ZR1, real-world performance is relatively close, making the entry-level ‘09 with the Z51 and Dual Mode exhaust options the performance bargain of the decade. The base Vette runs 0-60 in just 4.1-seconds, with the Z06 and ZR1 running the same sprint in 3.6 and 3.4 seconds, respectively. Quarter-mile times are close as well: 12.4 @ 117 mph for the base Corvette, 11.7 @ 124 for the Z06, and 11.5 @ 128 for the ZR1. Top speed is 186 mph for the base car, 198 for the Z06, and 205-plus for the ZR1. Interestingly, for the price of one ZR1, you could get two base cars with the Z51 and Dual Mode Exhaust options. According to road tests, the driving experiences among the three cars are very different. The ZR1 is civilized all the way up to its limits. The Z06 is a wild, edgy ride at its extreme. The Z51-optioned base Corvette is fast, crisp, and just a breath behind its bigger brothers.
So, is the C6’s evolution finished? With the C7 now projected out to 2014 or beyond, what might Chevrolet do with the Corvette for the next four or more model years? Right now, the grump list is pretty slim, but there’s plenty of time to address two issues. Two consistent complaints center on the steering being somewhat vague and the interior being second rate. Perhaps the steering system of the ZR1 or Z06 will trickle down to the base car, and the $8,055 leather interior option will be made standard. Then the C6 will truly be finished. After all, one reviewer has already summed up the base Vette this way: “This is as much Corvette as I need.” ‘Nuff said.
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Printed on high quality tan-colored parchment paper using a Xante professional grade printer.
This print comes in one size:
11” x 17”
Print is shrink wrapped on 11.5" x 17.5" cardboard so that they stay flat and clean and shipped via USPS Priority Mail. All prints are signed by the artist. They make a wonderful gift for the car lover in your life!
