2013 Chevrolet Corvette: What's New
Vehicle Overview
The two-seat Corvette is Chevrolet’s flagship sports car, and it’s offered in Targa top, hardtop and convertible body styles. In addition to the base model, which makes more than 400 horsepower, Chevrolet also sells three high-performance variants of the sports car: the 505-hp Z06, new 427 Convertible and the ZR1, which is powered by a supercharged V-8 that kicks out a whopping 638 hp. Competitors include the Ford Shelby GT500 and Nissan GT-R.
(Skip to details on the: Grand Sport, 427 Convertible, Z06, ZR1)
New for 2013
The 2013 model year marks the end of the C6 generation of the Corvette, as a new Corvette is set to debut in 2014. To celebrate, Chevrolet has released an all-new 427 Convertible model, which puts the powerful 505-horsepower, 7.0-liter V-8 engine from the Corvette Z06 under the hood of the droptop.
Commemorating 60 years of Corvette, a new 60th Anniversary Design Package is available. Corvettes with this package have an Arctic White exterior with a Blue Diamond leather and suede interior. Unique full-length racing stripes in Pearl Silver Blue are optional. Convertibles have a blue soft-top. Other exterior features include a ZR1-style rear spoiler, special badging and gray-painted brake calipers.
Other new features include an available ZR1-style rear spoiler on Corvette and Grand Sport models and available black-painted five-spoke aluminum wheels.
Exterior
Low slung and wide, the Corvette sports swoopy exterior styling and bulging front fenders. The Corvette’s body panels are made of composite material, and the current model features exposed headlights as opposed to flip-up ones that have been used in past versions of the sports car. Coupes have a glass hatchback and a removable roof; the convertible has an available power soft-top. Exterior features include:
- Optional performance exhaust increases horsepower, changes exhaust sound
- Quad taillights
- Large side vent behind front wheels
- Eighteen-inch front wheels; 19-inch rear wheels
Interior
The driver and passenger ride low to the ground and sit in 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
The Corvette’s all-aluminum 6.2-liter V-8 makes 430 hp (436 hp with the optional performance exhaust system) at 5,900 rpm and 424 pounds-feet of torque (428 pounds-feet with the exhaust system) at 4,600 rpm. Chevrolet recommends premium gas for this engine, but it’s not required. Mechanical features include:
- Rear-wheel drive
- Standard six-speed manual transmission with launch-control mode
- Optional six-speed automatic with shift paddles
- Optional Magnetic Selective Ride Control adaptive suspension
Safety
Safety features include:
Grand Sport
The Grand Sport is distinguished by special exterior styling and a stiffer suspension. It uses the same 6.2-liter V-8 engine as the base Corvette, and it’s likewise available with a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission. Like the regular Corvette, an optional exhaust system bumps engine output to 436 hp.
Manual-transmission Grand Sport coupes have a dry-sump oil system and a differential cooler, and the transmission itself features shorter gearing. Automatic models have a shorter final-drive ratio, and the changes lower both models’ zero-to-60-mph times by 0.2 seconds, according to Chevrolet, which puts them around 4 seconds.
The Grand Sport’s special five-spoke alloy wheels measure 18 inches in diameter in front and 19 inches in back, but the front wheels are 1 inch wider and the rear ones are 2 inches wider than base models. The shocks, springs and stabilizer bars have also been modified, and Chevrolet says the car can pull 1 g when cornering.
Hash marks on the front fenders are optional and available in four colors. The front and rear fenders are also larger, and the front fenders feature unique vents behind the front wheels and a Grand Sport badge. Back to top
Z06
The Z06 ratchets up the Corvette’s performance capabilities with the use of a more powerful V-8 engine, larger brakes and a firmer suspension. It also features unique styling cues designed to improve performance.
A 7.0-liter V-8 engine, which makes 505 hp at 6,300 rpm and 470 pounds-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm, is the heart of the Z06. It teams exclusively with a six-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet says it can blast from zero to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
The Z06 is outfitted with standard 18-inch wheels in front and 19-inch rims in back. Black-painted spider-design aluminum wheels are newly available. Chevrolet says the car can pull more than 1 g when cornering. The drilled front rotors measure 14 inches across while the rear ones are slightly smaller at 13.4 inches.
The available Z07 Performance Package includes lighter wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires, Brembo-brand carbon ceramic brakes and a full-width rear spoiler.
When a car’s top speed is 198 mph, as the Z06’s is, aerodynamics become even more important; the sports car has a front splitter and wheel-opening extensions for extra downforce. The slit near the hood feeds cold air to the engine, and scoops in front of the rear wheels channel air to cool the brakes.
An opportunity available to Z06 buyers is the Corvette Engine Build Experience, which lets customers participate in the assembly of their car’s engine at the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Back to top
427 Convertible
The new 427 Convertible is powered by the same 505-hp, 7.0-liter V-8 that’s under the hood of the Z06. Available only with a six-speed manual transmission, the 427 Convertible gets various performance bits and pieces from both the ZR1 and Z06 like a rear-mounted battery, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and a dry-sump oiling system. The exterior has wide-body styling, a carbon fiber raised hood and other carbon fiber pieces. Unique 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels wrapped in ZR1-style Michelin PS2 tires are standard. Buyers can also opt for a stinger stripe with the 427 Heritage Package. Back to top
ZR1
The Corvette ZR1 is America’s supercar. Weighing in at 3,353 pounds, the ZR1 is based on the aluminum chassis of the Corvette Z06. With a top speed of 205 mph, the ZR1 is the fastest car ever built by GM.
The ZR1 is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 638 hp at 6,500 rpm and 604 pounds-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm. The engine teams with a six-speed manual transmission. Features include Brembo-brand carbon ceramic brake rotors, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and a carbon-fiber roof, front fenders and hood.
Chevrolet says the ZR1 can produce more than 1 g of cornering grip. It features a ZR1-specific gauge cluster with a supercharger boost gauge. The ZR1 also has a launch control system. The 60th Anniversary Design Package and black-painted aluminum wheels are newly available.
An opportunity available to ZR1 buyers is the Corvette Engine Build Experience, which lets customers participate in the assembly of their car’s engine at the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Mich. Back to top
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