The new Grand Sport Coupe was delivered to me Monday morning. It’s the 2010 Chevrolet Corvette GS.
Jan and I on Tuesday drove to Loveland, had lunch at McGraff’s, headed west on U.S. 34 to that old school, then turned north toward Masonville.
We stopped in that area and removed the roof, for we were nearing Rist Canyon, a drive lined not only with beauty, but challenges worthy of a sports car such as the Vette. The top can be lifted off after releasing three overhead latches from inside. With the large rear hatch opened, the roof panel is stowed in brackets in the cargo space.
Settled back into the tight sport seats, we headed into the canyon, and, oh my, it is as green as I can remember. It has few straightaways and is filled with tight curves, ascents and descents. In years past, I’ve used this area to test a Porsche Carrera, Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Volkswagen Tiguan. The low-slung Vette, in 3rd and 4th gears and responding to the terrain with constant downshifts and accelerations, beat all for flat cornering. It is equipped with a revised suspension, aggressive and race-tuned like that of the Corvette Z06.
Mated to the 6-speed manual shift is a 436-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8, which will run 0 to 60 in 4 seconds and top out just short of 190 miles per hour. Though it carries an EPA fuel-mileage rating of 26 on the highway, I averaged 19.6 mpg for my handling-based course.
Return of the Grand Sport name this year is as a new model series. Previously, the GS was a special prototype in 1963, then in 1996 was a limited-edition (1,000 cars) production model.
The new GS is offered as either a coupe or convertible. It uses the LS3 6.2 engine in the wide body of the Z06. Almost 90 percent of GS buyers this year are male; average age is 56.
Noticeably distinctive in the GS’s exterior styling are the wide fenders, torch red finish with white race stripes and visible rear-brake cooling ducts. The Vette rides on wheels of 18 inches in front and 19 at the rear. Its front brake rotors are 14-inch, slightly smaller at the rear.
A bit of cheap plastic mars the Corvette interior, highlighted by perforated leather seat inserts with embroidered logo in the headrests, Bose premium audio and navigation systems.
A head-up display which projects digital speed out front of the driver is important to piloting a rear-drive car this powerful. Other amenities, boosting sticker price to $69,000, include power telescope steering wheel, heated seats, chrome aluminum wheels, xenon HID headlamps, XM satellite radio, dual-zone climate control and driver information center. And, of course, the dual-mode exhaust system which provides that throaty sound at midrange.
The first Corvette came off the assembly line 57 years ago this week, in late June 1953, unveiled by famed GM designer Harley Earl. It was a white convertible with a Blue-Flame 235-cubic-inch 6-cylinder engine with three carburetors and a Powerglide automatic transmission. It wasn’t until the 1955 model that the Vette boasted V-8 power.
Toyota Corolla
much same in ’10
Since mid-November, eight new Toyota products have come my way. Most recent is the 2010 Corolla compact, which I reviewed last year when it was restyled and resized for a roomier interior. The Corolla will undergo few changes until at least the 2012 model year.
The review model was powered, rather mildly, by the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine and 4-speed automatic transmission. Also offered on the Corolla is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder.
The Corolla delivered an average of 31.6 miles per gallon of city/highway driving; a year ago the same powertrain posted an average of 32.5.
With AM/FM/CD audio and XM satellite radio, cruise control and 16-inch alloy wheels, the ’10 Corolla carried a sticker price of $19,129.
Trunk space is only 12.3 cubic feet, which is tighter than the cargo areas of comparative models Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. By opening the Corolla’s trunk and pulling release levers, the rear seatbacks can be folded down for pass-through space.
Notes from e-mail
Q: Bud, I can’t imagine why Ford saw the need for that Raptor pickup you talked about last week. – G.H.
A: Ford’s in the truck business, George, having sold more than 240,000 F-series trucks in the first half of this year. No other model, car or truck, is close to that sales figure.
2010 Chevrolet Corvette GS
$69,855
(price as tested)
MPG City 16 Highway 26
Vehicle type: Sports car
Wheelbase: 105.7 inches
Length/Width/Height: 175.6/75.9/48.7 inches
Weight: 3,311 pounds
Engine: 6.2-liter V-8
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel mileage: 19.6 mpg
Fuel tank: 18 gallons
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic; 5/100,000 powertrain
Competitors: Dodge Viper, Porsche Carrera, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, BMW 650i coupe
Built: at Bowling Green, Ky.
THE STICKER
$54,770 base
$7,705 Bose speakers, satellite radio, head-up display, power telescoping steering wheel
$1,995 chrome aluminum wheels
$1,750 navigation
$1,195 two-tone leather seats, headrest logo, fender stripe
$1,195 dual-mode performance exhaust
$950 Destination
PLUSES
Flat cornering
Appearance
Acceleration
MINUSES
Tight interior
Fuel mileage
