2005 Corvette Roadster Illustrated Series No.122

For many auto enthusiasts, there is nothing quite like a convertible. The Corvette was born as a roadster in ’53, and except for a nine-year stretch from ’76 through ‘85, there has always been a topless Vette available. Sure, the C2 coupe’s styling is timeless, and the removable-roof-panel coupes from ’68 on are terrific. But there’s nothing like having the sun on your face and the wind in your hair while driving a Corvette. The new C6 took that roadster experience to a new level.

When Dave Hill took over as Chief Engineer for the Corvette in ‘92, many wondered what the former Cadillac engineer could possibly contribute to the evolution of Chevy’s sports car. As it turns out, Hill brought to the car something no one anticipated: flagship quality. Beating up on Corvette quality had almost become a sport in the automotive press. Thanks in part to Hill, the C5 all but put an end to that. But while the basic C5 design was incredibly good, engineers quickly identified numerous areas for further improvement. Enter the C6.

Thanks to the extraordinary power potential of the LS-series engine family, hitting the 400hp mark wasn’t much of a stretch. But unlike the olden days of the solid-lifter big-blocks that could be tricky to live with, the new LS2 engine delivered a tractable, easy-to-use 400-horses and 400 lb-ft of torque. Suspension and brakes were dialed in to a level unimaginable a few decades before. All that was left was to develop a platform that performed as if cut from a single piece of billet aluminum. The C6 chassis platform took everything learned from the C5 and the C5-R race car and delivered an out-of-the-box, world-class sports car for $52,245. That’s $140 less than an ‘04 Vette!

Usually, it takes a year for buyers to warm up to a new-generation Vette, but this was not the case for the ’05 model. Buyers put their money down on 3,308 more Corvettes in ‘05 than in ’04. An ‘05 convertible stickered for $52,245 (around $65,000 loaded), and 10,644 enthusiasts said, “I’ll take one!”

The ‘05 Corvette was not only faster than ever (top speed was an impressive 186 mph), it was safer as well. Constructed mostly from extruded aluminum, the door pillar and windshield frame passed the federal roof-crush standards without the use of a roll bar. Because the driving experience happens behind the wheel, extra attention was paid to the interior. One of the most pervasive problems among convertibles is the phenomenon known as “cowl shake.” In the C6, hydroformed frame rails with extra bracing at the suspension-mounting points and a hydroformed lower instrument-panel brace completely eliminated this problem. The roadster’s interior also received an additional 15 pounds of sound insulation, and there was extra padding for the aerodynamically shaped soft top. The net result was that the roadster had less wind noise than before and weighed only 20 pounds more than the coupe.

The soft top was available in black, gray, or beige and used a single handle-release mechanism. The speedster-style, built-in tonneau cover was hinged from the back, allowing the top to drop back into the trunk. And for the first time ever in a Vette, there was an optional power top ($1,995) that took just 18 seconds to transform the car into a roadster. The system used no additional trunk space, weighed only 15 pounds, and was developed by Car Top Systems, the same company that designed the Cadillac XLR top. And if all this wasn’t enough, the Bose Autopilot sound system used a sound-equalizing algorithm to reduce interior noise when the top was down.

Some Corvette buyers were hoping for a roadster version of the Z06. While that wasn’t in the cards, the $1,495 Z51 Performance Package did deliver much of the Z06’s on-track performance. This bargain-priced option included stiffer shocks and springs; larger, cross-drilled front and rear rotors; engine oil, transmission, and power steering coolers; unidirectional tires; and modified transmission gearing. To top it all off, a red ‘05 roadster paced the Indy 500 for the sixth time, with General Colin Powell behind the wheel. Sweet!