The C6 (or sixth-generation) Corvette is now in its fourth year of production. The 2008 Chevrolet Corvettes look the same as the 2007s, in spite of their bigger engines.
The Corvette is low and sleek. From some angles it's almost pretty, and it shows a bit of Italian flair. Throughout the car, functional elements dictate design and the result is a forward motion that implies performance.
The lines of the bulging hood, the shape of the fenders, and the cat's eye headlights all point forward to a subtle beaklike shape. A pair of fog lights flank a wide air intake below.
Vents behind the front tires let hot air out of the engine compartment. The sculpted fenders, sharp creases that sweep dramatically up to the planed rear deck, call to mind race cars as well as jet fighters. At the back, four round taillights recall Corvette's past and make the car look like an F-18 taking off in full afterburner mode. On the functional side, the optics of the reverse lights magnifies the light they throw out to help when backing up in this beast. To move weight from the front of the Corvette, the transmission is mounted behind the seats and connected to the differential, rather than being attached directly behind the engine.
In the Z06, this quest for front-rear balance extends to the weight of the battery, which is relocated in the rear cargo area.
The Z06 is distinguished from other Corvettes by lots of subtle appearance tweaks, starting with the roof. It's fixed rather than removable, adding an extra element of structural stiffness for track driving. You'll never see a transparent roof panel on a Z06.
In front, the Z06 has a wider, lower grille and a separate, unique air scoop above the bumper to shove more intake air under the hood. 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). In back, brake scoops are located in front of the rear wheels, the Z06 spoiler is slightly more prominent, and its exhaust outlets are wider, too (four inches in diameter at the tips).
Several Z06 body and chassis changes are not visible. The 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.
