Driving Impressions

The Corvette coupe and Convertible get something significantly new for 2006: An optional automatic transmission as advanced as some of the other high-tech components introduced with the C6. Indeed, the new six-speed Paddle Shift automatic is one of the most technologically advanced transmissions in the industry, featuring clutch to clutch operation, manual shifting via steering-wheel levers and an electronic controller with more computing power than the typical PC had 10 years ago. The automatic's six forward gears have smaller steps between them, which enhances the feeling of performance and smoothness and allows the engine to run at optimal rpm more often. First gear has a much higher ratio than that in the old four-speed automatic, delivering even more impressive acceleration off the line. Yet both fifth and sixth are overdrive gears, allowing quiet cruising and good highway mileage. In short, the six-speed automatic delivers an even better balance of exciting acceleration and good mileage. If ever a sporting car were suited for an automatic transmission, it's the Corvette, with its big, torquey V8. The automatic does not sap all the fun out of driving the Vette the way automatics do in small sports cars with small engines. It's responsive to the driver's intent, shifting hard and fast when you're getting with the program, but smooth and softly when cruising. The six-speed automatic would be news enough for a given model year, but for enthusiast drivers it pales in comparison to the big event for 2006: the return of the mighty Corvette Z06 after a one-year hiatus. The Z06 is the most powerful production Corvette ever, boasting 505 horsepower. Its new LS7 V8 displaces 7.0 liters, or 427 cubic inches, just like the famous 427 Vettes of the late '60s. Yet the original 427s were big-block engines. While the LS7 generates big block torque (470 pound-feet), it's actually a small block V8, so it's lighter and much more compact than the original 427s. However, it's still an overhead-valve engine, and in certain respects it has more in common with a heavy-duty Silverado pickup than a Ferrari. Yet the LS7 is impressively tuned and highly refined. The Z06 features a host of racing technologies that enhance durability, including dry sump engine lubrication and separate cooling systems for the oil, power steering, rear axle and six-speed manual transmission. The springs and shocks in the Z06 suspension are about 15 percent stiffer than those with the optional Z51 performance suspension for the standard Corvette. The cross-drilled brake rotors are larger, with high-performance six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear. The Z06 has a fixed roof, rather than a removable panel like the standard coupe, for a bit more overall structural stiffness. Its frame is made entirely of lightweight aluminum and magnesium, rather than high-strength steel, and its fenders are lightweight carbon fiber rather than fiberglass. As a result, the Z06 is substantially lighter than the standard Corvette coupe, even though its engine, transmission and other super high-performance components are substantially heavier. Bottom line? At $65,800, the 2006 Corvette Z06 is easily the best supercar value in high-performance automotive history: 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds, 11.7-second quarter mile, 200-mph top speed and 1.04 g constant lateral grip, according to Chevrolet. Those numbers surpass the Porsche 911 Turbo and Ferrari F430, cars that cost twice as much as the Z06 during clearance sales, and all but a handful of low-volume, $500,000-plus specials built in small workshops around the world. And here's the real stunner. The Z06 does all that with nothing more than a slightly stiff ride on really bad roads when driven around town. There's nothing finicky in this monster. With impressive EPA mileage numbers of 16 mpg city and 24 highway, the Z06 doesn't even get a gas-guzzler tax. Th

Final Word

The 2006 Chevrolet Corvette is the best ever. It's easier to live with, easier to drive and more fun than past models. Of course, it should be. More to the point, it offers an excellent performance value when measured against other sports cars, and generates many grins per mile. The new Z06 raises the ante a good $20,000, but it borders on amazing. Its performance meets or surpasses that from cars that cost many times more. It pushes the envelope to limits hard-core enthusiast drivers wouldn't have imagined just 10 years ago from an off-the-shelf production car, at any price. If you've always wanted a Corvette, this is a great time to get one. NewCarTestDrive.com editor Mitch McCullough filed this report from Detroit; Jeff Vettraino contributed to this report.