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2007 Chevrolet Corvette - 10Best Cars
Tradition on fast forward.
January 2007
In its sixth generation, the Corvette retains strong ties to the five generations of star-spangled sports cars that preceded it. Power still comes from a V-8 equipped with pushrods and two valves per cylinder, just like the original 1955 small-block Chevy V-8. Modern technology extracts copious power and excellent fuel economy while reducing the original V-8’s light weight and tidy size.
The Corvette’s composite body also hearkens back to the seminal 1953 model. But here again, newer materials, such as the balsa-core composite panels used in the floor panels, combine with a sophisticated structure to yield one of the few cars that haven’t grown heavier over time, despite the pound-packing pressures of stricter safety standards, higher power, bigger brakes, and grippier tires.
This combination of heritage and sophistication gives the Corvette a uniquely American blend of performance, swagger, and everyday livability — characteristics that are all amplified in the 505-hp Z06 version. And in one final bow to tradition, the Corvette delivers this virtue at a price vastly lower than any of its competitors’.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door hatchback or targa or 2-door roadster
BASE PRICE: $44,995–$70,000
ENGINES: pushrod 16-valve 6.0-liter V-8, 400 hp, 400 lb-ft; pushrod 16-valve 7.0-liter V-8, 505 hp, 470 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 174.6–175.6 in
Width: 72.6–75.9 in
Height: 49.0 in
Curb weight: 3150–3300 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 16–18 mpg
Tradition on fast forward.
January 2007
In its sixth generation, the Corvette retains strong ties to the five generations of star-spangled sports cars that preceded it. Power still comes from a V-8 equipped with pushrods and two valves per cylinder, just like the original 1955 small-block Chevy V-8. Modern technology extracts copious power and excellent fuel economy while reducing the original V-8’s light weight and tidy size.
The Corvette’s composite body also hearkens back to the seminal 1953 model. But here again, newer materials, such as the balsa-core composite panels used in the floor panels, combine with a sophisticated structure to yield one of the few cars that haven’t grown heavier over time, despite the pound-packing pressures of stricter safety standards, higher power, bigger brakes, and grippier tires.
This combination of heritage and sophistication gives the Corvette a uniquely American blend of performance, swagger, and everyday livability — characteristics that are all amplified in the 505-hp Z06 version. And in one final bow to tradition, the Corvette delivers this virtue at a price vastly lower than any of its competitors’.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 3-door hatchback or targa or 2-door roadster
BASE PRICE: $44,995–$70,000
ENGINES: pushrod 16-valve 6.0-liter V-8, 400 hp, 400 lb-ft; pushrod 16-valve 7.0-liter V-8, 505 hp, 470 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed auto with manumatic shifting, 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 174.6–175.6 in
Width: 72.6–75.9 in
Height: 49.0 in
Curb weight: 3150–3300 lb
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city driving: 16–18 mpg