Think Chevrolet is making a statement with the 2K Corvette? Can Sammy Sosa hit
a baseball?
While the list of changes isn't long for 2K, the refinements
are important. The LS1 is now politically correct in California since it complies
with LEV (low emissions vehicle) requirements. This was done by fiddling with
the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) to reduce nitrogen oxides by 50
percent and hydrocarbon emissions by 70 percent without effecting power or response.
The LS1 still cranks out a hefty 345 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 350 lb.-ft.
of torque at 4400 rpm. There is also ORVR, short for "Onboard Refueling
Vapor Recovery," a system that captures fuel vapors that escape when the
car is refueled. If the system develops a leak it will flash a message to the
driver that the system
needs to be serviced. ORVR required modifications to the fuel
tank and fuel filler neck. You
won't notice them,
but
they're
there.
The 2K Corvette
gets an
Active Remote Keyless Entry
system, so you'll notice the passenger door lock cylinder
is gone. There's a handsome new forged aluminum wheel with thinner spokes and
a painted surface. A polished version is available optionally. Brighter dual
halogen foglamps are now standard. Along with the retina-searing Millennium
Yellow, Dark Bowling Green Metallic is a new exterior shade.
We talked about what a driver the C5 is. Chevrolet
has even improved the already superb Z51 suspension by adding fatter bars and
redialing the spring rates. The 2K Corvette
