2016 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 Convertible: Sleek, High-Tech And Powerful!!

Highlights:  An optional front view camera is offered to keep from scrubbing the vehicle up against the curb. Moreover, the convertible top can be opened and closed on the go at speeds up to 30-mph.

Test vehicle’s MSRP: $79,415 (Base Price $56,395)

Seating Capacity: 2

Standard Safety Features: air bags; all-speed traction control; a rearview camera; ABS; and OnStar

Standard Equipment: 18-inch (front) and 19-inch (rear) wheels; a 7-speed manual transmission; HID; a removable roof panel; a stainless steel exhaust tape; a 3.42 rear axle; a speed sensitive power steering system; a dual zone automatic climate control system; a push button ignition starter system; a built-in Wi-Fi; a power operated tilt/telescopic steering wheel; an electric locking storage box behind the infotainment screen; and an 8-inch infotainment screen

New Technology: A Baby Monitor For Your Baby, Your Vehicle

Check out this feature. Every car should be equipped with this feature, right?

Corvette Stingray Price Bumps Up $2,404 From Outgoing Model

Earlier this week Chevy announced the price of the iconic Corvette Stingray, which will be arriving in showrooms this year. The Stingray coupe will start at $52,999, while the convertible will start out the gate at $57,990. To put this in perspective, the outgoing coupe and convertible starts at $50,595 and $55,595 respectively. Pricing for the coupe increases $2,404 from the outgoing model on the coupe, while the convertible increases by $2,395. All comparisons include the destination charge, too.

2011 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport: The Daddy of Affordable Dream Rides

Highlight: The 8-cylinder sports car with its small block engine is available as either a coupe or convertible. For those not wanting a drop-top street rod, the super powerful two- seater is also available with a removable roof. And for those wanting to form a closer bond with their ride, the Corvette Engine Build Experience is available for $5,800. This option allows those who step-up to the Z06 or ZR1 models to help assemble the car's engine at the GM facility in Wixom, Michigan.

Test vehicle’s MSRP: $69,920 (Base price starts at $49,995)

Major Standard Features in GS: GM’s Onstar Roadside Assistance/Concierge Service; a 6-month in-screen turn-by-turn directional system; a 6-speed manual transmission; run-flat tires with tire monitor; 18-in front (19-in rear) wheels; a push-button keyless ignition starter; front and side airbags; Xenon HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlights; dual zone a/c; leather 6-way power driver’s seat; a Z16 Performance Package (extra cooling, stiffer springs and stabilizer bars, specific shock absorbers, larger brakes with 6 piston front and 4 piston rear cross-drilled rotors)

Standard Audio System: 7-speaker AM/FM stereo with CD player and MP3 playback, digital clock, auto-tone control, Radio Data System (RDS) and a 3-month subscription to Satellite radio

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 6.2-liter, 436-hp

How Fast: We hear that the Corvette can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.

Standard Fuel Mileage: 16-city/26-hwy

Competitor: Nissan GT-R, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayman and Porsche 911

What’s New: For the 2011 model year, Chevy’s ultimate sports car adds a new wheel design and two new paint colors: Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue. The vehicle interior also shoots for a more upscale look with its interior custom colored stitching.

The folks at Chevy have also made the vehicle compatible with iPods and the like, adding both a USB port and input jack, which is included with the navigation radio.

Pros: For close to sixty years, the wide-body Corvette has continued to reign supreme as it relates to being an affordable, high-performance, mass-produced American sports car. It’s not only geared for the mean city streets, but for conquering the open roads too … no matter if it’s being driven on the highway or a test track.

Just being behind the wheel of the Corvette oozes the word cool. There’s no other mass-produced American sports car like this one.

Last year, Chevy reintroduced the Grand Sport, which we reviewed, to close the gap between the base Corvette and the pricier Z06 trim. So for those who are Corvette enthusiasts, the Grand Sport serves as the replacement for the defunct Z51 option.

Besides reviving the Grand Sport name, Chevy also enhanced the fun factor for the 2011 model year -- equipping vehicles outfitted with a manual transmission with a standard launch control. By having this feature, it helps to optimize the performance for full throttle when the Corvette is about to zoom around a race track.

In fact, when the vehicle is being driven in a competitive mode, the launch control system will hold a predetermined engine speed while the throttle is being pushed to the limits. And by doing this, the Corvette allows the driver to quickly release the clutch while modulating the engine torque 100 times per second to maximize the available traction.

Also the 2011 Corvette provides an optional Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, adjusting to road surfaces to create the optimal ride for occupants. Unlike most sports cars, this one is not only roomy, but it’s great for cruising around town or taking a trip across country. Yes, there’s even room in the trunk to carry cargo too.

And to further emphasize the muscle power under the hood, Chevy outfitted our vehicle with an optional dual-mode performance oriented exhaust system. This feature definitely gave the vehicle the extra oomph we were looking for as it ate up the open roads while wearing its stylish chrome wheels.

Live Video: Editor Takes Several Laps In 638-HP Vette

At 3:30, check out Jeff's reaction, as the professional driver begins to shift into gear, burning rubber!

Don't try this on the back roads or on the open highways boys and girls, unless you want to end up in a ditch. Jeff Fortson, the editor of JeffCars.com, takes several laps in Chevy's Corvette Z06, with a professional race car driver, at the Texas Motor Speedway.

The base ZR1, which lists for approximately $106,000, is capable of kicking out 638 horses from underneath the hood and can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in just under 3.4 seconds. In fact, this is Chevy's fastest mass produced Vette in the history of the company.

For Jeff, the experience of being a co-pilot was like riding a roller coaster. As you can tell from viewing the video, he could barely keep his behind planted in the passenger seat, as the professional driver was topping record speeds, while cornering the track. Now if this Vette is out of your reach, check out our review of a convertible Vette, with a little less horsepower, but with just as much sting.


To configure a Vette or another new ride, visit our New Vehicle Pricing Guide.

2009 Chevy Corvette Convertible: An Affordable Dream Car

What's New About the 2009 Chevy Corvette Convertible:

For the 2009 model year, the two-seater convertible, which is basically a carryover, continues to roll on, after fifty-six years of being in production. While GM debated over eliminating the Pontiac, Saab, Hummer and Saturn brands from its portfolio, the Corvette (Vette) was never on the chopping block unlike its competitor over at Chrysler, the Dodge Viper.

Must Have Goodies:

If you can afford to swing the $73,000 asking price of the roadster we reviewed, it could be worth the $19,000 in options added to our vehicle. Our test vehicle was equipped with Chevy’s top level premium package, which consisted of heated seats, a power telescopic steering wheel, side impact air bags, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a power convertible top and six-way power adjustable sport seats with leather inserts. The premium package was also equipped with a Head-Up Display system, which allowed the driver to keep focus on the road - viewing the speed and other driving functions on the windshield.

Moreover, the Vette was also outfitted with a $1,700 set of chrome wheels, a single-disc CD/DVD player integrated in to the navigational system and a $1,200 dual mode exhaust system, alerting neighbors of your grand entrance into the neighborhood. Just in case you’re seeking a little more discretion when rolling into your neighborhood, you should probably avoid the enhanced exhaust system. And for sports enthusiasts yearning for the ultimate sports car ride they can opt for the $1,700 Z51 Performance Package, which includes stiffer springs and stabilizer bars.

What Rocked:

In addition to providing respectable fuel economy (15 city/25 hwy), the throaty ragtop we reviewed had great road manners, whether you were driving in the city or on the open roads. The optional 18-inch front wheels and 19-inch rear wheels coupled with the form fitting accommodating sports bucket seats in our street racer made the Vette great for short drives or cross country road trips.

And, the $2,000 Magnetic Selective Ride Control System enhanced the comfort level of driving the Vette, too. Unlike some sports cars, the Vette doesn’t provide a jarring ride nor will tall occupants have difficulty fitting into the low-riding sports car even with the top up. Furthermore, because of its size, surprisingly, the convertible offered a respectable amount of storage space, when the easy-to-use power top was hid-a-way.

Moreover, this speed racer on wheels could serve as the perfect date vehicle, too, on warm summer nights. The vehicle could be easily converted to a drive-in movie theater underneath the stars, after inserting your favorite DVD.

As you can imagine, there is nothing like driving a Vette, especially when you drop the top, while cruising around town or on the open roads. Lastly, the dramatic effect of the optional yellow paint job screamed excitement.

What We Hated:

It's too bad the Vette roadster we reviewed didn’t come equipped with the car’s standard six-speed manual transmission. Although our Vette was equipped with a $1,250 six-speed automatic transmission, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which serves as a clutchless automatic, it doesn’t have the same effect as driving a true manual transmission.

Furthermore, we hope the Corvette engineering team considers adding a rear-view back up camera and air conditioned seats in the near future.

Any Juice:

Of course it has juice, it’s a Vette. While the hardtop Vette is available in a variety of engine configurations, the roadster is confined to the 8-cylinder with a 6.2-liter engine, which pushes more than 430 horses from underneath the hood......


For comparison sakes, this is just 50 horses shy of the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, which has a base starting price of $140,000. If you opt for a Corvette coupe, you can step up to 505 horses or even the 638 horses available in the super powerful ZR1.

Verdict:

The Vette is still an American icon. No matter what folks think about American vehicles, there isn’t a person alive or dead who wouldn’t want to spend time behind the wheel of one of the world’s most affordable sports cars. Unlike the coupe, which is available in several trim packages, the roadster is only available in one trim level. To help keep the price down during this recession, buyers can opt for the manually operated convertible top. A base convertible starts at around $54,000 and can easily climb to $76,000. With all of the problems facing the domestic automakers lately, this still has to be one of the best sports cars on the road today.

Other Competitors: BMW Z4, Dodge Viper, Nissan 350Z Roadster, Porsche 911 Cabriolet

View our New-Vehicle Pricing Guide on the right side of this site.