The Chevrolet Corvette is a potent rear-wheel drive, V-8 powered monster. But, owners ranging from the base model all the way to the ZR1 are always in the search for more power. There are a number of ways to get those extra ponies and sound good doing it as well. One of the most popular ways is to install an aftermarket exhaust. The most beneficial exhaust systems utilize headers, larger tailpipes, and free flowing catalytic converters to reduce back-pressure and thus increase horsepower. Another popular method of increasing performance is to install an aftermarket air filter or air intake system. This allows more cool air to enter the engine and at a lower resistance. For a more modest gain, owners can purchase an ECU chip, or retune their computer chip to achieve optimal ignition and injection mapping, and configure the timing to run on certain grades of gasoline. For those looking for extreme performance, forced induction (turbochargers or supercharger) is the way to go indoor car cover.
For owners that aren’t just about going fast in a straight line, there are a number of options that will improve handling for the Corvette. Buying new suspension components such as springs will help to lower the car and reduce the center of gravity, making the Corvette feel more stable through corners. Additionally, owners will install new sway bars that will reduce body roll. Buying the right aftermarket exterior components such as front and rear spoilers will also increase downforce and improve handling and stability.
One of the most important upgrades to the Chevrolet Corvette is the wheels and tires. Upgrading to forged wheels will decrease weight at the wheel hub, and thus improve acceleration, decrease stopping distances, increase fuel economy, and provide better handling. These aftermarket Corvette wheels are also very durable because of their strength and are built to handle the immense power of a modified LS-series V-8 engine. Traction is also an important factor, especially with a potent engine. Tires are the only part of the car that touches the road, and by upgrading to low-profile tires in combination with forged wheels will vastly improve all areas of performance.
Whether you’re looking for more power or better handling, there is a wide variety of modifications available for the Corvette ranging from aftermarket Corvette wheels to a full exhaust system. Modifying your Corvette will not only make it fun to drive, but perform better on and off the track. The 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport is hardly a low-volume specialty model though it could be a streetable racer. Available in roadster and removable-roof coupe body styles, with a choice of six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, it is essentially a Z06 in body and suspension, minus the aluminum frame.
The new 2010 Chevy Grand Sports fill the gap (for just $5-6K premiums above base MSRP) between the most Spartan Vettes and the Z06 and even more expensive ZRI. Chevrolet Corvette expects them to account for nearly half of 2010 Corvette sales, and given their forceful good looks and outstanding performance value we see no reason to doubt that prediction. Purists complain that Corvette V-8s (like Chrysler’s HEMI V-8s), with their single camshaft nestled deep in the center of their blocks driving overhead valves through pushrods and rockers, are inefficient. Yet the many advantages of cam-in-block construction including lower cost and complexity, lower weight and center of gravity, easier build and serviceability and smaller overall size for a given displacement provide truly notable performance for the money. Few complain about this 6.2-liter non-turbo LS3 V-8’s prodigious power and torque and surprising fuel efficiency (16/26 EPA city/highway mpg) at the Corvette’s fairly affordable price. And if the standard 430 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft. of torque are not sufficient, an optional two-mode exhaust system bumps those impressive numbers to 436 and 428.
Amazingly (at the price), the LS3 engines in six-speed-manual Grand Sports are hand built alongside Z06 and ZR1 V-8s at GM’s Wixom, MI special engine build facility and boast racer-like dry sump lubrication with a remote oil reservoir to prevent oil starvation during extended hard cornering, plus a differential cooler and a rear-mounted battery. Also standard with the six-speed manual is a terrific launch control system that modulates full-throttle torque 100 times per second to maximize available traction. Grand Sport Corvettes roll on large (275/35ZR18 front, 325/30ZR19 rear) high-performance tires on unique alloy wheels with Z06-size brakes: front 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers and rear 13.4-inch rotors with four-piston calipers. A step above standard Corvettes in performance (thanks to more insistent gearing) and especially in dynamics, they are civilized on the road yet fiercely capable on a track. You could comfortably pilot one to work each day and pound it around a racetrack every weekend.
We tested manual and automatic coupes and convertibles on local roads and freeways, then brutalized manual-shift coupes on GM’s Milford, MI high-speed development track, and found much to love and little not to like. On climate-cratered Michigan roads, their ride was controlled but comfortable and compliant. On the track, their handling and stability were near-Z06 awesome. Acceleration was strong from any speed, braking was consistently powerful and stable and steering was crisp and precise. Uphill and down, through hairpins, fast sweepers and tight, tricky esses (with standard stability control on), they took a slight tail-out set powering out of each turn then dug in and rocketed toward the next one.
There is now a well-defined hierarchy within Chevy’s 2010 Corvette line-up, beginning with the base coupe at $49,880 MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) and climbing through the standard convertible at $54,530, the Grand Sport coupe at $55,720 and Grand Sport convertible at $59,530 before jumping to the $75K Z06. Standard on all 2010 Corvettes are keyless access, stability control, side air bags, OnStar with Turn-by-Turn navigation, AM/FM/CD radio with steering wheel controls, launch control (with manual transmission) and steering wheel paddle shifters with optional automatic. Two available interior packages fill the gap between the standard trim and the posh leather-wrapped cabin, and a Heritage Package adds those front fender stripes and two-tone seats with Grand Sport embroidery.
autoMedia.com providing quality automotive information designed to enlighten and entertain the most discriminating car enthusiast, is a team of accomplished automotive journalists serving consumers automotive advice they can trust. Read more of their popular car reviews and road tests like this 2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, as well as reviews on all Chevrolet Corvette Models. One of the hardest things about choosing an Exhaust System is knowing what it is going to sound like on your car. The way the sound clips are produced online can make huge differences in what the sounds like when comparing two or three exhaust systems. For the sake of comparison we can use the following exhaust systems on a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette C6. Lets compare the Corsa, Borla, and B&B exhaust systems. Hopefully some of the sample sound recording written description s will you the Corvette owner in choosing which system work best for your corvette. The Corsa Z06 Exhaust System is nice to look at, the installation is straight forward and comes with excellent instructions, the sound on these systems is very interesting, a Throaty Sound that is best heard at the rear of the car, though it is not noticeable in a very noisy area one might think the Corvette Z06 is stock inside the car and you can hear it only when you get out of the car. The Sound is rich and pleasing to the ear. During Acceleration it produces Awesome Sound, in race Cars the sound makes you feel that you are going faster, so the Corsa system definitely Adds another level of Sensory Stimulation to your Driving Experience. Another important thing to note is Corsa’s marketing is accurate regarding Zero drone. This is the perfect system for anyone that wants to give their C6 a more aggressive sound without disturbing their neighbors and getting annoyed on long road trips
Next we will describe the Borla System, it is known to have a very Nice deep and throaty sound but also very load when you floor the gas pedal. Although this has a significant drone at Cruising Speeds, the Corvette in cabin noise is really not that noticeable and the outside sound is simply unbeatable. This is exactly how a corvette should sound, mean and menacing. Those whom install a Borla in their vehicle usually say that the sound is better than the other exhaust, due to the very throaty sound like the Muscle Car. At Cruising Speeds you do get a bit of a drone at the 3000 RPM range. However at 20000 RPM’s and below there is no noticeable drone at all. One corvette owner was quoted as saying “I only drive my car for the pleasure so the drone does not bother me, driving across the country I might opt for the Corsa but me, Im a Borla fan”.
Finally the B&B Corvette ZO6 Fusion System. Of all the three systems the FUSION is the easiest to install, the muffler and and over the axle pipes are all one piece so you do not have to tighten a clamp that is hidden up over the axle. The Fusion system finish is also a brighter more polished stainless steel finish on the mufflers, tips and over the axle pipes. Many drivers of B&B products say that it is a unique system compared to Borla and Corsa, as it kept the stock functionality of the corvette dual mode exhaust in tact. In addition to the aggressive sound by B&B for cruising in the Highway, the opened dual mode baffles sound very aggressive and will get your blood pumping. These systems provide more horsepower, torque and the sensation of driving a race car So if you want power get a B&B exhaust, if you want a quite sleeper car the Corsa is right for you and if you want to be a bad mamma jamma get the borla exhaust system for your corvette.