2012 Corvette: America’s Best Gets Better
After pushing Corvette performance to new levels with the incredible ZR1, and then commemorating Chevy’s 100th anniversary with the debut of the Chevrolet Centennial Edition, the brand has re-set the bar once more by unleashing significant upgrades for the 2012 model year.
“We constantly strive to make the Corvette a better car on the road and the track,” says Tadge Juechter, Corvette vehicle line director and chief engineer. “For 2012, the Corvette lineup achieves its highest performance level ever, while at the same time being easier to drive and enjoy thanks to several changes and new features inside the car.”
It all starts in the Corvette’s cabin, where the entire 2012 lineup gets a thorough interior refresh that includes a new seat design with larger, more supportive bolsters and available Microfiber suede inserts; a revised steering wheel that showcases streamlined switch trim and wrapped spokes, along with different badging for each different Corvette model; a padded center console and armrests; and a new uplevel audio system from Bose. The fresh setup boasts nine speakers (two more than the previous system), and includes new tweeters and improved bass performance. In addition, customers can now choose from four brake-caliper colors—red, yellow, silver or gray—to further fine-tune their ‘Vette’s appearance.
But the big news comes at the top of the Corvette lineup, where the big boys play. The two best-performing Corvettes—the lightweight Z06, boasting a 505-hp V8, and the ZR1, living up to its title as the ultimate Corvette with a supercharged 638 horses under the hood—get some fine-tuning of their own. Among their available performance-oriented enhancements: New Michelin Cup ZP competition-style tires, developed by the same Michelin engineers who are behind the rubber for Corvette Racing’s American Le Mans Series efforts. The 285/30-19 (front) and 335/25-20 (rear) tires are then wrapped around all-new aluminum wheels, available with either satin-black or machined finishes. And not only are they five pounds lighter than the outgoing wheels, but they’re stronger, too.
The 2012 model year also will see the introduction of Corvette’s exclusive Performance Traction Management (PTM) technology to the Z06. PTM helps manage torque delivery for optimum performance and, when combined with the new wheel/tire combination, helped cut three seconds from the Corvette’s lap times during testing at the Virginia International Raceway.
Other new optional goodies include a full-width racing-style spoiler for both the Z06 and ZR1, as well as the addition of Magnetic Selective Ride Control—the world’s fastest-reacting suspension technology—for the Z06.
Production of the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette lineup is expected to begin in July.
For more information about Corvette or ordering a 2012 Corvette visit Zeigler Chevrolet in Schaumburg IL
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