Chevrolet Corvette

History and characteristics

The model has a number of features that add originality to its image. For example, the Corvette has its own emblem in the form of two bird wings, rather than the stylized cross common to all other Chevrolets. The car had a front-engine rear-wheel drive layout in all generations, except for the latest, the eighth, where the engine is located directly behind the seats, which turns the Chevrolet Corvette into a true sports car and allows it to compete with Ferrari, Lamborghini and other mid-engined cars.

The first three generations were frame, and starting with C4 (1984–1996), the body received a load-bearing structure, the principle of which changed during the evolution of the model. Constant changes took place with its type: C1 was a roadster that had no roof at all, C2 — a fastback, C3 had a Targa body, and C4 was a convertible with a hard and fully removable roof. Only starting with the Chevrolet Corvette C5, the car "settled" in the form of a classic coupe and convertible.

The car featured technical novelties of the concern: an independent rear suspension, a gearbox moved closer to the rear axle, as well as the installation of a second gearbox with additional overdrive, a block head with four valves per cylinder, a radio receiver with transistors instead of lamps.

As engines, only at the very beginning, Blue Flame in-line "sixes" were installed on C1 for some time, then all generations of Chevrolet Corvettes were equipped with V-shaped 8-cylinder gasoline engines (there were never diesel versions) with a volume from 4.3 to 6.2 (so-called Small-Block), as well as 7.0 and 7.4 liters (Big-Block). After the 70s, when, due to fuel economy, the second type of engine was banned from sale in a number of American states, GM focused on obtaining power from relatively "small-capacity" engines, for which it actively used turbochargers on the Corvette, thanks to which the power of individual modifications exceeded 700 hp .with.

Currently, the most popular used Chevrolet Corvette is the 7th generation model, which was produced from 2013 to 2019. C7 was supposed to appear in 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chevrolet brand, but its release was delayed due to difficulties in marketing policy. The management of the company was worried by the fact that more than half of the buyers of the previous generation were people over 55 years old, and GM wanted to pay more attention to young people for its product.

For this, the car was equipped with three variations of 6.2-liter engines: atmospheric LT1 with a capacity of "only" 466 hp. and turbocharged LT4 and LT5 for 659 and 765 forces, respectively. The last variant was considered the most powerful serial V8 at the time of its appearance. Already the basic non-supercharged version accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, the turbo versions do it even faster. The car is equipped with an automatic 6-speed or 8-speed (after restyling in 2016) gearbox, as well as a 7-speed "mechanics". According to GM statistics, 38% of buyers decided to buy a Chevrolet Corvette with a manual transmission.

New-generation design features include a carbon hood and a removable roof panel. Airgel, developed by NASA, is used to insulate the cabin from the transmission tunnel to keep heat from transferring to the cabin. The bottom panels are made of carbon-nano composite, and the chassis is made of hydroformed aluminum.

The Corvette became a symbol of freedom and adventure, as well as the most successful concept car and the most popular sports model in history. As of 2022, over 1,700,000 units have been sold, with approximately half of the sales coming from the United States. Most of these machines are still running.