Though
I’ve never had one, this vehicle is still a bit nostalgic for me. Probably except other writers who had an
interest back in that era, few remember a short-lived television series from
the early 70s called The Magician. I was an ardent fan of that show, and in fact
in a sense cut my writing teeth on ‘fanzine’ type material based on it.
The
title character, Tony, drove a white corvette in that series. A sleek, elegant vehicle that gave a sense
both of classic line even back then and serious road-handling power.
According
to multiple reviewers, those essentials haven’t changed at all in the more than
thirty years since that show ran for about two seasons in the early 1970s.
The
Corvette falls into the “luxury sports car” category. U. S. News rates it as the
second best vehicle (out of six) in that class:
beat out only by the Porsche Cayman.
That’s no mean accomplishment for an American-made sports car. Particularly as the vehicles U. S.
Technically
speaking, the Corvette is the only vehicle in the luxury sports car category
that comes equipped with a V-8 engine.
The 2012 is available in either a hatchback coupe model or in a
convertible style.
The
standard Corvette incorporates a six-speed standard transmission, however, a
six-speed automatic can be had on all but high-performance models.
The
base Corvette model engine delivers 430 horsepower, however, a higher
performance model – the ZR1 – incorporates a 638 horsepower engine.
In
driving tests, at least one professional reviewer rated the Corvette’s braking
capabilities as exceptional for a sports category vehicle.
The
2012 Corvette models come equipped with numerous safety features, including:
- Traction
Control
- Xenon
high intensity headlights
- Stability
control
- Anti-theft
alarm system
And
- Day time
running lights
among
others.
Where
reviewers, generally speaking, seem to find the Corvette lacking has nothing to
do with performance or technological capability. Such faults as professional reviewers find
with this vehicle seem to fall in the category of looks and of design elements,
such as interior contours and headroom, that can affect the comfort of the
vehicle occupants. They categorize its
style or general looks as less elegant and-or impressive than European models
in the same category.
Those
concerns are probably far lesser to someone who is in the market for the
performance aspects of a luxury sports car, however. Especially since to my mind while the
Corvette does fall in that ‘combined’ category of automobile, by intent and
design from the very outset the Corvette is more “sports car” than it is luxury
vehicle.
Overall,
professional reviewers seem in general agreement that for this category of
vehicle, the Corvette is a superb value.
You
can take a closer look at the value the 2012 Corvette offers the purchaser of a
sports luxury vehicle when you View
our Lancaster Chevy Buick website.
References:
2012
Corvette – Features and Specs, Edmunds,
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