Test drive Chevrolet Corvette C5 compartment 1997 - 2004 coupe

On different shores

When buying a car, many owners are ready to overpay for reliability, excellent dynamics, honed controllability, technical perfection. Machines with loud names are required to combine all these qualities. Otherwise, the name loses strength, company reputation, buyer trust.
Duelants who crossed swords in this virtual duel are carriers of half -century traditions. The legendary name Chevrolet Corvette in January 2004 inherited the sixth generation of the model. The opponent of the next exclusive of Maranello, presented in October 2003, Ferrari-612 Scaltti.
In the spirit of traditions
The new Ferrari complemented the line of powerful compartment with the V12 engine and a 2+2 landing formula. The founder, model 166 Inter, was born in 1948. Some characteristic features are guessed in the guise of Skalutti (the model is named after the now resilient Sergi Schlutti, the author of many bodies of Ferrari in the middle of the last century). For example, in the profile of an elongated front part, where a rather big V12 motor is hidden, moreover, moved inside the base. You can find a similarity with other Ferrari models: the falling line of the roof, the shape of the side windows ... This is not an eclecticism, this is a breed.
Of course, Ji-Em experts, working on a new corvette (factory designation C6), also decided to stay the roots. Designers retained the muscular, fit appearance, characteristic not only of the predecessor, but also to other corvettes. After all, Mark has its history since 1953. The new model has powerful wings with characteristic openings for air removal, a cunningly curved rear window, four round lanterns. By the way, the latter appeared on corvettes back in 1961. Rather, for the sake of fashion and appearance, rather than for the sake of functionality, branded discs with the corvette emblem have grown into an inches. But what the admirers of the model will regret is about the original headlights-editions: they became the property of history.
Contrary to the general acceleration, the new corvette turned 125 mm shorter and 25 mm already predecessor with the factory designation C5. True, at the same time the car became 35 mm higher. The developers assure that more modest dimensions helped to emphasize the dynamic character of the machine.
Not only designers worked over the bodies of Ferrari and Chevrolet. Many serial cars will envy structures and materials. Skalutti, for example, became the first ferrari with the V12 engine, the body of which was made entirely of aluminum alloys. Moreover, 38% are power parts cast by the extrusion method (molten metal is squeezed through the profiling hole to the filter), another 34% are particularly strong inserts on which the main loads are on, and the remaining 28% are aluminum sheets. The technology of assembly operations depends on the purpose and design of the elements: welding in an inert gas, point, connection with special rivets.
Maranello tiners really worked for fame. Lightness is not the only advantage of the Scaltti body. Compared to the predecessor of Ferrari-456, the ratio of mass and rigidity has been noticeably improved, harmful vibrations and noise have decreased. In other words, new technologies helped increase comfort, polish handling.
Corvette's body further development of JI-EM views on the architecture of dynamic cars (Performance Cars Architecture). The frame consists of steel power elements made by the hydraulic forming method. Aluminum cockpit, and individual parts, for example, the floor, are made of composite materials. The design has a high tough for twisting, while being much easier than steel.
Tight hardness, but, whatever one may say, the back of the speed car should be safe. More compact compared to the previous corvette, the size of the front complicated the task of developers. I had to change the design of the spaces and bumper, optimize the hood mounts.
The fact that in Italian Skuderia they pay considerable attention of passive safety is eloquently speak of virtual Crash tests. For example, after hitting the back of the car into a deformable barrier at a speed of 80 km/h, the body damage is not dangerous for passengers. Moreover, the Italians say: the front line is so effectively absorbs energy that, with a frontal blow, Scaltti is able to protect riders even without airbags (by the way, there are only two of them!). Naturally, if passengers are fastened.
The bodywriters stood another difficult task to tame the wind. After all, the nature of the air flows is already at a speed of about 100 km/h. And when the speedometer hand is dancing around 300?! The New Corvette spent about 400 hours in an aerodynamic pipe. The indicators turned out to be very good at the aerodynamic resistance (CX) is 0.28. In the neighborhood with the cars of the first formula, scalutti blew out. True, Ferrari's result is more modest: SC 0.335.
Eight against twelve
Under the hoods of our duelists, engines about 6 liters ripen. Following the traditions, the Italian motorists distributed such a litigation according to 12 cylinders, the Americans limited themselves to the eight.
In the back of Ferrari, an improved engine of the 575m Maranello model. The working volume remained the same, and the degree of compression was increased to 11.2. In addition, they changed the geometry and volume of the exhaust tract, worked on the intake pipeline. The torque has not changed, but the maximum power at the same revolutions increased by 18 kW/25 liters. With. A cylinder block with a collapse angle of 65O, heads, an oil crankcase are cast from light alloys. The drive of the four camshafts with a gear belt.
The unit of the corvette is the fourth generation of ji-em engines with small (well-known Americans’s craving for giantomania) Small-Block blocks. A new aluminum block with steel sleeves has appeared. Compared to the predecessor engine, they raised the degree of compression, increased the piston stroke. Some changes have undergone the release system, the collector dropped the third overweight.
But despite the rather high 10.9 compression degree for true Americans, the aluminum unit and other features of modern engines, the chevrolet engine looks a little out of Ferrari. Judge for yourself: two valves per cylinder, one lower camshaft, low liter power. Of course, it corresponds to toxicity standards, accelerates the car to hundreds in less than 5 seconds and allows you to get close to 300 km/h. But Ferrari has better these indicators under a hood of 100 kW more.
Closer to the ground
Skalutti and Corvette related to the transmission scheme the so -called transexle. The engine is located behind the front axle, and the gearbox is cooked with the rear gearbox. This placement of units allows us to approach perfect weight. Here, the palm of the championship holds the corvette 51% of the total mass falls on the front axle, 49% on the rear. Skaletti has a slightly more than 46 and 54 imbalance.
The moment from the Ferrari engine goes through a six -speed manual. At the request of the client, electrohydraulic control of clutch and gear shift is installed. The F1A designation indicates a similarity with the Formula 1. Button on the steering wheel, the driver turns on the sporting mode, and can overheat the gears by manually. A self -locking rear differential helps to keep the car on the course. At a sharp start, it is locked by 25% and 45%, when the driver removes the leg from the gas pedal.
The buyer of the corvette can also choose a gearbox. For example, six -speed mechanics, and in two versions simple and sports, characterized by gear rates. They also offer a hydromechanical box of Hydra-Matic 4L65-E with electronic control. This modernized predecessor machine is designed for a larger torque and set in a sports way.
To reduce the rolls, improve controllability, increase comfort on ferrari is helped by shock absorbers that change rigidity depending on the speed and condition of the road. An electronics will besieged the driver: the branded CST system (Control for Stability and Traction), slowing down excessively fast wheels, will not allow to leave the given trajectory. If you are sure that without outside help, pacify the stallion from Maranello, you can turn off the system with a button on the steering wheel. Or choose a sports regime in which CST trusts the pilot more, allowing the wheels to slip a little.
The developers of the corvette provided for three suspension options for different riding styles. Standard package of a compromise between good controllability and comfort. The next level instead of conventional shock absorbers, adaptive with adjustable rigidity is set. And, finally, for gourmets, sports shock absorbers and springs, more rigid stabilizers, speed tires with an asymmetric tread pattern. By the way, all modifications of the corvette are equipped with safe tires on which you can move at zero pressure. True, not long and not fast.
As you can see, the latest models from different shores of the ocean are worthy of their loud names. Skalutti a car for true gourmets who can evaluate all technical delights, and most importantly, ready to pay $ 250 thousand (price in Europe). It is not surprising that the corvette, which is five times cheaper, looks pale against the background of a more perfect Italian. But this is from the point of view of technology. As for the emotions that cause both cars, it is as difficult to measure them in monetary terms as catching a couple of tenths of a second when accelerating to 100 km/h.
 


Maxim Sachkov

A source: The magazine "Driving"