Chevrolet Corvette 2013 Overview

This Corvette with artwork is perfect for celebrating the birthday of a sports car star. If you like fast cars, then 2013 is full of anniversaries. This 100 is not for Aston Martin, and no matter what, it looks like it will hit another ton than it has ever done in the past. It is also the centenary of Italian design house Bertone, the talented author of many outstanding designs, while former tractor maker Lamborghini turns 50, as does British supercar maker McLaren.

Even more remarkable, the post-war heyday of consumption in the 1950s gave rise to some separate models that we still praise today. The two sports cars, which together represent the two poles of European and American approaches to performance, mark significant numbers: From Germany, the Porsche 911 turns 50; while the Chevrolet Corvette, six decades later, is one of the oldest nameplates still in production.

HISTORY

It took a few years for the Corvette to establish its identity - early examples were thin and heavy - but the seventh generation, unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January, solidified its place as a performance star in the General Motors constellation. The C7 is known to revive the famous Stingray badge and maintain the formula: front engine, rear wheel drive.

If success is measured in sales, then the Corvette wins. A total of 1.4 million buyers versus 820,000 911 for 30, which is about 52,000 percent more popular. The price has something to do with it: In the US, the new Corvette starts at $85,000 versus over $911 for $XNUMX.

RHD CONVERSIONS

In Australia, we are forced to look with envy. Not just because of the price difference – 911s cost over $200,000 here – but in the case of the Corvette, it’s because of simple affordability. The best cars in America are built only with the left hand drive. Some right-hand drive markets, notably the UK and Japan, allow cars with the steering wheel on the wrong side, but Australia frowns.

If you want a Corvette, you must convert it. Luckily, there are several operations that do just that. One of the newest is Trofeo Motorsport based in Victoria. Director Jim Manolios made money from blood tests and turned his passion for motorsport into a business. Trofeo hosts drive days, a racing team and is the national distributor of Pirelli motorsport tires. For about a year now, she has been importing and converting corvettes at her workshop in Hallam, near Dandenong.

Trofeo is committed to end-to-end conversions, sourcing vehicles from the US and specializing in the notoriously difficult-to-replace Corvette, Manolios said. The components that need to be changed - around 100 - are scanned into a computer, flipped, and then 3D printed. Some low-volume parts can be made directly in this way, or 3D printing can become the basis for production tooling.

The steering wheel, pedal box and windshield wipers need to be swapped, as well as dozens of invisible parts like airbags and wiring. In addition, Trofeo offers a range of options, from carbon fiber body kits to upgraded exhausts, suspension and brakes, and superchargers.

PRICES AND MODELS

Prices start at around $150,000 for the Grand Sport, which is powered by a 321kW 6.2-liter V8 engine. Conversions of the high-performance Z06 model with a 376 kW 7.0-liter V8 engine cost more, with options allowing the price to go up to $260,000.

Manolios says the Corvette delivers Ferrari performance at a fraction of the price and believes there is a lot of demand for it. We are looking for someone who has Porsche money in his pocket and is looking for a real sports car,” he says.

US production of this outgoing Corvette, the C6, was halted in February to make way for the C7. So far, Trofeo has converted seven C6s and will receive a new version by the end of the year to rehearse the process. Meanwhile, Manolios says he can get some more Z06s. The ultimate goal is to deliver 20 vehicles a year.

TEST VEHICLE

I drove a Z06 with the works: upgraded suspension, front spoiler and carbon fiber side skirts, custom exhaust and most importantly a Harrop supercharger. That V8, called the LS7 in the General Motors code and displacing 427 cubic inches in old money, is being replaced by a new generation engine in the C7. Manolios thinks the LS7 will have sentimental appeal, and it's impossible to disagree with that.

Based on the alloy block engine of racing Corvettes, it features a dry sump lubrication system and lightweight titanium connecting rods and intake valves. It rumbles and rocks the car at idle, roars under throttle and crackles under acceleration, with the supercharger whine in perfect counterpoint.

The supercharger requires a reshaped hood with a larger bulge. It is made of carbon fiber, which makes up for the modest weight of the supercharger itself. The chassis is also taken from motorsport and is made from aluminium, while many body panels such as the roof are made from carbon fiber. Thus, the Z06 only weighs slightly more than the Porsche 911 (1450 kg), despite being slightly longer and slightly wider.

So with power upped to 527kW and torque up to a whopping 925Nm, the supercharged Z06 has performance to burn through. Manolios thinks a zero-to-3.0kph time of less than 100 seconds is possible, and it's not hard to spin the Pirellis monster in more than one gear. In motion, acceleration is relentless, and if anything gets more impressive the faster you drive. Few powerplants I have tried have been so intoxicating.

DRIVING

The Z06 handles like a Lotus that spent months in Venice Beach. Similar, only more muscular. Like the Lotus, the suspension is stiff and the bodywork is stiff, so you get a constant feel for how the car is built, through the little creaks and groans. The weight is distributed evenly front-rear.

The result is a car that feels balanced and nuanced in its movements, with dynamics that can handle massive amounts of power. Control helps. It steers smoothly and precisely despite the handlebar being a bit on the big side, while the throttle offers millimetric control and the brake feel is comparable to the best.

The six-speed manual shifts well, although the slightly offset second throttle meant I upshifted a few times. With all that ability, the Z06 is best tested on the race track, and I couldn't help but wonder what top speed you'd see on the Phillip Island straight.

Luckily, you wouldn't have to look down to find out; the Z06 has a head-up display, the same as the latest Holden Commodore Redline, albeit a previous generation. This is true of all electronics, which is a measure of the age of the outgoing Corvette. This also applies to the interior, which is a classic pre-reformation GM.

The seats are ok, the cargo area is spacious (but it would have been nice to have hooks to mount it), and there are some delightful touches like the electronic door opener. However, the overall vibe is cheap plastic and lackluster build. It's not the fault of the conversion, which is nearly impossible to detect from the driver's seat. The handbrake stays in place and you need first gear insurance when parking, but it doesn't get in the way.

The exterior also betrays its GM origins due to poor panel fit, while the hood color in this early Trofeo could have been improved. But you don't buy a Corvette for its interior, much less the Z06. In addition to the engine and how it rides, you can admire the gorgeous domed rear window and round taillights. This is a rare sight, and it draws fans everywhere I go.

Despite the huge power of the example I've driven, this car would be very easy to live with - docile if you don't push it, and with better than expected ride quality. It was a long wait for me to try the Corvette, but it was worth it. Now I'm looking forward to C7. Luckily, Trofeo Motorsport is also looking forward to it.

VERDICT

Old school GM sorted in Aussie.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

(Trofeo conversion with optional supercharger)

Cost: from $ 260,000

Vehicle: Sport Car

Engine: 7.0 liter supercharged V8 petrol engine

Outputs: 527 kW at 6300 rpm and 952 Nm at 4800 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive