Here's the Story...
Illustrated Corvette Series No.
130 - 2008 Production Corvette
"The Mid-Cycle Refresh"
While it might seem like
the C6 Corvette was just released, the ‘08 model is actually
the fourth edition of the car. “Mid-cycle refresh”
is the term Corvette engineers used when introducing the press to the
new-and-improved ’08 model. “Mid-cycle”
suggests to us that the current platform may be halfway through its
production run.
If you follow the Internet
Corvette rumor mill, it’s obvious the gossipers have added a
third shift. The ‘net is practically afire with spy photos
and speculation as to what the next Z06 might be like, including the
possibility of the car having something “over the
top” under the hood and lots of carbon fiber.
There’s even the rumor that the C7 will fulfill
Duntov’s dream of a mid-engine Corvette. Regardless of how
the next Vette turns out, one thing is very clear: The days of
10-plus-year production runs are over. Chevy sold 40,561 Vettes in
‘07. That’s 4,794 more units than the best C5 sales
year, 2002. You’d have to go all the way back to the late
‘70s and early ’80s to find better sales figures.
All this makes GM’s bean-counters happy enough that they
leave the Corvette engineers alone to improve the car.
What’s notable
about how the Corvette development team works is that its members take
a systematic, incremental approach to making improvements. They examine
everything from the moment air enters the intake manifold to the moment
the exhaust leaves the tailpipes. Every facet—from where the
rubber touches the road to the feeling of the steering
wheel—is carefully tweaked. When Dave Hill was Chief of
Corvette Engineering, he brought with him his Cadillac quality
background and applied it to the Corvette. Heck, the Cadillac XLR is
built at the Bowling Green Corvette plant. When customers talk,
Corvette planners and engineers listen.
Spotting an ‘08
Vette is easy—just look for the new split-spoke wheels. But
the big news is under the hood. The new LS3 packs 30 more horsepower
more than the LS2, giving it 430 horses and 424 lb-ft of torque. The
optional Dual Mode Exhaust, using technology borrowed from the Z06,
adds 6 more ponies and a delicious exhaust growl over 3,500 rpm.
Zero-to-60 mph acceleration
comes up in 4.1 seconds for the manual car and 4.3 seconds for the
automatic. Top speed is 190 mph. This performance bump starts with a
new acoustically tuned intake manifold and Z06 injectors. High-flow
heads are based on the LS7’s and have 9
percent–larger intake valves. The camshaft boasts revised
timing. The strengthened block received a .06-inch overbore, increasing
displacement to 376 ci. The new pistons were designed for high-rpm
performance. Pop the hood, and you’ll notice the
LS3’s new engine cover shields the rocker covers and has a
noise-reducing insert for a more refined sound.
The drivetrain has an
improved manual-shifter linkage for quicker shifts and better feel. As
for the paddle-shift automatic, it was also improved for quicker
shifts, and there’s an optional 2.73 performance axle
(included with the Z51 option). Finally, the rack-and-pinion unit was
modified for increased road feel at all speeds.
Bowing to customer complaints about the car’s interior,
designers added brushed-aluminum trim, new doorsill plates, and an
optional leather package that adds two-tone hides to the dash,
instrument panel, and doors. XM Satellite Radio and OnStar are both
standard, plus there’s a jack for your iPod.
Don’t want to make
the stretch to the Z06? The Z51 option has an enhanced suspension,
Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and larger brakes in a package you can live
with every day. Could things get any better? They could: Just wait till
you see the ‘09 ZR1!
