Corvette Invades the 2009 Geneva Motor Show

GM will bring along to the 2009 Geneva Auto Show an entire fleet on Corvette sports cars, perhaps in a desperate attempt to save its crisis-damaged public perception. Corvette will offer four models for the European market, even if the car is not as popular on the Old Continent as it is in the US.

The sixth-generation Corvette, the C6, was designed to tackle the European consumers' dislike for the brand. The model managed to do so, as it sold 6,000 units and became the best selling Corvette in Europe.

The main factor that made the C6 a hit by Corvette standards was the introduction of the 6.2L V8 LS3 last year. This engine raised performance levels to 437 horsepower and pushed the car to a completely useless top speed of 306 km/h. This powerplant is offered in the Corvette Coupe and Convertible and can be combined with either the six-speed manual transmission or the six-speed automatic.

Corvette Coupe Special Edition is based on the Corvette Coupe with six-speed automatic. What makes it so special are the Cyber Gray Metallic exterior color, DVD-navigation system, custom interior with black raised-grain leather, dual-mode exhaust system similar to the Z06 and Competition Gray alloy wheels.

Nothing out of the ordinary, just like any other car. What we really think makes it a special edition is that you get one day participation at the Corvette performance training. Of course, you would have to buy it first, so...

What we believe will really be the star of GM' stand in Geneva is the Corvette Z06. Its massive 7.0L V8 LS7 engine is worth every penny spent on the car. It is placed on a body that weighs just 1,418 kg, a tiny little detail which makes the Z06 beam from naught to sixty in 3.9 seconds in first gear. The speedster stop accelerating after the speedometer reaches the 320 km/hour mark.

And when you thought this is about as good as it gets, think again. Something even better awaits us in Geneva. The ZR1 supercar's 6.2L V8 LS9 engine develops 647 horsepower, enough to make it boost from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and push it on to a top speed of 330 km/h.

The body of the ZR1 has a see-through polycarbonate window in the carbon-fiber hood, a feature we haven't yet decided if it is a good thing. After all, you can't see the engine when you're driving...

Like it or not, Corvette is a must for all of you who will go at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. To see, to touch, and to buy. If one can afford to.