2009 Chevrolet Corvette Review

It's hard to find a more iconic American sportscar than the Chevrolet Corvette. The current generation of Chevrolet Corvette features much more angular exterior styling and a vastly improved interior when compared to the C5 Chevrolet Corvette.

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette lineup has been expanded with the recent introduction of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. According to reviewers at Edmunds, the "2009 Chevrolet Corvette is available as a two-seat coupe or convertible," while available "trim levels include the standard Corvette, Z06 and ZR1." Only the base Chevrolet Corvette is available in convertible form, and Edmunds also notes that the base coupe "is actually more of a targa, as it comes with a removable body-color roof panel," offering the security of a fixed hardtop and the convenience of open-air motoring on sunny days. Cars.com says that "many familiar styling cues highlight the latest Corvette, but the current generation is the first one since 1962 with fixed headlights."

All versions of the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette just scream “"speed,”" and while reviews read by TheCarConnection.com contain lots of love for the base Corvette’'s styling, some reviewers feel that GM hasn’'t distinguished the upper-end models enough. Edmunds says that the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 and Z06 models “"look too much like the standard Corvette,”" though the body panels differ in their construction. Consumer uide weports that the ZR1 incorporates “"lightweight carbon fiber on the hood, roof panel, roof bow, front fascia splitter, and rocker moldings,”" though despite the change in materials, the overall styling is quite similar to the base Corvette. Cars.com notes that the major differences between the Z06 and the regular Chevrolet Corvette are “"wheel-opening extensions at the front and rear and a front splitter,”" which play a large part in explaining why “"the Z06 is 3 inches wider than other Corvettes.”" The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 also features what Jalopnik reviewers call a “"tacky Lexan hood window”" that lets curious onlookers get a glimpse of the supercharger’'s intercooler system, though many reviewers question its styling appeal.

Previous generations of Chevrolet Corvette didn't offer much in the way of interior styling, so for the sixth generation, Chevrolet tried to address some of the common criticisms with a completely redesigned cockpit. The results are promising, and Cars.com loves how "the dashboard carries on the Corvette's dual-cockpit theme with a two-tone split." Kelley Blue Book raves about the "clean, uncluttered interior" that they feel offers "world-class" styling. Others don't go quite that far, and Edmunds even calls the interior "quite plain," but ConsumerGuide gives the Chevrolet Corvette high marks for its "clear gauges with mostly logical controls." The only major criticism of the interior concerns the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which has a base interior that's "cheap and nasty," according to Jalopnik. One styling touch that carries over from the fifth-generation Corvette is an optional heads-up display, which ConsumerGuide says "is quite useful" and "shows vehicle and engine speeds" without requiring drivers to take their eyes off the road.