2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Z51 Milwaukee WI

December 10, 2009   By Zach Bowman, DriverSide Contributing Editor

2009 Chevrolet Corvette


2009 Chevrolet Corvette
DriverSide Overview 
General Motors has long been celebrated for its Corvette . The car is unlike anything in the company’s stable – providing world-class performance for a fraction of the cost of more exotic metal . For 2009, the Corvette Convertible is largely a rehash of last year’s model, but Chevrolet has a well-kept performance secret on its option list. The Z51 package offers up an array of go-fast goodness for pennies compared to the street-lethal Z06 or the king of the heap ZR1. Massive brakes, a retuned suspension for more aggressive handling and package-specific transmission and rear differential gear ratios are all part of the mix. The result is a convertible that can do the 0-60 dash in around 4.3 seconds. Hands down, the Z51 package represents one of the best factory performance options out there for the money.
 

What's to Like 
As startling as 430 horsepower in a 3,200-lb, rear-wheel drive car is, the Corvette is incredibly mild-mannered. Your grandmother could happily drive this car all day long without giving her pacemaker a work out. The six-speed automatic transmission is buttery smooth and suspension has just enough give to invoke long distance road trips.
 
What's Not to Like 
Just like the Corvettes of old, the 2009 convertible ’s interior suffers from the kind of parts-bin raiding the motoring press has bemoaned for years. Parts like the steering wheel, engine start button and HVAC controls seem at odds with touches like great leather seats, a fantastic navigation system and attractive dash.
 
The Drive:
DriverSide Driving Impressions 
If ever there was a vehicle to embody the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde cliché, this is it. Putter around town and the 6.2-liter V-8 under this car’s hood will gladly stay at or below 1,500 rpm. Shifts from the optional automatic six-speed gearbox breeze by without any fanfare and wind noise is manageable with the top down. Decide to put your foot to the floor, however, and you better be holding on. The Corvette comes equipped with a dual-mode exhaust system that keeps things quiet when you aren’t hammering on the throttle. Listen to your adolescent self and go for broke, and the engine comes alive by opening up the exhaust baffles and pouring all 430 horsepower onto the rear wheels. The car gathers speed brilliantly, and thanks to the upgraded suspension in the Z51 package, it can carry it through any number of apexes without breaking a sweat. It’s hard to believe this is the “slow” one.
 
Engine and Drivetrain 
General Motor’s 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 is a throwback to the old ways of Detroit power, and a marvel of modern engineering all at the same time. The pushrod beast dishes out 430 horsepow...

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