2007 - 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Pictures

Marking the sixth generation of its legacy, the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette delivers more power, passion and precision to reach a new standard of performance car excellence.

The 2005 Corvette is more competition-influenced than any previous Corvette. The goal was a performance car that would be at home in virtually any environment. That means raw performance, improved ride comfort, a precisely built and technically sophisticated interior and contemporary new body.

The car features dramatic new styling, a new 6.0L V-8 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque, a revised suspension, and more powerful brakes.

Exterior styling

The Corvette combines classic cues with an expressive new design. While the styling team used the latest advanced computer-aided design techniques, they relied heavily on traditional hand sculpting. Sculptors pored over every millimeter of the car’s surface. The aerodynamic development combined digital simulations, Corvette Racing experience and more than 400 hours of wind tunnel testing.

The new Corvette is 5 inches shorter and about 1 inch narrower than its predecessor. Larger wheels (18-inch in front, 19-inch in rear) are topped by dramatic fender forms. Exposed headlamps (not seen on Corvettes since 1962) combine with the grille to create a stronger “face” on the car. The fixed Xenon High-Intensity Discharge lamps provide superior lighting performance.

The Coupe’s removable-roof panel is 15 percent larger, yet offers the same structural stiffness as the C5’s, while weighing just 1 pound more. The tapered rear deck and fascia improve high-speed performance. The lean rear design sports round taillamps and center-exit exhaust.

t 0.28 coefficient of drag, the C6 is the most aerodynamic Corvette ever, and has improved anti-lift characteristics that improve high-speed stability.

The Corvette Convertible

The 2005 Corvette features an optional power-operated soft top. An easy-to-operate manual top remains standard. Both configurations use a five-layer fabric that conceals the underlying structure for a good top-up appearance, plus it helps preserve the car’s excellent aerodynamics and reduces road noise.

Every option available on the Coupe can be had on the Convertible, including features new to the Corvette such as OnStar, XM Satellite Radio (continental U.S. only), and DVD navigation system. Using the GPS satellite network and wireless technology, OnStar features core safety services and OnStar Personal Calling that allows drivers to make and receive hands-free, voice-activated phone calls using a powerful three-watt analog system, and external antenna for greater reception. 

Power

• All-new 319-T5 aluminum deep-skirt block casting with cast-in-place iron cylinder bore liners and cross-bolted main caps
• Cylinder head design derived from the C5 Z06
• Camshaft lift increased to take advantage of increased head flow
• Revised exhaust manifolds are 34 percent lighter
• Compression raised to 10.9:1
• More powerful engine controller incorporates all electronic throttle control (ETC) functions

With base curb weight starting at 3,179 pounds for the coupe and 3,199 pounds for the convertible, the new Corvette is significantly lighter than its predecessor.

The car is capable of 186 mph, faster than any production Corvette in history. It reaches zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and in 4.1 seconds with the optional Z51 Performance Package, and covers the quarter-mile in 12.7 seconds.

Shifting gears

The Tremec six-speed manual features improved shifting characteristics thanks to numerous upgrades, including new synchronizers that reduce travel by 10 percent, and a redesigned shifter lever.

The Tremec is available with two sets of ratios. The more aggressive gear set is reserved for Corvette’s Z51 Performance Package and is tailored with numerically higher gears to improve acceleration. Also, a numerically lower fifth gear gives the Z51 better fuel efficiency and a higher top speed than base models. To increase durability in sustained high-speed situations, the Z51 and the base European manual-transmission models have a transmission cooler.

The Hydra-Matic 4L65-E automatic transmission is an upgraded version of the C5’s 4L60-E, strengthened and revised to accommodate the LS2’s torque. It includes GM’s advanced Performance Algorithm Shifting, which automatically selects the optimal gear for a given driving condition. 2006 Chevrolet Corvette models get an all-new 6-speed automatic with optional steering wheel mounted shift paddles.

Chassis

The car retains the hydroformed steel rail backbone structure, which features cored composite floors, an enclosed center tunnel, rear-mounted transmission, and aluminum cockpit structure

Suspension cradles, control arms, knuckles, springs, dampers, bushings, stabilizer bars, and steering gear have all been redesigned. New Goodyear Extended Mobility Tires (EMT) take advantage of the latest sidewall design and compound technology for run-flat capabilities.

Three suspension choices allow drivers to choose the setup that best suits their driving style. The standard suspension is tuned for a balance of ride comfort and precise handling. Corvette is now more poised at even higher handling levels, yet easier to drive.

The optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension features magneto-rheological dampers able to detect road surfaces and adjust the damping rates to those surfaces almost instantly for optimal ride control. The system has been improved to deliver more differentiation between the system’s “Tour” and “Sport” settings.

The Z51 offers more aggressive dampers and springs, larger stabilizer bars, and larger cross-drilled brake rotors (13.4 inches in front and 13 inches in rear) for optimum track performance while still providing a comfortable ride.

With each suspension, three standard dynamic chassis control systems – anti-lock braking, traction control, and Active Handling – operate in concert. In all, the new dynamic chassis control systems are smarter, less intrusive and more adept at making the total driving experience precisely what drivers have come to expect from their Corvette.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Model year 2006 will always be known as the year the 505-horsepower Z06 was let loose on the sports car world. With its 505-horsepower LS7 7.0L engine, racing-bred suspension, hydroformed aluminum frame and unique bodywork, the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is the fastest, most technologically advanced production model in Corvette’s 53-year history.

The Z06’s new LS7 7.0L engines delivers 505 horsepower in an approximately 3,130-pound package – a combination that delivers 0-60 performance of 3.6 seconds in first gear, quarter-mile times of 11.7 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph (as recorded on Germany’s Autobahn). It also provides maximum lateral acceleration of 1.04 g and 60-0 braking in 109 feet; it also circuited Germany ’s famed Nürburgring in a time of 7:43.

Links between racing and the production Chevy Corvette Z06 are both direct and indirect, as the vehicle was developed in conjunction with the C6-R. The technology transfer includes the application of lessons that could only have been learned after countless laps of endurance racing – everything from suspension geometry to aerodynamics. What engineers developed in the Z06 is a totally unique vehicle that has powertrain, body structure, and chassis system features that are distinct from other Corvette models. In fact, the Corvette Z06 has a different body structure compared to Corvette Coupe and Convertible.

LS7 Details

The all-new LS7 in the 2006 Corvette Z06 reintroduces the 427-cubic-inch engine to the Corvette lineup. Unlike the previous 427 engine, which was a big-block design, the new 7.0-liter LS7 is a small-block V-8 – the largest-displacement small-block ever produced by Chevrolet and GM. With 505 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque, it also is the most powerful passenger car engine ever produced by Chevrolet and GM. The LS7 is easily identified under the hood by red engine covers with black lettering. The LS7 shares the same basic Gen IV V-8 architecture as the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2, but it uses a different cylinder block casting with pressed-in steel cylinder liners to accommodate the engine’s wide, 104.8-mm-wide cylinder bores. Compared with the LS2, the LS7 also has a different front cover, oil pan, exhaust manifolds and cylinder heads – among many other components.

Internally, the LS7’s reciprocating components make use of racing-derived lightweight technology, including titanium connecting rods and intake valves, to help boost horsepower and rpm capability. The rpm fuel shut-off limit is 7000 rpm. One of the clearest examples of the LS7’s race-bred technology is its use of titanium connecting rods. They weigh just 464 grams apiece, almost 30 percent less than the rods in the LS2 V-8. Besides lightweight, which enhances high-rpm performance and rpm range, titanium makes the rods extremely durable.

The LS7’s CNC-ported aluminum cylinder heads are all-new and designed to meet the high airflow demands of the engine’s 7.0-liter displacement, as it ingests approximately 100 cubic feet more air per minute than the Corvette’s 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 – an 18-percent increase in airflow. Consequently, a hydraulic roller camshaft with .591/.591-inch valve lift is used to allow plenty of air to circulate in and out of the engine.

To ensure optimal, uninterrupted airflow, the LS7’s heads have straight, tunnel-like intake runners. Very large by production-vehicle standards – even racing standards – they are designed to maintain fast airflow velocity, providing excellent torque at low rpm and exhilarating horsepower at high rpm. The heads feature 70-cc combustion chambers that are fed by huge, 56-mm-diameter titanium intake valves. The lightweight titanium valves weigh 21grams less than the stainless steel valves used in the LS2, despite the valve head having 22 percent more area. They are complemented by 41-mm sodium-filled exhaust valves, vs. 39.4-mm valves in the LS2. To accommodate the large valve face diameters, the heads’ valve seats are siamesed; and, taken from experience with the engines of C5-R racecars, the LS7’s valve angles are held at 12 degrees – vs. 15 degrees for the LS2 – to enhance airflow through the ports.

The LS7 has a dry-sump oiling system designed to keep the engine fully lubricated during the high cornering loads the Corvette Z06 is capable of producing. An engine compartment-mounted 8-quart reservoir delivers oil at a constant pressure to a conventional-style oil pump pick-up at the bottom of the engine. The pressurized oil feed keeps the oil pick-up continually immersed in oil at cornering loads exceeding 1 g.

Oil circulates through the engine and down to the oil pan, where it is sent back to the reservoir via a scavenge pump. The large-capacity reservoir, combined with a high efficiency air-to-oil cooler, provides necessary engine oil cooling under the demands of the engine’s power output. With the dry-sump system, oil is added to the engine via the reservoir tank – which includes the oil level dipstick.

The LS7’s dry-sump system was developed and tested on racetracks in the United States and Europe, including Germany’s famed Nürburgring. And while common in racing cars, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is one of just a handful of production vehicles – and the only production Corvette – ever to incorporate such a high-performance oiling system.

Z06 drivetrain and chassis

The Corvette Z06’s powertrain and drivetrain systems are matched to the LS7’s performance capability. The light, four-into-one headers discharge in to new, close-coupled catalytic converters and through to new “bi-modal” mufflers. The mufflers each feature a vacuum-actuated outlet valve, which controls exhaust noise during low-load operation but opens for maximum power.

At the rear of the LS7 engine, a single-mass flywheel and lightweight, high-capacity clutch channel torque to the rear transaxle. The six-speed manual transmission has been strengthened to handle the LS7’s increased torque load. The transmission includes a pump that sends transmission fluid to the front radiator for cooling. Upon its return, the fluid removes additional heat from the differential lube before returning to the transmission. The six-speed transmission connects to a limited-slip differential, with enlarged ring and pinion gears. Stronger axle half-shafts with tougher universal joints transmit power to the rear wheels.

The Chevy Corvette Z06 has a unique aluminum body structure for optimum stiffness and light weight for the fixed-roof bodystyle. Perimeter rails are one-piece hydroformed aluminum members featuring cast suspension nodes, which replace many welded steel components on other Corvette models. Other castings, stampings and extrusions are combined into the innovative structure with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies.

Advanced structural composites featuring carbon fiber are bonded to the aluminum structure. The wider front wheelhouses, for example, are carbon composites and the passenger compartment floors combine carbon-fiber skins with an ultra-lightweight balsa wood core.

The Z06 has a new magnesium cradle that serves as the attachment point for the engine and some front suspension components. Magnesium is lighter than aluminum yet incredibly strong. The magnesium cradle helps improve the front-to-rear weight distribution, as do carbon-fiber front fenders and wheelhouses. Engineers also moved the battery from underhood to a position in the rear cargo area, behind one of the rear wheels.

The mass reductions are offset by some added performance enablers, including dry-sump lubrication, exhaust system with outlet valves, larger wheels and tires, larger brakes and larger roll stabilizers.

Suspension and brakes

The Z06 retains the 105.7-inch wheelbase of other Corvette models, as well as the short-long arm suspension and transverse leaf spring design, but it rides on all-new wheels, tires, brakes, as well as its own rear spring and roll stabilizer.

The firmer suspension works harmoniously with large 18 x 9.5-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels and 275/35ZR18 tires in the front, and 19 x 12-inch cast-spun aluminum wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires in the rear – the largest wheel-and-tire combination ever offered on a Corvette. The tires use the latest extended-mobility technology from Goodyear to provide a satisfactory ride, but still allow the vehicle to achieve lateral acceleration of more than 1 g. The extended-mobility tires eliminate the need – and weight – for a spare tire and jack or inflator kit, while also reducing the chance of a sudden loss of handling capability.

Complementing the suspension system and large rolling stock is an equally capable four-wheel disc brake system, consisting of 14-inch vented and cross-drilled front rotors and 13.4-inch vented and cross-drilled rear rotors. For comparison, Chevrolet Corvette Coupe and Convertible models have 12.8-inch front and 12-inch rear rotors, while the ’06 Corvette with the Z51 sport package has 13.4-inch and 13-inch rotors.

The front rotors are acted upon by huge, red-painted six-piston calipers that use six individual brake pads. Individual brake pads are used because they deliver more equalized wear compared to what would otherwise be a pair of very long single-piece pads. For the rear brakes, four-piston calipers with four individual brake pads are used. A Delphi four-channel ABS system is standard, as is a very competent active handling system – complete with a Competitive Driving mode.

The large brakes bring an excellent level of stopping capability with the Z06, and with their four-wheel brake cooling, they provide excellent fade resistance and lining life during track duties.

Design details

The new Chevy Corvette Z06 has an unmistakable and aggressive appearance, with design cues that include:

• A wide front fascia with a large, forward-facing grille opening, a splitter along the bottom and wheel opening extensions along the sides to provide aerodynamic downforce
• A cold air scoop in front of the hood that integrates an air inlet system for the engine
• The trailing edge of the front wheel opening is radiused to achieve improved drag, but protects the body finish with a tough molding, and a large air extractor is located behind the wheel
• A fixed-roof bodystyle optimizes body rigidity and mass
• Wider rear fenders with flares cover the massive rear tires and a brake cooling scoop in front of the wheels visually balances the fender extractor
• A tall rear spoiler houses the CHMSL on the top of the rear fascia
• 10-spoke wheels (18-inch, front; 19-inch, rear)
• Four larger stainless steel exhaust outlets
• New-design Z06 badging on the carbon fiber front fenders

The aerodynamics of the Z06’s exterior were shaped by the experiences of the Corvette racing program, where high-speed stability and cornering capability are paramount. And while the racecars use large rear wings, the Z06’s elevated spoiler provides sufficient downforce to balance the road-worthy front splitter without adversely affecting aerodynamic drag. The Z06’s Cd is .31.

For all its race-inspired functionality, the Z06 is designed to be a daily driveable high-performance vehicle. To that end, comfort and convenience are held to a very high standard. High-Intensity Discharge llighting, fog lamps, leather seating, dual-zone air conditioning, cabin air filtration and head-up display (HUD) with track mode and g-meter are standard.

But for all its comfort, engineers did sacrifice a few components in the quest for lower weight and higher performance. Seat side bolsters are fixed and more supportive to better hold the driver when cornering and they weigh less. The passenger seat features manual controls, saving the weight of a power-adjust motor, and the Z06’s acoustic package is revised to reduce weight and allow more aural feedback of the powertrain.