By David Booth, Postmedia News - I am told that General Motors' marketing mavens desperately don't want me to mention that the new 427 Convertible edition of this, the last year of the sixth-generation Corvette, is simply a ragtop version of the Z06. Which means, in my cantankerous world, that the most important thing you can take away from this road test is that the 427 Convertible is, well, a ragtop version of the Z06.Methinks they're being silly-billies, worried that the 427 being seen as a shoot-off of the Z06 somehow deminishes its import or allure. In fact, it is the very opposite, an allusion to the Z06 instantly gaining the new Convertible a credibility that simply claiming it is a 60th anniversary (yes, the Corvette is that old) edition cannot.
So, for the record, the new 427 -- as in 7,008 cubic centimetres or 427 and a bit cubic inches -- is powered by the same 505-horsepower 470- pound-foot LS7 V8 as in the Z06. The six-speed manual transmission is identical as is the rear axle. Ditto the Corvette's Magnetic Ride Control suspension, Michelin PS2 tires and a whole bunch of carbon fibre body bits. Indeed, the major differences would seem to be the loss of the rigid roof and the gaining of about 70 kilograms, which would seem to make the 427 Convertible -- once more with feeling -- a ragtop version of the Z06.
All of this is good news because a lot of people -- myself included -- think the Z06 is the best Vette yet (and, yes that includes the supercharged ZR1, which, though phanatasmagorical, is just a little too over the top). What that buys you (for your $122,595, including 60th anniversary striping) is the most balanced Corvette Chevrolet has yet produced.
The Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension, for instance, allows something resembling compliance while keeping all four tires planted flatly on the road for maximum grip. Unlike other adjustable suspensions that simply vary the size of the holes through which a shock absorber's fluid must flow, MRC actually changes the thickness of the damping fluid. It means greater adjustability and a wider range of damping. And even though it can sometimes feel like the difference between Normal and Sport is the difference between a rock and a hard place, the 427 rides incredibly well for something that seems to exhibit zero body roll.
I'd like to tell you that I have first-hand knowledge that all that body control renders the 427 the ne plus ultra of sporting convertibles, but I can't simply because any attempt by me to push the 427 to its limits on public roads would see former OPP chief and now (isn't this scary) Canadian Minister for International Cooperation, Julian Fantino, looking for the death penalty. Suffice it to say that lateral forces greater than 1.0 g are possible and the Corvette steers as if divinely guided.
Two aspects, however, do stand out. The first is that despite that firm suspension, the Convertible's body quakes not at all. Oh, maybe if I were hooning around the former Mosport International Raceway (I'm still working up to calling it Canadian Tire Mosport Park) at warp speed, I might get a little cowl flex, but I never noticed any in normal street driving. That's a result of the biggest difference between the Z06 and the 427 Convertible, the Coupe's frame made mostly of aluminum while the Convertible has a stouter steel affair with a few aluminum and magnesium bits thrown in (hence the weight game).
The second thing is that the Corvette's traction control system's Competition Mode is a wonder, balancing the safety required to let amateurs -- like me and, most probably, you -- operate 505 hp and the control that allows the long, semi-lurid that makes hooning around any race track so much fun. A few newer systems have emulated the Corvette's traction control system's prowess; none have surpassed it. That said, you have to know that any Vette has a turning circle only slightly smaller than the Queen Mary. Parking is always at least a three-point affair and, if you want to know why the proletariat eschews Chevy's supercar (besides the aforementioned $100,000-plus price), look no further than the eight-point manouevre required for parking at a crowded Costco.
Of course, since this edition of the Corvette is called the 427 and said numerical designation is to highlight the motor, we'd better talk about it. I suppose I could mention that General Motors claims its power-to-weight ratio is superior to the 911 Turbo's and the Audi R8 V10's. Or that it sprints to 100 kilometres in just 3.8 seconds. Or that, given its head, it will blow past 300 kilometres an hour.
But I suspect you expected that; after all, this is a top-flight Corvette and Corvettes have always been nothing if not quick. What I love about this Vette is that the Z06 engine's rasp is finally available with al fresco motoring -- the rasp as you shift between gears is absolutely delicious. For all of you out there who still claim they can't comprehend the allure of big American V8s, you need to hear an LS7 on overrun at 6,000 rpm with the top down (and by the way, the 427 even has a little exhaust flap that dulls the roar below 3,000 for a little soupçon of civility).
Chevrolet will make much of the fact that the 427 is a limited production run special edition. Most will get gussied up with the 60th anniversary striping and badges. But the real attraction is that it's basically a Z06 with the roof lopped off.
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