The 2004 Chevrolet Corvette represents the ninth inning for a long-running
chassis that will be phased out next year in favor of an all-new
architecture that it will share with Cadillac¹s new sports car.

The current Corvette line includes a standard coupe and convertible and the
top-of-the-line Z06 model, which comes with a more powerful engine and other
performance enhancements. This model represents Corvette as we have known it at its very best big, bold, brawny and able to adhere to the road as few
other automobiles, including European exotics at several times the price.
Changes to the 2004 model are modest and include a lighter hood to reduce
weight and revised suspension to increase ride comfort

What¹s best about the Corvette is its large conventional V-8 engine, which
Chevrolet engineers have now pumped up to 405 horsepower. Yes, it offers
strong acceleration at all reasonable speeds. On the other hand, I didn¹t
get near its¹ top speed, somewhere over 150 miles per hour.

The Corvette engine has some interesting attributes. Perhaps the most
impressive is that even with its monstrous power, it is quite frugal with a
gallon of gasoline 28 mile per gallon in highway driving. The 400-horsepower
Jaguar XKR in comparison gets 23 miles per gallon in highway driving. This
unusual phenomenon has been the case for the nearly two decades I have been reviewing automobiles. That Chevy does it is remarkable, because the engine design is quite ancient.

On the other hand, the newest Corvette¹s engine omits a sound level that can
be annoying. You expect this outburst at full-throttle butut the engine¹s
noise level while cruising at normal highway speed can make conversation
difficult. The Corvette is great for the fun romp in the country, but I¹m
not so sure that I¹d make it a daily commute car for this reason.

The Z06 Corvette is equipped with a six-speed manual transmission that
requires a little muscle power to engage its gears, but nevertheless gets
the job done summarily. The transmission and clutch work beautifully with
the massive engine torque to offer the kind of quick up-shifts one needs to
squeeze out maximum performance.

Fortunately, the Corvette also offers great brakes. As fast as I approached
mountain curves on the down slope, the brakes offered smoothly modulated
stopping force that gave me all the confidence I needed.

On the other hand, there are elements of the Corvette¹s aging chassis in
need of the upcoming re-engineering. As one approaches a bend in the road,
the turn-in, or the manner in which the car bites into a corner, is
lackluster. The Corvette also lacks the precise feedback and control that
one finds in cars like the Porsche Boxster or the BMW M3. On the other hand,
when the Corvette sets into its groove going around a corner, it offers
amazing traction thanks to its wide tires that are capable of sticking like
Crazy Glue to the road. You get the feeling that the car is on rails and
that you can apply almost unlimited power and still stay on the road.

The design of the Corvette is also beginning to show its age. This current
Corvette is one of the last cars that hides its headlights behind flip-up
doors. This styling trick has been on its way out for years. But most
importantly, the Corvette¹s classic wedge styling with the very high rear
end is beginning to look dated.

The Corvette¹s interior layout and trunk offer good room by sports car
standards. The layout of the dashboard is functional, but the center console
has a very generic General Motors¹ look that offers no clue that the
Corvette is one of company¹s guilt-edged offerings. With a price tag in
excess of $50,000, I expect a more sophisticated design.

 
Vehicle:  Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Price as tested: $52,720

Engine:

         Type: 5.7-liter

         Horsepower: 405 @ 6,000 rpm

         Torque: 400-ft. lbs. @ 4,800 rpm

Fuel economy, manual transmission

         City - 19 mpg

         Highway - 28 mpg

Curb Weight: 3,118 lbs.