Indeed, it has not. And the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette we've just tested proves that while the standard Vette might sit in the shadow cast by its more publicity-friendly brethren, it has received something more valuable than media attention: performance.And considering that Chevy sells roughly one Corvette for every 10 Accords that Honda sells (and 10 times the number of S-Types that Jaguar sells), we're talking about a pretty impressive automobile.
Small Block, No Extra ChargeAnd there would be no Corvette without the small-block V8. True, there have been moments of great embarrassment in the long history of the Corvette and its pushrod V8. There was the disgraceful 1970s small-block that wheezed out a total of 165 horsepower. And all by itself, the 1982 Corvette V8 represents some kind of low.
This 6.2-liter V8 constitutes the basis of the large explosive device called the LS9, which will power the forthcoming Corvette ZR1 with more than 600 hp. It's a sturdy, thick-wall block, nicely suited to the supercharging that will vault the ZR1 over the 600-hp barrier. But there we go talking about the ZR1 again. For good measure, Chevrolet has also added an intake manifold that flows more air and then rammed in a high-lift cam to actuate intake valves that are 9 percent larger in diameter (2.2 inches vs. 2.0 inches). The result is a "standard" engine that makes 25 more horses than the most powerful power plant of the last-generation Z06.
Some worthwhile side effects include a 4.5-second run to 60 mph and a quarter-mile pass of 12.8 seconds at 114.8 mph. And this car won't quit until you reach 190 mph. It simply humiliates would-be rivals. All right, "humiliate" might be too strong. But this Vette is slightly quicker to 60 mph and through the quarter-mile than a Porsche 911 Carrera S. It's also quicker than a Ford Shelby GT500, a Nissan 350Z and the last-generation Z06.
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