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A Chevrolet Corvette occurs as sports car first manufactured by Chevrolet in 1953 and is built today alone at the General Motors assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was a foremost a lot-American sports car built by an American auto maker. A National Corvette Museum is also located in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

A car is widely look on a "poor man's supercar", although this description is arranged to become gratis. Corvettes have a hanker history of melding exceptional treating & brutal numbers of engine power into an low-priced pack that is drastically less expensive than prestiguous brand by having similar abilities. This has clearly led to a bit of scorn of a Corvette by owners of such competing brand name, using virtually all of the criticism existence aimed at the Corvette's level of filtration. Older generations of a Corvette use at times been criticized for existence brute after in comparison European sports car, although a C5 & C6 generations seem to stand silenced near the virtually all strident of such critics.

Corvettes tend to emphasize simplicity across technical indicator complexness after it comes to engine power. In which 100% competing trade name rely in smaller-displacement engines by using complex, double overhead cams (DOHC), variable valve timing (VVT), four- & 5-valve heads, or turbochargers, the Corvette makes even as much or even better power applying the elementary overhead valve (OHV) head with exclusively deuce pushrod-actuated valves per cylinder, coupled with the larger-displacement engine. A comparatively elementary pushrod V8 engine is both lightly & physically little than a additional complex arrangements, too when inexpensive to manufacture. This deficiency of sophistication is occasionally take for a negative by extreme self-propelling purists, & has fueled a aforesaid "lack of refinement" argument. Disregardless of a validity of such criticism, there is no of these might deny the power, efficiency, & affordability of the project.

When a style of a car can be even when crucial to a bit of as to how else swell a car diarrhea, machine manufacturers did non commence to pay attention to car designs until the Twenties. It was non until 1927, after General Motors hired designer Harley Earl, that automotive styling & project became significant to Our contries motorcar manufacturers. What Henry Ford did for automobile manufacturing information, Harley Earl did for car project. Virtually all of Gramme's flamboyant "dream car" designs of a Fifties come directly attributable to Earl, leading 1 journalist to comment that a designs were "the American psyche made visible." Harley Earl loved sports car, & GIs giving fallowing serving overseas Globe War II were bringing residence MGs, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos and a such as. Earl convinced G that it required to build the both-seat sports car. A effect was a 1953 Corvette, unveiled to the public at that month's Motorama car show. the original Corvette emblem incorporated an Western flag into a project; this was late dropped, since associating a flag by having a product was frowned upon.

Ingesting its title from either a corvette, a microscopic, manoeuvrable fighting frigate (the credit for the naming attend Myron Scott), the foremost Corvettes were virtually handbuilt around Flint, Michigan in Chevrolet's Customer Delivery Center, now an academic building at Kettering University. the outer person was processed away from a radical fresh composite poop known as fiberglass, offering a nature and severity of steel forswearing the weight. the tradition continues possibly in todays world, when there are no Corvette has ever got anything otherwise a fibreglass outer skin. Underneath that radical freshly immune system were standard Chevrolet components, including a "Blue Flame" inline six-cylinder engine, two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and drum brakes from Chevrolet's regular car line. Though a engine's output was increased somewhat, thanks to the triple-carburetor intake exclusive to the Corvette, performance of the car was definitely lackluster. In comparison a Ford Thunderbird with its 312 in³ (Little phoebe.Unity L) V8 & British & Italian sports car of the day, the Corvette wwhen underpowered, expected much of effort likewise as clear roadway to bring to the prevent, & possibly lacked a "proper" manual transmission. Higher until that period, a Chevrolet section was Gramme's entry-level brand, known for fantabulous however there is no-nonsense cars. Nowhere was that thomas more evident than in the Corvette. The Paxton supercharger became available in 1954 as a dealer-installed stock, greatly improving a Corvette's straight-line performance, however sales continued to decline.

G was seriously looking for shelving the design, allowing a Corvette to become little to a higher degree a footer within self-propelling history, & would use at times done sol in case does'nt for 2 crucial cases. A 1st was a introduction of Chevrolet's foremost-ever V8 engine within 1955, & the 2nd was a influence of a Soviet emigre in Gram's engineering department, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Arkus-Duntov just took the 265 within³ (Iv.Ternary L) version of the recently engine & backed it sustaining the 3-speed counterpoint transmission. That modification, probably a individual first in the car's history, helped turn the Corvette from either the 2-seat curiosity into a echt sports car & Thunderbird rival. It as well earned Arkus-Duntov a like erroneous nickname "Father of the Corvette".

There keep around been sextet generations of the Corvette therefore far, usually known as versions C1 across C6. A number one generation began around 1953 & ended around 1962, sustaining a noteworthy addition of optional fuel injection in 1957. This newly inductiin formulas foremost saw regular have on the gasoline engine ii years prior on the Mercedes-Benz 300SL "Gullwing" roadster. Although a Corvette's GM-Rochester fuel injection system used one central plunger to feed fuel to everthing eight cylinders inside counterpoint to the other straight means of delivery by having one plunger for every of the Mercedes' sestet cylinders, a technique yet produced 283 horsepower (211 kW) from either 283 in³ (4.6 L), making it the first production engine in history to reach 1 hp/in³ (45.5 kW/L). Inside 1962, a GM Microscopic-Prevent was enlarged to 327 within³ (Fin.Quatern 50) & produced the utmost of 360 horsepower (268 kW).

A 2nd or even mid-season generation, designed by Larry Shinoda under the styling counsel of Bill Mitchell, started around 1963 and ended in 1967. 1963 would look at a introduction of the newly Corvette Sting Ray coupe with its distinctive split rear window (discontinued for 1964 above safety concerns) also as an independent rear suspension. Power for 1963 was at 365 horsepower (272 kW) hitting 375 h.p. (280 kW) inside 1964.

4-wheel disc brakes were introduced in 1965, as was the "big-block" engine option (a 396 in³ (6.5 L) V8). Side exhaust pipes appeared on the 1965 Stingray & persisted across 1969. Chevrolet would higher a ante around 1966 with the introduction of an possibly big 427 in³ (7 L) version, creating what would be one of the most collectable Corvettes ever. 1967 saw the L88 version of the 427 introduced which was rated at 430 horsepower (321 kW), however unofficial estimates place a actual output at 550 horsepower (410 kW) or even sir thomas more. Merely twenty such engines were located within a 1967 Corvette, & the cars potty fetch Me$600,000 or even sir thomas more in auction in todays world.

Inside 2004, Sports Car International named the Stingray total 5 on the names of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.

A third generation, patterned fallowing Chevrolet's "Mako Shark" show car (designed by Larry Shinoda), started witharound 1968 & ended in 1982. This generation has a distinction of existence introduced to the motoring public within an maverick — & unintended — fashion. 1968 marked a introduction of Mattel's now-famous Hot Wheels line of 1/64-scale die cast toy cars. General Motors got tried their better to keep a appearance of a forthcoming car a secret, however the release of the Hot Wheels line many weeks prior to the Corvette's unveiling got a certain version of particular interest to Corvette fans: the "Custom Corvette", the GM-authorized model of the 1968 Corvette.

Around 1969, Gramme enlarged their microscopic-prevent once agaaround to 350 in³ (Fin.Seven L), & around 1970 a 427 large-prevent was enlarged to 454 around³ (Vii.Little joe L). Power peaked in a 1970 & 197One system, using the 1970 LT-1 microscopic-prevent putting out 370 horsepower (276 kW) & a 1971 454 large-prevent getting its previous month of large power by having 425 horsepower (317 kW). Inside 1972, Gram moved to the SAE Net measurement for power (away from a last SAE Gross standard), which resulted around lower values expressed around h.p.. Along by owning a move to leadless fuel, emission controls, & catalytic converters, power continued to decline & bottomed call at 1975 — a base ZQ3 engine put out 165 h.p. (123 kW), & a optional L82 engine put out 205 h.p. (153 kW). Power remained fairly steadily for a rest of the C3 generation, ending inside 1982 by using the 200 horsepower (149 kW) L83 engine.

Styling changed subtly on top a generation. Around 1973, the Corvette dropped a front chrome bumpers for a urethane-compound "5 mph" bumper however saved a rearward chrome bumpers. Inside 1974, A rearward chrome bumpers became urethane, as well, making 1973 a endure Corvette exemplary month using any chrome bumpers. 1975 was the endure season for a convertible, & 1978 saw the introduction of a glass bubble tail window. Within 1980, a Corvette had an integrated aerodynamic redesign that resulted inside the important reduction in drag.

A 4th generation was introduced at a close of 1982 production as a 1984 model and ended around 1996, meaning that there's no such tool as a "1983 Corvette". A C4 corvette is known for its box-shaped look. In the coupe it too is the foremost Corvette to have a glass hatchback (except for the 1982 Collector's Edition) for better storage access. It as well got completely newly brakes by having atomic number 13 calliper. A Corvette C4 come standard by having an electronic dashboard using digital liquid crystal displays for speed and Revolutions per minute. a C4 was a complete redesign of the former generation, & the emphasis get on treating. A C4 Corvette was proclaimed a better treating car ever while it was freed. This treating come at the expense of a strong, stern ride. A unit-person frame utilized in the C4 was besides prone to rattles & squeaks due to frame flexing. As well due to a external unit-person frame, the door sills were quite deep & entry & exit were impeded. Last, a bumper did non meet federal bumper regulations.

ZR-1
Around 1990, the Corvette ZR-One was introduced as the limited-production, high-vet version of the standard Corvette, which contained a favorite 32-valve overhead cam LT5 engine designed by Lotus Engineering and built by Mercury Marine. A Corvette ZR-One was originally arranged to exist as freed inside 1989 and a few epitome were built however were never sold to the public. Official production began in the 1990 model year. Corvettes by having the ZR-One guide got a few unique features, including different doors, rearward quarter panels, & a different rearward bumper. A rearward quarter panels were changed to accommodate a big 315/35ZR17 inch tyre in Xi" wheels. The ZR-1 is noticeably wider than standard Corvettes when viewed from the rear. Other visual differences included a third brake light on the roof above the hatch (standard Corvettes after 1991 had these integrated into the rear bumper), as well as a ZR-1 emblem on the bottom corner of the rear bumper. Beginning in the 1992 production year, GM added ZR-1 emblems to the side of the car to distinguish it more from an LT-1 powered Corvette. One unique feature of the ZR-1 was the "gentleman key." This is an extra key that is inserted into a switch below the radio that enables the driver to select the engine's power output level. The switch had two positions - "Normal" and "Good". The car was designed to default to Normal engine power after startup, in which the engine had significantly less output. When the switch was changed to Full, eight additional fuel injectors and intake runners on the engine allowed it to produce it's full horsepower. The ZR-1 was only available with a 6-speed manual transmission. From 1990 to 1992 the LT5 engine was rated at 375hp, and from 1993 to 1995 the output was rated at 405hp. One of the fastest street cars ever built up to that time, the final year of ZR-1 production was 1995.

Grand Sport
Chevrolet released the Grand Sport (GS) version in 1996 to mark the end of production of the C4 Corvette. The Grand Sport moniker is a nod to the original Grand Sport model produced in 1963. A total of 1,000 GS Corvettes were produced, 810 as coupes and 190 as convertibles. The 1996 GS came with the high-performance LT4 engine, producing 330 hp (246 kW) and 340 ft·lbf (461 N·m) of torque. The Grand Sport came only in Admiral Blue with a white stripe down the middle, and black wheels and red stripes on the front left wheel arch added to its distinctive look.

The fifth generation started in 1997 and ended with the 2004 model year. The C5 was a radical change from the previous generation. The car now had a hydroformed box frame, and the transmission was moved to the rear of the car and connected to the engine via a torque tube. Gone were the squeaks and rattles of the C4, and in replacement was an incredibly strong frame that would last for at least two more generations. The new C5 was better in every aspect than the C4 it replaced.

The Corvette's 50th Anniversary was celebrated June 20th and 21st, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. The venue provided a bonanza of flawlessly restored Corvettes, a chronological display set up by the National Corvette Museum with every model year of the Corvette along with engineering and restoration seminars. The anniversary also brought some Chevrolet Concept Vehicles into focus including the approved-for-production Chevrolet SSR, a combination pickup truck and roadster featuring styling cues from Chevrolet trucks of the late 1940s and early 1950s. Also on hand were several Corvette race cars, including the Corvette SS built by Zora Arkus-Duntov and the C5-R that won at Le Mans. Among the many displays were examples of the 2003 50th Anniversary Edition as well as a few 2004 "Commemorative Edition" Corvettes.

Recently, the factory has expanded to build the Cadillac XLR roadster, which shares its platform with the sixth-generation Corvette. Bowling Green is also home to the Corvette Museum, which celebrates this American automotive icon by displaying in chronological order the various regular production models as well as some unique one-off versions created by Chevrolet. The building in Flint in which the first cars were assembled was spun off with GM's Delphi Electronics division and later donated to GMI/Kettering University in the late 1990s. The building has since been remodeled and is now the C.S. Mott Engineering and Science Center, housing the Mechanical Engineering and Chemistry programs. In the garage housing the school's Pontiac Firebird club is a plaque commemorating it as the place where the first Corvette was built.

Z06
A successor to the ZR-1 made its debut in 2001 and was called the Z06. Instead of a heavy double-overhead cam engine like the ZR-1, the Z06 used a high-output (LS6) version of the conventional Corvette V8 (LS1). This engine produced 385 hp (287 kW) which was not much more than the old ZR-1, but since it was much lighter, the Z06 was a much faster car.

For 2002 onward, the Z06 produced 405 hp (302 kW). The Z06 also came with side mounted brake ducts and an rpm red-line raised by 500 rpm (to 6500 rpm). GM has stated that the 0-60 time on a 2002 Z06 is 3.9 seconds. The stock quarter mile time is 12.4 @ 115mph, but some car enthusiasts have been able to push their stock car into the high 11 seconds.

Other features of the Z06 include a stiffer hardtop body design, stiffer suspension, larger wheels and tires, a new six-speed manual transmission, and functional brake cooling ducts. The Z06 is 106 lb (48 kg) lighter than a standard C5 thanks to a titanium exhaust, thinner glass, lighter wheels, and a lighter battery.

C5-R
The C5-R was a racecar built by GM Racing. It was based on the C5 road car but had an enlarged V8 and different bodywork with exposed headlamps. It is raced in the American Le Mans Series in the GTS Class and has been to four 24 Hours of Le Mans races.

2001
The car's remarkable 2001 racing season produced eight victories in ten races, including an overall win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and a one-two finish in the GTS class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Le Mans wins sparked off a rivalry with Prodrive's Ferrari 550 Maranellos, and both teams have become fan favorites.

2002
In 2002 the C5-R repeated its one-two victory at Le Mans and also dominated the GTS class in the American Le Mans Series. A new transaxle unit replaced the previous year's separate transmission and differential.

2003
In 2003, additional restrictions were placed on the C5-R to limit power. At the 2003 season-opening 12 Hours of Sebring race, the C5-Rs remained in winning form, with one of them finishing first in class and eighth overall. Also in 2003 the yellow paint was dropped in favor of a special red, white, and blue color scheme to commemerate the Corvette's 50th anniversary. However, at Le Mans the Prodrive Ferraris spoiled the anniversary and hopes for a three-in-a-row victory by winning the GTS class.

2004
In 2004 the yellow paint returned, and after being beaten by the Ferrari 550s at Le Mans in the previous year, the Corvette returned for another one-two finish.

C6
The sixth generation Corvette has not changed as much as the previous generation Corvette did. The design engineers tried to perfect, not reinvent, but some still complain that it is challenging to drive in town, on bad roads, and in the rain.

The new C6 gets an overhaul of the suspension geometry, all new bodywork with exposed headlamps (for the first time since 1962), a larger passenger compartment, a larger 6.0 liter engine, and a much higher level of refinement. Overall, it is 5.1 inches (13 cm) shorter than the C5, but its wheelbase has increased by 1.2 inches (3 cm). It is also one inch (2.5 cm) narrower, making for a smaller, sportier Corvette. The reduced dimensions were in response to criticism that the C5 Corvette looked too wide—the new body gives the impression of a much sleeker, faster car. Chevrolet hopes the new design will attract buyers of comparable European sports cars like the Porsche 911, but some purists dislike the new styling. The new 6.0 liter LS2 V8 produces 400 hp (298 kW) at 6000 rpm and 400 lbf.ft (542 Nm) of torque at 4400 rpm. Its red-line is increased to 6500 rpm like the C5 Z06.

The C6 retains its relatively high fuel economy, in part by upshifting to higher gears as soon as possible. Equipped with an automatic transmission, the C6 achieves 18/26 mpg (city/highway), and the manual transmission is slightly better at 18/28. However, some prospective Corvette buyers are surprised to find that the C6's manual transmission is fitted with a lockout device, obligating the driver to shift from 1st directly to 4th when operating at lower RPMs. While this boosts the EPA's derived fuel economy, thus allowing the buyer to avoid paying the "flatulency guzzler" tax, it is an open secret that more than a few C6 owners with manual transmissions simply have a $20 aftermarket part (CAGS eliminator) fitted to their vehicle to re-enable a normal 1-2-3-4-5-6 sequence at any RPM.

Z06

The new Z06 is slated to arrive as a 2006 model and should be available in the third quarter of 2005. It will have an eight-cylinder, 7.0 L (7,008 cc/427.6 in³) engine codenamed the LS7. Officially certified output is 505 hp (376 kW). Dave Hill, the chief engineer for the C6 Corvette, says that it will be a much further departure from the standard Corvettes and more like the C6-R that GM is building for the American Le Mans Series. Its performance is projected to be similar to the Ford GT and the Dodge Viper SRT-10. Official performance figures indicate that the Z06 can reach 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds from a standing start in first gear.

In addition to the larger engine, the C6 Z06 will have a dry sump oiling system, something typically found only on race cars. Connecting rods made out of exotic titanium further lighten the reciprocating mass of the engine while making them stronger than the steel rods they replace. Altogether, the Z06 model will not only produce more power, it will rev faster and higher than any non-Z06 engine.

In a radical departure from anything Chevrolet has ever done before, the primary structural element of the C6 Z06 will be aluminum instead of steel as on the non-Z06 cars. The hydroformed aluminum frame remains dimensionally identical to its steel bretheren but is significantly lighter. The front fenders are made of carbon fiber to reduce weight, while wider rear fenders allow for the wider tires necessary to deal with the engine's increased power. The Z06 officially weighs 3132 lb (1421 kg), giving it a power to weight ratio of 6.2 lb/hp (10 kW/kg).

Taken as a whole, the C6 Z06 is very similar to its race-going variant, the C6-R, much more so than the C5 Z06 was to the C5-R. The number of production automobiles from all marques across the globe featuring more than 500 horsepower (370 kW) is small indeed. With an official list price of US$65,800 per unit, it will likely be the only such vehicle in existence with a price tag under US$85,000.

Blue Devil
Chevrolet has long worked on developing an ultra-high performance version of the Corvette to compete with the Dodge Viper and European imports. Dubbed Blue Devil for the mascot of GM CEO Rick Wagoner's alma mater (Duke University), the car is rumored to be set for production in 2006. It reportedly[http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=102690] features a supercharged version of the LS7 engine producing 600 hp (447 kW). Carbon fibre body panels reduce overall weight to well below 3000 lb (1360 kg). Pricing is expected to be over US$100,000.

C6-R
The C6-R was unveiled for its first race at the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race of the American Le Mans Series. It came in second and third, just behind the new Aston Martin DB9 racecar. It was put on display a week later at the New York International Auto Show next to the Z06.

Later, in the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans, it made up for Sebring by placing first and second in the GT1 car class (5th and 6th overall, a considerably high finish for a GT class car) after a lengthy duel with the Aston Martin team's DBR9 racers.

Oldest surviving unit
The oldest surviving production Corvette[http://www.worldsoldestcorvette.com/] is serial number E53F001003. This historic, one-time GM "end line text mule" is the third 1953 Corvette to ever come off the Flint assembly line and is known as "double-o-3" to Corvette enthusiasts. Its value is estimated at US$750,000.

Awards

The Corvette was Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year for 1984 and 1998. It has also been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list eleven times: the C4 from 1985 through 1989 and the C5 in 1998, 1999, and 2002 through 2004. The new C6 was also named to that list and was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for 2005.

Automobile Magazine called the Sting Ray the coolest car in history, and Sports Car International placed it at number 5 on their list of the Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.

John Lingenfelter Memorial Trophy

Corvette as marque

With the move toward rebadging Daewoo cars as budget-priced Chevrolets in Europe, Corvette will become a marque there from 2005 and sold separately from the Korean-built Chevys. The rumor that Corvette would become its own brand has been circulating since the late 80's and has never elevated to more than a rumor.