- convertible 96,730
- 3,950 below average
- 19,996 good
- Carrollton, TX
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- autoshopper.com
- 3,950 below average convertible 96,730 black automatic
2006 chevrolet corvette review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A supercar bargain for the ages. introductionthe chevrolet corvette is the best high-performance value in america. The corvette delivers supercar performance for the price of a midsize luxury sedan. and for all its performance, the corvette does not exact a painful toll on its driver or passenger. Chevrolet has eliminated nearly all the cruder, less desirable traits that characterized corvettes of yore. It's much better than the c5 it replaced, which was a solid sports car in its own right. What makes the c6 better is everything: performance, refinement, ease of operation. It's more comfortable and easier to drive, not only on the road, but also on a race track. It quickly infuses the driver with confidence. It feels like it has more grip than the c5, and it does. It's more agile than before yet more stable. Its new brakes are excellent and, yes, it's faster. This engine sounds great and intoxicates with its acceleration. New for 2006 is an optional six-speed paddle shift automatic transmission. With either the manual or automatic, the coupe is awesome, and the convertible is really wonderful. It's a wonderful feeling and at those moments the corvette more than justifies its price. the headline for the 2006 model year is a new, ultra-high performance z06 model. The corvette z06 is a true supercar for a price that's merely expensive, as opposed to insanely expensive. This ultra-high-performance coupe features a new 7. 0-liter ls7 v8, high-tech, weight trimming chassis features and upgraded brakes. If any $66,000 car can be called a bargain, this is the one. The z06 corvette accelerates faster, grips better and stops shorter than european sports cars that cost twice as much. lineupthe 2006 chevrolet corvette is available as a coupe or convertible. the corvette coupe 44,190) and convertible 51,890) are powered by a 6. 0-liter v8 generating an impressive 400 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard. An optional six-speed paddle shift automatic 1,250), new for 2006, can be shifted manually with levers on the steering column. the corvette coupe features a one-piece removable roof panel in body color (standard) or transparent plastic 750). The dual-roof option 1,400) includes both. the convertible comes standard with a manually operated soft top; its optional power top 1,995) has a heated glass window in back. two suspension options are offered for both the coupe and convertible. The convertible adds sport seats with adjustable lumbar support and side bolsters. The sport seats are included with preferred package 2lt 1,495) for the coupe, which also adds a rear cargo net and luggage shade. the optional preferred package 3lt 4,795 coupe, $3,395 convertible) includes a head-up display, heated seats with position memory, a premium bose stereo with an in-dash six-cd changer and xm satellite radio hardware, a power telescoping steering column and rearview mirror with compass. The list of free-standing options is short: dvd navigation 1,695), which includes the bose audio; onstar telematics 695); and polished aluminum wheels 1,250) or dark gray painted wheels. safety features that come standard, in addition to dual-stage front airbags, include abs, traction control and electronic stability control. We recommend the optional side airbags, but there's a rub. The side bags are included in the option packages, but not priced individually. For 2006, chevrolet has eliminated the manual passenger airbag switch in the corvette, replacing it with a system that automatically senses a child seat or small passenger and disengages or engages the passenger-side airbags accordingly. the new 2006 corvette z06 coupe 65,800) is considerably more expensive than the standard models and raises performance to another plane. The heart of the z06 is a 7. 0-liter v8 producing 505 horsepower, with racecar features such as dry-sump lubrication and coolers for the power steering pump, gearbox and rear differential. Beyond the engine, the z06 package includes a host of high-performance components, starting with hydro-formed aluminum frame rails (rather than the steel rails used in the standard corvette). Its hardtop is fixed in place. Its brakes are upgraded, its tires are huge and it's offered only with the six-speed manual transmission. walkaroundthe corvette's bodywork was all-new for 2005, and while this sixth-generation vette shares some familial styling cues with its predecessors, it clearly is its own animal. It's less overtly aggressive, perhaps prettier (dare we say more italian?) than previous corvettes. the exposed headlights usually draw the first comments. Since the early 1960s, corvettes used hideaway headlamps to complement their sleek designs, but advances in optics and lighting technology now enable designers to achieve those goals with exposed headlights. From an engineering standpoint, the new headlamps are better than the old hideaways: they are lighter, which means less weight hanging out over the front wheels, a critical area in terms of overhang, polar moments of inertia and all that engineering stuff that does affect handling. Trimming weight in front is always difficult in a high performance front-engine car, so this is an important reduction. The new lights also eliminate a lot of mechanical complexity and allow a higher-quality lighting setup. On top of all that, they offer better performance: chevrolet says lighting is improved 85 percent. So the exposed headlights are good thing. more important than the headlamps, however, are the corvette's smaller proportions. The c6 is fully 5 inches shorter than the c5 (3 inches shorter in front, 2 inches shorter in the rear), and the standard models are one inch narrower. Smaller size and lighter weight improve agility. The c6 also cuts a tighter profile, and it does all that without eliminating usable interior space. In addition to the handling benefits, the more diminutive dimensions make the corvette more appealing on the tighter roads found in other parts of the world, particularly europe. the c6 body work is smoother aerodynamically and generates less lift in front than the c5, which results in better grip and increased stability at high speeds. The sculpted fenders, sharp creases that sweep dramatically up to the planed rear deck and other aspects of the design call to mind race cars as well as jet fighters. The narrower rear end is the biggest improvement from a styling standpoint, offering more pleasing proportions. Rather than being attached directly behind the engine, the transmission is mounted behind the seats and connected to the differential. In the z06, this quest for front-rear balance extends to the weight of the battery, which is relocated from under the hood to the rear cargo area. the z06 is distinguished from other 2006 corvettes by lots of subtle appearance tweaks, starting with the roof. The z06 roof is fixed rather than removable, to add an extra element of structural stiffness for track driving. Its fenders are wider front and rear to cover massively wide tires and rims (the rear wheels are fully 12 inches wide, or two inches wider than those on the standard vette). There are also several z06 body and chassis changes that aren't apparent to the eye. The z06 frame is made entirely of hydro-formed aluminum (the standard vettes have steel rails), with a magnesium engine cradle, and its fenders are formed from ultra-light carbon fiber. As a result, and despite a much heavier engine and drivetrain, the z06 weighs 50 pounds less than a standard corvette coupe. interiorinside the 2006 corvette is a relatively small steering wheel, measuring just 9. 4 inches in diameter, and it addresses one of the biggest gripes we had with the 2005 model. The new wheel looks less like something that belongs in a suburban and more like one that belongs in a sports car, even a ferrari. Simply walk up and pull the door handle. Climate Control✔ Heated Seats✔ Cruise Control✔ CD Changer✔ Passenger Airbag✔ Aluminum Wheels
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