Automakers hasvedone wonders with the brand new 2008 Corvette including many changes that will amaze you and keep you wanting more. Along with the great look of the vehicle you can’t help but love the amazing speed that the vehicle can reach. Speeds that allow it to out race some of the top supercars like the Audi R8 and the Porsche 911 Turbo.The changes involve everything from an all-new, larger and more powerfulV-8 engine to refinements in driving characteristics that solidify theCorvette’s position as the preeminent American sports car, and further the argument that it is one of the world’s best. There are also a host of exterior and interior refinements that raise the Corvette’s luxurystatus and enhance the feeling of craftsmanship.
“Corvette is an uncompromising sports car that rewards its owners withimpeccable performance and great comfort,” said Ed Peper, Chevroletgeneral manager. “The changes and enhancements to the 2008 Corvettereflect continual improvements that speak to Chevrolet’s unflaggingcommitment to building the best sports car, and with nearly 55 years ofexperience, the Corvette just keeps getting better and better.”
The 2008 V8’s displacement is bumped from 6.0 liters to 6.2 thanks to an increase in cylinder bore from 101.6mm to 103.3mm. This 6,162cc V8 also gets new cylinder heads derived from those for the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 featured in the 500-horsepower Corvette Z06, with low-restriction, large-capacity intake ports plus lightweight, hollow-stemmed intake valves that are about 9 percent larger.
Once you add a strengthened block, a new high-lift camshaft, a revised valve train and LS7-style fuel injectors plus a new intake manifold, the bottom line is 430 hp at 5,900 rpm, some 30 hp more than before. Torque output is 424 pound-feet at 4,600 rpm.
The six-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission on Coupe and Convertible is improved with new hardware and a new controller calibration that deliver quicker shifts. This change bolsters thefeeling of performance and driver control when using the shifting paddles.
Most of the visual updates for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette lie in the cockpit. There’s a metal sill plate to greet you as you open the door, then some new brightwork on the center stack and the center console. Most important, there’s a new, optional two-tone leather trim package that finally drags the Corvette’s interior out of the 1980s at long last. “We kept hearing complaints that the styling of the Corvette’s interior wasn’t on par with the exterior,” says Tom Wallace, the Corvette’s chief engineer, “and I think we’ve addressed that.”
The price for the new 2008 Corvette hasn’t officially been released yet, but the increase is said to be a modest one. At the moment the current price is $44,250. There will be at least a $1,000 increase is not more. You can expect to see these new vehicles by August of 2008.
