Chevrolet Corvette - Vehicle Overview

It's big and it's brash. It promises lots of noise, action and sexy bodywork, while not really worrying about sophistication. No, it's not a Michael Bay film, it's something far better: the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette.

In place of computer-generated robots and epic explosions, the Corvette provides special effects of a more visceral, personal sort. Whether you go for the 430-horsepower base model or the 638-hp ZR1, the Corvette's wide rear tires are in constant danger of being vaporized into fine grains of black rubber dust. Simply put, this is the American sports car. It has power and lots of it.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette is available in hatchback coupe and convertible roadster body styles. The base Corvette and Grand Sport (GS) are available in both body styles, and each is broken into 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT sub-trims. The higher-performance Z06 and ZR1 are coupe only, and are broken down into their own sub-trims.

The base Corvette 1LT comes standard with silver-painted alloy wheels (18-inch front, 19-inch rear), a limited-slip differential, automatic xenon headlights, foglamps, a removable targa-style roof panel, heated and (driver-side) auto-dimming mirrors, keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, a six-way power driver seat (manual recline), a tilt-only steering wheel, leather upholstery, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, OnStar and a seven-speaker sound system with satellite radio, a CD player and an auxiliary audio jack. Convertible models feature a manual-folding soft top.

The 2LT gains a head-up display, Bluetooth, a touchscreen navigation system, an iPod/USB audio interface and a nine-speaker Bose sound system. The 3LT adds a power telescoping steering wheel (manual tilt), driver memory functions and heated six-way power sport seats (manual recline) with power-adjustable bolsters and lumbar. The Convertible 3LT also gets a power-folding soft top. The 4LT gets extended leather interior trim, faux-suede seat inserts and extra armrest padding.

The Grand Sport is also available in the above trims, but adds to each stiffer springs and stabilizer bars, different dampers, larger and cross-drilled brakes, special wheels and Grand Sport styling elements. When equipped with the standard manual transmission, it also features a dry-sump oil system and a differential cooler.

Options on the base Vette and GS include an adaptive suspension, a transparent removable roof panel, dual-mode exhaust (adds 6 extra horsepower) and a convertible wind deflector. The Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition available on the 3LT or 4LT trims of both the base Vette and GS adds unique black paint, black and red wheels, and the adaptive suspension.

The Z06 is available in 1LZ, 2LZ and 3LZ sub-trims. Each one gets a bigger V8 engine, essentially the same suspension and brake setup as the Grand Sport, axle and transmission coolers, unique wheels, carbon-fiber front fenders and floor panels, and a head-up display. In terms of comfort and convenience equipment, the Z06's sub-trims are pretty much identical to their "LT" counterparts except that the 3LZ gets the 4LT's extra leather interior bits. The Carbon Fiber package adds most of the ZR1's carbon-fiber body pieces for reduced weight along with a ZR1-style spoiler. The Z06 Ultimate Performance package adds carbon-ceramic brakes, lightweight black wheels (19 inches front and 20 inches rear), Michelin Pilot Sport Cup run-flat tires, an adaptive suspension, Performance Traction Management and a larger spoiler.

The ZR1 gets a supercharged V8, unique wheels (19-inch front, 20-inch rear), carbon-ceramic disc brakes, adaptive suspension, Performance Traction Management, additional carbon-fiber body panels (roof, front fascia, hood) and a clear panel in the hood that shows off the supercharger. The 1ZR trim is similar to the 1LZ in equipment, while the 2ZR is similar to the 3LZ. The ZR1 High Performance package gets those items from the Z06 Performance package not already included on the ZR1 as standard.

Like many exotic sports cars and high-end luxury vehicles, the Corvette can be personalized in a number of different ways, including contrasting stitching, different headlight surround colors, brake caliper colors, and personalized exterior/interior color combinations. One interesting option is Corvette Museum Delivery, which allows you to pick up your car at Corvette's historic museum and factory facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Interior

The driver and passenger ride low to the ground and sit in new bolstered bucket seats. The sizable center console separates the seats and houses the standard six-speed manual's shifter or optional six-speed automatic's gear selector. Interior features include: Standard dual-zone air conditioning, Standard leather upholstery, Optional leather-wrapped interior, Keyless entry and starting, Optional heated seats, Optional navigation system.

Under the Hood

Both the base Vette and Grand Sport feature a 6.2-liter V8 that cranks out 430 hp and 424 pound-feet of torque. All Corvettes come standard with a six-speed manual transmission and launch control. A six-speed automatic is available on all but the high-performance models. In Edmunds performance testing, a base Coupe went from zero to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. With the optional dual-mode exhaust that adds another 6 hp and 4 lb-ft, a Grand Sport shaved 0.1 second off that time and sounded even cooler doing it. Despite this strong performance, the Corvette actually gets pretty good fuel economy at 16 mpg city/26 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. Opting for the automatic shaves 1 mpg off each.

The Z06 is powered by a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. We found that it hits 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Fuel economy is again pretty good at 15/24/18. The ZR1 gets a supercharged version of the 6.2-liter V8 that cranks out 638 hp and 604 lb-ft. This is a massive amount of power, so much so that no amount of rubber can appropriately cope. As such, its 0-60 time is only 0.1 second less than the Z06 even if it actually feels much quicker. Its fuel economy is 14/20/16.

Safety

Antilock disc brakes and side airbags are standard. Side curtain airbags are not available.

The 2012 Chevrolet Corvette's special "Active Handling" stability control system has been tuned to engage in a soft, noninvasive way that doesn't panic you. The Corvette's stability control also includes a Competition mode that gives the expert driver more leeway for aggressive dynamics while still maintaining an effective safety net. The even more sophisticated Performance Traction Management system is standard on the ZR1 and optional on the Z06.