- coupe 58,455
- 2,238 below average
- 14,977 good
- East Haven, CT
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- autoshopper.com
- 2,238 below average coupe 58,455 red
2001 chevrolet corvette review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. This fifth-generation corvette, called the c5, delivers a combination of acceleration and handling performance matched only by the dodge viper, porsche 911 carrera and various exotics, all of which are far more expensive. Sports cars in the c5 price range, such as the mercedes-benz slk, bmw z3 and porsche boxster offer an entirely different driving experience and performance characteristics. more power is on tap for the entire corvette lineup this year. Most of this power comes in the form of more torque at lower rpm; and torque is what makes the corvette go like stink. Even bigger news for 2001 is the introduction of the z06, a powerful new model based on last year's hardtop. lineupcorvette is available in coupe, convertible and hardtop body styles. The engine in the z06 hardtop 48,055) displaces the same 5. 7 liters, but produces 385 horsepower thanks to substantial re-engineering. the c5 coupe features a body-colored removable roof panel as standard equipment; it comes in translucent plastic as an option. But the z06's top is fixed, a design chosen by engineers because that structure is stiffer. The coupe's rear window opens like a hatchback, while the z06 and the convertible have actual trunks. coupe and convertible come standard with automatic transmission, air conditioning, a tilt steering column, leather-wrapped steering wheel, active keyless remote, cruise control, leather seats, am/fm/cassette, and power windows and locks. The head-up display works well at night, but is difficult to see in daylight. the six-speed manual transmission is an $815 option. Also optional is the z51 performance handling package, including primarily larger stabilizer bars, for $350. The more exotic suspension option, for $1695, is called selective real time damping suspension (f45). F45 senses road conditions and vehicle speed then modulates the damping efforts of the shocks to keep the car riding and handling smoothly on a variety of road surfaces. the z06, meanwhile, gets entirely different stuff, standard. See below. walkaroundthe fifth-generation corvette, or c5, made its debut in 1997; it was the first complete corvette redesign since 1984. While the basic concept is the same as it was back in 1953 -- a two-seat plastic-bodied all-american sports car -- the c5 shares almost nothing with previous-generation corvettes. The wheelbase is longer, the track is wider, structural rigidity is far higher, and there are far fewer pieces in the whole assembly, which improves rigidity and quality. The rear end is reminiscent of the imsa gtp corvettes of the late '80s, and the flowing front fenders are handsome when viewed either from outside or behind the wheel. The convertible version looks graceful when the top is down. the z06 is more than a hopped-up model; it's a vastly different animal. It was intended as a street racer with track capabilities, chevrolet's one-up response to ford's mustang cobra r. The designation z06 has a rich history, dating back to the original and legendary 1963 split-window sting ray, where z06 was a racing package-the z0 comes from zora arkus-duntov, corvette's famed first chief engineer. It was revived for this more-than-worthy successor, only now it's a separate unit, not an options package. z06 hardtop and c5 coupe present different profiles. The z06 hardtop roofline is actually more coupe-like than the coupe, whose hatchback glass slopes more steeply. Other visible differences between the c5 coupe and z06 are subtle, starting with tidy z06 emblems on each side of the car. The z06 has modest mesh air intakes in the nose and wedge-shaped meshed cooling inlets for the rear brakes, located on the rocker panels just aft the doors. The 17-inch front wheels are 9. 5 inches wide, while the 18-inch rears are 10. 5 inches wide. They carry massive and exclusive goodyear f1 supercar rubber, p265/40zr front, p295/35zr rear. Try not to run over any nails. the z06 is 117 pounds lighter than the c5 coupe, although its creature comforts, such as leather, air conditioning, carpeting, sound system, traction control and stability control are untouched. The weight is saved by using thinner glass, a titanium exhaust system and less insulation. Don't bother arguing that insulation is a creature comfort; with a car like this, noise and spiritual comfort level are intertwined. the ls6 treatment of the trusty gm 5. 7-liter overhead valve engine (ls1 in the c5) is a ground-up renovation, yielding 385 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 385 foot-pounds of torque at 4800-and it has those big, bright red valve covers! The aluminum block is specially designed to improve lubrication and reduce back pressure, while the heads feature refined porting and reshaped combustion chambers, fed 10 percent more fuel by larger fuel injectors through a massaged composite intake manifold. The pistons are cast from stronger alloy, and their special shape helps increase the compression ratio from 10:1 to 10. 5:1. But most of the 35 additional horses comes from a racier billet steel cam which, along with stronger valve springs, raises the rev limit from 6000 to 6500. there's also a new clutch to handle the torque, and a close-ratio six-speed gearbox with revised linkage. Its higher numerical gears contribute to the quicker acceleration-the z06 will knock off a standing-start quarter mile in 12. 6 seconds. the z06 uses the same double-wishbone suspension front and rear, but its 30mm front antiroll bar is larger than the c5's, the monotube shocks are beefier, the composite transverse rear leaf spring has a high. interiorcorvettes come with comfortable cabins, something that wasn't always true with previous-generation models. Low door sills and narrow side rails make getting in and out easier than before and there's more room for driver and passenger. There's also a real trunk; arriving at the airport after a trip halfway around the world, we were able to cram two huge duffel bags into a coupe. The other major improvement is the elimination of the rattles and stress squeaks that have haunted corvettes for so long. Its handsome analog gauges are easier to use and more satisfying than digital displays. convertibles come with a top that stows neatly under a flap that folds flat at the forward edge of the trunk lid. The top is made of high-quality material with a glass rear window. However, this is a sports car, and noise -- particularly the calculated growl of that terrific new v8 -- is part of the deal. driving impressionthe ls1 v8 engine is potent. It produces 350 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque (with the six-speed, 360 pound-feet with the automatic; that's a significant increase in torque over 2000 models (345 and 350, respectively). More important, the torque is available at much lower revs in 2001, thanks to revised intake runners. automatic or stick, the corvette is fast traffic. While we prefer the 6-speed, we have to admit that the automatic rams its shifts home with authority, and there's enough muscle in the ls1 v8 to cover the small performance penalties associated with auto-shifters. unlike most ragtops, the corvette convertible weighs the same as the coupe, which means its acceleration performance is undiluted: 0-to-60 mph in less than 5 seconds with the 6-speed manual transmission, about 0. 4 seconds slower with the automatic. The only performance penalty that goes with the convertible version is top speed. The ragtop doesn't share the coupe's aerodynamic efficiency, so it tops out at a mere 162 mph versus 175 mph for the coupe. Corvette's chief engineer said the structural design for the new vette began with the convertible, and as a consequence no shoring-up measures were required for the soft-top chassis. AM/FM✔ Power Windows✔ Cruise Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ Leather Seats✔ Aluminum Wheels
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