CORVETTE GENERATIONS
The C6 Corvette (2005–2013)
The C5 perfected: nine model years, 2005 to 2013, and 215,123 cars. Tom Peters’ tighter body with the first exposed headlamps since 1962, the 400hp LS2 and 430hp LS3, the 505hp LS7 Z06 on an aluminum frame, the 638hp supercharged ZR1 that was the first six-figure Corvette, the Grand Sport, the 427 Convertible, a dozen special editions, GM’s bankruptcy and the C6.R’s Le Mans wins. This is the hub for all nine years.
Quick Nav: Story · Featured · Timeline · Model Years · Specials · Z06 · ZR1 · Grand Sport · Special Editions · C6.R · Engines · Racing · Buying & Market · Technical · Pics & Videos · All Posts · FAQs
The Basics
Generation: C6 Corvette, the sixth generation; the first Corvette with exposed headlamps since 1962 and the last front-engine Corvette before the C7
Model Years: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
Body Styles: Two-door hatchback coupe with a removable roof panel and two-door convertible with a power top (2005–2013); Z06 fixed-roof coupe (2006–2013); ZR1 coupe (2009–2013); Grand Sport coupe and convertible (2010–2013); 427 Convertible (2013). 215,123 cars: 27,994 Z06s, 4,684 ZR1s, 28,004 Grand Sports, 2,552 427 Convertibles
Production: 215,123 over nine years: 37,372 / 34,021 / 40,561 / 35,310 / 16,956 / 12,194 / 13,596 / 11,647 / 13,466 (2005–2013); 2007 was the best year since 1984 and 2012 the worst since 1961
Designers: Tom Peters (exterior) under Ed Welburn, Eric Clough (interior); chief engineers Dave Hill (to 2006), Tom Wallace (2006–2008) and Tadge Juechter (2008 on); Corvette Racing run by Pratt & Miller with Doug Fehan
Chassis: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive with a rear transaxle on the C5’s hydroformed steel frame, 105.7-in wheelbase (up 1.2 in), five inches shorter overall; aluminum frame with magnesium cradle and carbon-fiber panels on the Z06 and ZR1; aluminum double wishbones with composite leaf springs, Magnetic Selective Ride Control optional; carbon-ceramic brakes on the ZR1 and Z07 Z06
Engines: 6.0 L LS2, 400 hp (2005–07); 6.2 L LS3, 430 hp, 436 with the dual-mode exhaust (2008–13); 7.0 L (427 ci) LS7, 505 hp (Z06 2006–13, 427 Convertible 2013); 6.2 L supercharged LS9, 638 hp (ZR1 2009–13); Callaway SC606 and SC652 superchargers
Transmissions: Tremec T56 and, from 2006, TR6060 six-speed manuals; 4L65-E four-speed automatic (2005), 6L80 six-speed paddle-shift automatic (2006–13); all in the rear transaxle
Original Price: $44,245 coupe / $52,245 convertible in 2005 to $50,575 / $55,575 in 2013; Z06 $65,800 (2006) to $76,575 (2013); ZR1 $103,300 (2009) to $112,575 (2013); Grand Sport from $55,720 (2010); 427 Convertible $76,900
Assembly: Bowling Green, Kentucky; LS7 and LS9 hand-built at the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan; C6.R built by Pratt & Miller in New Hudson, Michigan
Predecessor: C5 Corvette (1997–2004)
Successor: C7 Corvette (2014–2019)
The Overview
The sixth-generation Corvette was an evolution of the fifth, which is why it was the best-developed Corvette of its time: the C5’s hydroformed frame, rear transaxle and composite springs carried over, and everything the C5 had been criticized for was fixed. The body was five inches shorter and an inch narrower on a wheelbase 1.2 inches longer, with exposed headlamps for the first time since 1962, tighter panel gaps and a real interior; the LS2 made 400 horsepower from 6.0 liters; keyless access and push-button start, a power convertible top and a Z51 package that ran with the old Z06 came with it. Chevrolet showed it at Detroit in January 2004 and built 37,372 in the first year at $44,245.
What followed was the widest range the Corvette has had. The 2006 Z06 put a hand-built 505-horsepower 427-cubic-inch LS7 with a dry sump and titanium rods in a 3,132-pound fixed-roof coupe on an aluminum frame: 0–60 in 3.7 seconds and 198 mph for $65,800. The 2008 LS3 took the base car to 430 horsepower. The 2009 ZR1 put a 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 under a polycarbonate hood window with carbon-fiber bodywork and carbon-ceramic brakes, ran 205 mph and a 7:26 Nürburgring lap and cost $103,300, the first six-figure Corvette, launched the month GM went into bankruptcy. The 2010 Grand Sport put the LS3 in the Z06’s wide body and became the volume model, and the 2013 427 Convertible put the LS7 in a convertible for the first time. Around them came the Ron Fellows, 427 Limited, Hertz ZHZ, GT1 Championship, Competition Sport, Carbon Limited, Centennial and 60th Anniversary editions and six pace cars, and the C6.R won Le Mans four times.
Chevrolet built 215,123 C6s, 40,561 of them in 2007 and only 11,647 in 2012, and the generation spans the market: a 100,000-mile 2005 and a delivery-mileage Centennial ZR1 are the same platform. In 2026, coupes and convertibles sold for $10,250 to $39,600, Grand Sports for $28,750 to $61,000 (Classic.com benchmark $40,635), Z06s for $25,300 to $82,500 (benchmark about $48,600), 427 Convertibles for $45,000 to $93,500 ($63,280), Z06 Carbon Limited Editions for $63,800 to $123,750 ($86,277) and ZR1s for $73,700 to $151,250 ($100,221). This page is the hub: the story, a year-by-year table, every engine, the Z06, ZR1, Grand Sport, special editions and the C6.R, a buying guide with current prices, and links to the nine model-year pages and the research behind them.
The C6 Corvette Story
The C5 had done the hard part. It had given the Corvette a stiff frame, a transaxle, an aluminum engine and a reputation, and by 2000 Dave Hill’s team was being asked a question the Corvette had never faced: how do you follow a car that is already right? Their answer was to keep the architecture, shrink the body, and spend the money on the engine, the interior and the details the C5’s critics had never let go.
Tom Peters’ body and the end of the hidden headlamps
Tom Peters led the exterior under Ed Welburn, with a brief to make the Corvette look as taut as it drove and to make it credible in Europe, where the C5 had sold badly. The frame was the C5’s hydroformed structure with the wheelbase stretched 1.2 inches to 105.7, but the body over it was 5.1 inches shorter and an inch narrower, with the overhangs cut, the fenders drawn tight over 18- and 19-inch wheels and, for the first time since 1962, fixed exposed headlamps, because pop-ups could not meet European pedestrian rules and cost drag and weight. The drag coefficient went to 0.28. The roof panel still came off and the convertible got a power top. Inside, Eric Clough’s studio fixed the C5’s cabin with a proper dashboard, a navigation system, keyless access with push-button start and, at last, seats that held. The press saw it at the Detroit show in January 2004, and it went on sale that summer at $44,245 with a 400-horsepower 6.0-liter LS2, a Tremec six-speed or a four-speed automatic, and a Z51 package of bigger brakes, stiffer springs and shorter gearing that lapped as fast as a C5 Z06.
2006: the Z06 and the aluminum frame
The second-year Z06 was a different car under the same skin. Its frame was aluminum, hydroformed and welded like the steel one but 136 pounds lighter, with a magnesium engine cradle and roof structure, carbon-fiber front fenders and floors; its body was wider, with a bigger front intake, brake ducts and a fixed roof; and its engine was the LS7, a 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) small block hand-assembled at the Performance Build Center in Wixom with a forged crank, titanium connecting rods and intake valves, CNC-ported heads and a dry-sump oil system, rated at 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft. At 3,132 pounds it ran 0–60 in 3.7 seconds, the quarter in 11.7 and 198 mph, lapped the Nürburgring in 7:42.9 and cost $65,800. Chevrolet sold 6,272 in the first year and 27,994 over eight, and the base car got a six-speed paddle-shift automatic the same year.
2007 to 2008: the best year and the LS3
2007 was a carryover year and the Corvette’s best since 1984, 40,561 cars, with two collectibles: the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Z06, 399 Arctic White cars with red fender hashes and the driver’s signature on the dash, the first autographed factory Corvette, and the Atomic Orange Indianapolis 500 Pace Car convertible, 500 of them. For 2008 the LS3 replaced the LS2: 6.2 liters, bigger bores, L92-type heads and a higher-lift cam for 430 horsepower, 436 with the new dual-mode NPP exhaust, with a new clutch and a faster-shifting automatic. The year brought three specials: the Crystal Red 427 Limited Edition Z06, 505 cars signed by plant manager Wil Cooksey on his retirement; 500 Hertz ZHZ coupes in Velocity Yellow with a black stripe for the rental fleet; and the Indy pace car replica in black over silver, 500 again.
The ZR1 and the bankruptcy
The ZR1 had been developed in secret as the Blue Devil, after chairman Rick Wagoner’s Duke alma mater, and it arrived for 2009 as the most powerful car General Motors had built: the LS9, a 6.2-liter LS3-based block with an Eaton TVS supercharger and twin intercoolers, forged internals, titanium rods and a dry sump, 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft, hand-built in Wixom beside the LS7. It drove a strengthened TR6060 and a twin-disc clutch, sat in the Z06’s aluminum frame with carbon-fiber roof, hood, fenders, splitter and rockers under a clear hood window that showed the supercharger cover, rode on Magnetic Selective Ride Control, stopped on 15.5-inch Brembo carbon-ceramic discs and ran 205 mph, 0–60 in 3.4 seconds and a 7:26.4 Nürburgring lap. It cost $103,300 plus the gas-guzzler tax, the first six-figure Corvette, and the first one was auctioned for $1 million for charity in January 2009. Four months later, on June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for bankruptcy. Corvette production fell to 16,956 for 2009 and 12,194 for 2010, the fewest since 1961, and Bowling Green went to one shift.
2010 to 2013: the Grand Sport, the editions and the 427
The Grand Sport saved the volume. For 2010 Chevrolet put the LS3 into the Z06’s wide body with its brakes, 18- and 19-inch wheels and, on manual coupes, a dry sump and rear-mounted battery, as a coupe or convertible from $55,720, and it took half of every year’s production through 2013, 28,004 cars in all. The Z06 got the Z07 package of ZR1 brakes, Magnetic Ride and 20-spoke wheels and the carbon-fiber CFZ package for 2011, and the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition combined them in 252 cars; the 2012 Centennial Edition dressed 2,201 cars of every model in Carbon Flash Metallic with satin-black wheels and Louis Chevrolet badges for Chevrolet’s hundredth birthday; and every 2011 and 2012 car gained launch control, a new steering wheel and the interior Chevrolet should have fitted in 2005. For 2013 the 427 Convertible Collector Edition put the Z06’s 505-horsepower LS7 into the Grand Sport’s wide convertible body for the first time, 2,552 of them, and the 60th Anniversary Design Package put Arctic White and Blue Diamond leather on any model. The last C6, a 427 Convertible, was built on February 28, 2013, and the C7 Stingray, shown six weeks earlier, took over.
Corvette Racing in the C6 years
The C6.R raced for nine seasons in two forms. The GT1 car of 2005–2009, with a 7.0-liter Katech LS7.R, won Le Mans in 2005, 2006 and 2009 and the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship every year from 2005 to 2008, and was the car that made Corvette Racing the benchmark GT team in the world. When GT1 died, the C6.R GT2 appeared at Mid-Ohio in August 2009 on the ZR1’s body with a 6.0-liter and then a 5.5-liter engine, won its class at Le Mans in 2011, took the ALMS GT championships of 2012 and 2013 and won Sebring in 2013, while privateer C6.Rs won GTE-Am at Le Mans in 2011 and 2012. Pratt & Miller also built the C6RS road car, a 600-horsepower, 8.2-liter homage that Jay Leno bought the first of.
What the C6 left behind
The C6 is the Corvette that turned the C5’s promise into a range: a 400-horsepower base car, a 505-horsepower Z06 and a 638-horsepower ZR1 that embarrassed cars at three times the price, with the Grand Sport in between and more factory editions than any generation before it. It gave the C7 its aluminum frame, its Magnetic Ride and its LS7 and LT engines’ lineage, and it carried the Corvette through the worst year in GM’s history. For buyers it is the sweet spot of the modern cars: cheaper than a C7, faster than a C5, with the Z06, ZR1, 427 Convertible and the limited editions already appreciating. The year pages linked below carry the full specifications, options, colors, VIN ranges and production figures for each of the nine years.
2005 Chevrolet Corvette
The ZR1 was developed under the code name Blue Devil, after GM chairman Rick Wagoner’s Duke University, and the first production car was auctioned at Barrett-Jackson in January 2009 for $1 million, all of it to charity, at the depth of the financial crisis and five months before GM’s bankruptcy. The LS7 and LS9 engines were each assembled by one technician at the Wixom Performance Build Center, who signed a plaque on the engine; from 2011 Z06 and ZR1 buyers could pay $5,800 to fly to Wixom and build their own.
DID YOU KNOW
Featured C6 Corvette Stories
Longer reads from the archive on the cars that made the generation. Most of these are members-only: an ad-free read and the full archive for the price of a tank of fuel. BECOME A MEMBER
The C6 Corvette Year by Year - The Model Timeline
Nine model years and four engines. The LS2 cars of 2005–07 and the LS3 cars of 2008–13 are the coupes, convertibles and, from 2010, the wide-body Grand Sports; the LS7 cars are the Z06 of 2006–13 and the 427 Convertible of 2013; the LS9 car is the ZR1 of 2009–13. The quick tells are the body (narrow for the base cars, wide with brake ducts for the Z06, Grand Sport, ZR1 and 427, the ZR1 with its hood window and carbon splitter), the exhaust (two tips each side on the LS3 cars with NPP), the interior (the 2005–10 dash or the 2011–13 steering wheel and trim), the wheels, and the special-edition colors and badges.
Production ran at 34,000 to 40,000 a year through 2008, collapsed to 16,956 in 2009 and 12,194 in 2010 with the recession and GM’s bankruptcy, and stayed between 11,600 and 13,600 to the end, which makes the 2009–13 cars the rare ones. The collectible C6s are the ZR1s (4,684), the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition (252), the 427 Convertible (2,552), the Ron Fellows (399) and 427 Limited (505) Z06s, the Centennial and 60th Anniversary cars, the GT1 Championship and Competition Sport editions, and the six pace cars; the 2005–07 LS2 coupes are the least expensive 400-horsepower Corvettes there are.
2005 Corvette
The sixth-generation Corvette arrived as a 2005 after its Detroit debut in January 2004: the C5’s frame with a 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase under a body 5.1 inches shorter and an inch narrower, exposed headlamps, a 400-horsepower 6.0-liter LS2, keyless access and push-button start, a power convertible top, 18- and 19-inch wheels and the Z51 performance package. It cost $44,245 as a coupe and $52,245 as a convertible, with the six-speed manual and four-speed automatic both free, and 37,372 were built. The convertible paced the Indianapolis 500 with Colin Powell driving.
2006–2007 Corvette
The Z06 returned for 2006 as a fixed-roof coupe on an aluminum frame with the 505-horsepower 427-cubic-inch LS7, 3,132 pounds, 198 mph and a $65,800 price; 6,272 were sold. The coupe and convertible gained the 6L80 six-speed paddle-shift automatic, and the Z06 paced the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500; 34,021 were built.
2007 was a carryover year and the best since 1984 at 40,561 cars. It brought the Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Edition Z06, 399 Arctic White cars with red hash marks and the driver’s signature, and the Atomic Orange Indianapolis 500 Pace Car convertible, 500 replicas; the Z06 rose to $70,000 mid-year.
2008–2009 Corvette
The LS3 replaced the LS2 for 2008: 6.2 liters, 430 horsepower, or 436 with the new NPP dual-mode exhaust, with a new clutch, a faster automatic and split-spoke wheels. Three specials in one year: the 427 Limited Edition Z06 in Crystal Red, 505 cars signed by plant manager Wil Cooksey; 500 Hertz ZHZ coupes in Velocity Yellow; and 500 black-and-silver Indy pace car replicas. 35,310 were built.
2009 brought the ZR1, the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9, carbon-fiber bodywork, carbon-ceramic brakes, 205 mph and a $103,300 price, the first six-figure Corvette, and General Motors’ bankruptcy on June 1. The Z06 got a bigger dry sump and spider wheels, the GT1 Championship Edition (125) and Competition Sport (72) editions arrived, Hertz took 375 ZHZ convertibles, and production fell to 16,956, the fewest since 1962.
2010–2011 Corvette
The Grand Sport returned for 2010: the LS3 in the Z06’s wide body with its brakes and wheels, as a coupe ($55,720) or convertible ($59,530), with dry-sump oiling and a rear battery on manual coupes, and it took half the year’s 12,194 cars, the C6’s low point and the fewest since 1961. Launch control came to every manual and side airbags to every car.
For 2011 the Z06 could be ordered with the Z07 package of ZR1 carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Ride and 20-spoke wheels and the CFZ carbon-fiber package, and the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition combined both in 252 Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue cars at $90,960. A new steering wheel and interior trim arrived across the range; 13,596 were built.
2012–2013 Corvette
Chevrolet’s centennial put the Centennial Edition on every model for 2012: Carbon Flash Metallic, satin-black wheels, red calipers, Louis Chevrolet badges and a red-stitched suede interior, on 2,201 of the year’s 11,647 cars, the fewest since 1961. The Z06 and ZR1 got Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires with the Z07 and PDE packages, and the ZR1’s price reached $112,500.
The last C6 year was the Corvette’s sixtieth. The 427 Convertible Collector Edition put the Z06’s LS7 and the Grand Sport’s wide body under a convertible top for the first time, 2,552 cars at $76,900; the 60th Anniversary Design Package dressed any model in Arctic White with Blue Diamond leather, 2,059 of them; every 2013 wore a 60th badge. 13,466 were built and the last C6 left Bowling Green on February 28, 2013, as the plant retooled for the C7.
MORE: PRODUCTION FIGURES / BUILD DATES
| YEAR | BUILT | BASE PRICE | ENGINES | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 37,372 | $44,245 / $52,245 convertible | 6.0 L LS2, 400 hp | All-new body on the C5 frame: 5 in shorter, 105.7-in wheelbase, exposed headlamps, LS2 400 hp, keyless start, power top, Z51; Indy pace car; 37,372 built |
| 2006 | 34,021 | $44,600 / $52,335; Z06 $65,800 | 6.0 L LS2, 400 hp; Z06 7.0 L LS7, 505 hp (6,272) | Z06: aluminum frame, wide fixed-roof body, hand-built LS7 505 hp, $65,800, 6,272; six-speed paddle automatic; Z06 paces Indy and Daytona |
| 2007 | 40,561 | $44,970 / $52,910; Z06 $66,465 then $70,000 | 6.0 L LS2, 400 hp; LS7 505 hp (8,159) | Carryover; Ron Fellows Z06 (399, first autographed Corvette), Atomic Orange Indy Pace Car (500); 40,561 built, the most since 1984 |
| 2008 | 35,310 | $45,995 / $54,335; Z06 $71,000 | 6.2 L LS3, 430/436 hp; LS7 505 hp (7,731) | LS3 430/436 hp with NPP exhaust; 427 Limited Edition Z06 (505, Wil Cooksey), Hertz ZHZ (500), Indy pace car replica (500); split-spoke wheels |
| 2009 | 16,956 | $47,895 / $52,550; Z06 $73,255; ZR1 $103,300 | 6.2 L LS3, 430/436 hp; LS7 505 hp (3,461); ZR1 6.2 L supercharged LS9, 638 hp (1,415) | ZR1: supercharged LS9 638 hp, carbon body, ceramic brakes, 205 mph, $103,300, 1,415; GT1 Championship (125) and Competition Sport (72); GM bankruptcy; 16,956 built |
| 2010 | 12,194 | $49,880 / $54,530; GS $55,720 / $59,530; Z06 $75,235; ZR1 $107,830 | LS3 430/436 hp (incl. Grand Sport); LS7 505 hp (518); LS9 638 hp (1,577) | Grand Sport returns (6,042): LS3 in the Z06 body, dry sump on manual coupes; launch control, side airbags; 12,194 built, fewest since 1961 |
| 2011 | 13,596 | $49,900 / $54,550; GS $55,740 / $59,550; Z06 $75,255; ZR1 $110,750 | LS3 430/436 hp; LS7 505 hp (904); LS9 638 hp (806) | Z07 and CFZ packages for the Z06; Z06 Carbon Limited Edition (252); new steering wheel and interior trim; build-your-own-engine option; 13,596 built |
| 2012 | 11,647 | $50,500 / $55,500; GS $56,900 / $60,500; Z06 $76,500; ZR1 $112,500 | LS3 430/436 hp; LS7 505 hp (478); LS9 638 hp (404) | Centennial Edition (2,201) on every model; Cup tires with Z07/PDE; 11,647 built, the C6’s lowest |
| 2013 | 13,466 | $50,575 / $55,575; GS $56,975 / $60,575; Z06 $76,575; 427 $76,900; ZR1 $112,575 | LS3 430/436 hp; LS7 505 hp (471 Z06 + 2,552 427 Convertible); LS9 638 hp (482) | 427 Convertible Collector Edition (2,552, LS7); 60th Anniversary package (2,059), 60th badge on all; last C6 built February 28, 2013 |
C6 Corvette Model Year Research Hubs (2005–2013)
One page per model year with everything we have on it: the story, specifications, every option and its price, the color chart, VIN ranges, production numbers, pictures, videos, cars for sale and the questions people ask. Start with the year you own or want.
C6 Corvette Special Models, Race Cars & Concepts
The rare ones and the never-weres: the Ron Fellows, 427 Limited, Hertz ZHZ, GT1 Championship, Competition Sport, Carbon Limited, Centennial and 60th Anniversary editions, the six Indy and Daytona pace cars, the 427 Convertible, the Callaway C16 and SC606, the Pratt & Miller C6RS, the Z06-R GT3 and C6 GT4 customer racers, the Jake Edition, the Z06X track concept and the 2009 Stingray Concept that became Sideswipe. The Z06, ZR1, Grand Sport, special editions and the C6.R have their own sections below.
The 2006–2013 Corvette Z06
The 427 came back. The C6 Z06 put a hand-built 7.0-liter LS7 with a dry sump, titanium rods and 505 horsepower in a fixed-roof coupe on an aluminum frame with a magnesium cradle and carbon-fiber fenders, 3,132 pounds, wider by three inches with brake ducts and a mesh grille: 0–60 in 3.7 seconds, 198 mph, a 7:42.9 Nürburgring lap and $65,800 in 2006, $76,575 by 2013. Chevrolet built 27,994 across eight years, 6,272 in 2006 and 8,159 in 2007, then under a thousand a year from 2010, and dressed it as the Ron Fellows (399), 427 Limited (505), GT1 Championship, Carbon Limited (252) and Centennial editions. In 2026 driven Z06s sold for $25,300 to $57,000 and delivery-mileage cars for $69,000 to $82,500; Classic.com’s benchmark was about $48,600.
MORE: THE Z06 GUIDE / THE LS7 / ALL Z06 POSTS
The 2009–2013 Corvette ZR1
The Blue Devil: a 6.2-liter LS9 with an Eaton supercharger and twin intercoolers making 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft, the most powerful engine GM had built, in the Z06’s aluminum frame with carbon-fiber roof, hood, fenders, splitter and rockers, a window in the hood over the supercharger, Magnetic Ride, 15.5-inch carbon-ceramic brakes and 335-section rear tires. 205 mph, 0–60 in 3.4 seconds, 7:26.4 at the Nürburgring, and $103,300 in 2009, the first six-figure Corvette, $112,575 by 2013. Chevrolet built 4,684: 1,415, 1,577, 806, 404 and 482, and the first one sold for $1 million for charity. In 2026 ZR1s sold for $73,700 to $151,250 with Classic.com’s benchmark at $100,221; the 2012–13 Centennial and 60th cars and anything under 5,000 miles bring the most.
MORE: THE ZR1 GUIDE / THE LS9 / ALL ZR1 POSTS
The 2010–2013 Corvette Grand Sport
The Z06’s body with the base car’s engine, and the best-selling C6 of its years. The Grand Sport (RPO Z16, 2010–13) put the 430/436-horsepower LS3 in the wide body with the Z06’s brakes, 18- and 19-inch wheels, bigger bars and, on manual coupes, a dry-sump LS3 and a rear-mounted battery, as a coupe from $55,720 or a convertible from $59,530, with Grand Sport fender hashes in homage to 1963 and 1996. It took half of every year’s production: 6,042, 7,994, 7,324 and 6,644, 28,004 in all. The 2013 427 Convertible Collector Edition (2,552) was a Grand Sport convertible with the Z06’s LS7. In 2026 Grand Sports sold for $28,750 to $61,000 with Classic.com’s benchmark at $40,635, and 427 Convertibles for $45,000 to $93,500 ($63,280).
MORE: THE GRAND SPORT GUIDE / THE 427 CONVERTIBLE / ALL C6 GRAND SPORT POSTS
The C6 Special Editions & Pace Cars
More factory editions than any Corvette before it. The 2007 Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Z06 (399, Arctic White, signed on the dash) and Victory Edition (Europe); the 2008 427 Limited Edition Z06 (505, Crystal Red, signed by Wil Cooksey) and Hertz ZHZ (500 Velocity Yellow coupes, then 375 convertibles for 2009); the 2009 GT1 Championship Edition (125) and Competition Sport (72); the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition (252, Z07 and CFZ together); the 2012 Centennial Edition (2,201, Carbon Flash, on every model); the 2013 427 Convertible (2,552) and 60th Anniversary Design Package (2,059); and the pace cars of 2005 (Indy, Colin Powell), 2006 (Indy and Daytona, Z06), 2007 (Indy, 500 Atomic Orange replicas, and the Brickyard) and 2008 (Indy, 500 replicas). In 2026 Ron Fellows cars sold for $49,500 to $55,000, 427 Limited Editions for $50,000 to $58,500, Carbon LEs for $63,800 to $123,750 and Centennial ZR1s to $151,250.
MORE: RON FELLOWS Z06 / Z06 CARBON LE / CENTENNIAL EDITION / THE ANNIVERSARY CORVETTES / ALL CENTENNIAL EDITION POSTS
The Corvette C6.R, C6.R GT2 & the Pratt & Miller C6RS
Two race cars and a road car from the same shop. The C6.R GT1 (2005–09), built by Pratt & Miller with a 7.0-liter Katech LS7.R, won Le Mans in 2005, 2006 and 2009 and the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship from 2005 to 2008, and was sold to privateers who raced it in Europe into 2011. The C6.R GT2 (2009–13), on the ZR1’s body with a 6.0- and then 5.5-liter engine, won its class at Le Mans in 2011, the ALMS GT titles of 2012 and 2013 and Sebring in 2013, while Larbre’s privateer cars won GTE-Am at Le Mans in 2011 and 2012. The C6RS was Pratt & Miller’s road car: a widebody Z06 with an 8.2-liter, 600-horsepower Katech engine, 25 planned at $185,000, the first delivered to Jay Leno.
MORE: THE C6.R GT1 / THE C6.R GT2 / THE C6RS / ALL PRATT & MILLER POSTS
C6 Corvette Engines
Four engines, all Gen IV small blocks and all aluminum. The LS2 of 2005–07 grew the LS1 to 6.0 liters with a bigger bore, higher compression and a drive-by-wire throttle for 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft; the LS3 of 2008–13 went to 6.2 liters with the L92’s rectangular-port heads and a higher-lift cam for 430 horsepower, or 436 with the NPP dual-mode exhaust, and powered the Grand Sport too. The LS7 was the Z06’s 427: a 7.0-liter with a forged crank, titanium rods and intake valves, CNC-ported heads, a dry sump and 505 horsepower, hand-built at the Wixom Performance Build Center from 2006 to 2013 and shared with the 2013 427 Convertible. The LS9 was the ZR1’s: an LS3-based 6.2 with a 2.3-liter Eaton TVS supercharger, intercoolers, forged internals, titanium rods and a dry sump, 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft, the most powerful engine GM had built, also from Wixom.
Behind them sat a Tremec T56 and, from 2006, the TR6060 six-speed, or the 4L65-E four-speed automatic in 2005 and the 6L80 six-speed paddle-shift automatic from 2006, all in the rear transaxle. Outside the factory, Callaway’s SC606 and SC652 supercharged LS3 and LS7 cars and the C16, Lingenfelter’s 427 and twin-turbo packages and Pratt & Miller’s 8.2-liter C6RS went further, and the Katech LS7.R and the 5.5-liter LS5.5R raced in the C6.R.
The C6 engines are the most reliable the Corvette has had, with two known faults: the LS7’s exhaust-valve guides on some 2006–2011 engines, which wear and can drop a valve (a wiggle test or a guide replacement is the fix buyers ask about), and the LS3 and LS7’s hydraulic lifters. The VIN’s eighth character is U for an LS2, W for an LS3, E for an LS7 and T for an LS9. The engine guides linked in the table cover each one in detail.
MORE: EVERY C6 ENGINE
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | MORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS2 | 6.0 L (364 ci) Gen IV all-aluminum small block, 10.9:1, drive-by-wire; the base engine of 2005–07 | 400 hp / 400 lb-ft | 2005–07 | Guide |
| LS3 | 6.2 L (376 ci) with L92-type rectangular-port heads, higher-lift cam; dry-sump version in manual Grand Sport coupes; NPP dual-mode exhaust adds 6 hp | 430 hp / 424 lb-ft; 436 / 428 with NPP | 2008–13 | Guide |
| LS7 | 7.0 L (427 ci) hand-built at Wixom: forged crank, titanium rods and intake valves, CNC-ported heads, dry sump, 7,000-rpm redline; Z06 and 2013 427 Convertible | 505 hp / 470 lb-ft | 2006–13 | Guide |
| LS9 | 6.2 L supercharged (Eaton TVS R2300) with intercoolers, forged crank and pistons, titanium rods, dry sump; hand-built at Wixom; ZR1 only | 638 hp / 604 lb-ft | 2009–13 | Guide |
| LS7.R / LS5.5R | Katech racing engines for the C6.R: 7.0 L in the GT1 car (2005–09), 6.0 L and then 5.5 L in the GT2 car (2009–13) | About 590 hp (GT1) / 485 hp (GT2) | 2005–13 | Guide |
The C6 Corvette in Competition
Corvette Racing was at its peak in the C6 years. The C6.R GT1, built by Pratt & Miller with a 7.0-liter Katech LS7.R, replaced the C5-R for 2005 and won the GT1 class at Le Mans in 2005 (first and second), 2006 and 2009, losing only to Aston Martin’s DBR9 in 2007 and 2008, and took the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship every year from 2005 to 2008 with Oliver Gavin, Olivier Beretta, Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell and Jan Magnussen. When the GT1 class died in 2009 the team built the C6.R GT2 on the ZR1’s body, debuted it at Mid-Ohio in August 2009, and won the GTE Pro class at Le Mans in 2011 with Gavin, Beretta and Tommy Milner, the ALMS GT championships of 2012 and 2013, and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2013, before the C7.R took over.
The GT1 cars went on to privateers in Europe, where they won races in the FIA GT championship, and Larbre Compétition’s GT2 cars won GTE-Am at Le Mans in 2011 and 2012. Customer versions, the Z06-R GT3 built by Callaway Competition for European GT3 racing and the C6 GT4, raced across Europe and Asia; Pratt & Miller’s C6RS was the road-going result. Chevrolet marked the racing with the 2007 Ron Fellows and 2009 GT1 Championship editions and the Jake skull that went from the pit board to the factory options list.
The production C6 paced Indianapolis in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and the Daytona 500 in 2005, 2006 and 2007, and Z06s, Grand Sports and ZR1s filled the SCCA, NASA and Optima Ultimate Street Car grids for a decade.
MORE: THE C6.R GT1 / THE C6.R GT2 / THE Z06-R GT3 / CORVETTE’S RACING LEGACY
| YEAR | CAR | EVENT | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Corvette C6.R GT1 (Pratt & Miller, Katech LS7.R) | 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 | 1st and 2nd in class on debut; ALMS GT1 champions |
| 2006 | Corvette C6.R GT1 | 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 | Class win; second ALMS GT1 title |
| 2007–08 | Corvette C6.R GT1 | ALMS GT1 / Le Mans | ALMS champions both years; 2nd in class at Le Mans behind Aston Martin |
| 2009 | Corvette C6.R GT1 | 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT1 | Third class win, the GT1 car’s last race for the factory |
| 2009 | Corvette C6.R GT2 (ZR1 body) | ALMS, Mid-Ohio | Debut in GT2, August 2009 |
| 2011 | Corvette C6.R GT2, Gavin / Beretta / Milner | 24 Hours of Le Mans, GTE Pro | Class win; Larbre’s privateer C6.R wins GTE-Am |
| 2012 | Corvette C6.R GT2 | ALMS GT | Team and driver championships; Larbre wins GTE-Am at Le Mans again |
| 2013 | Corvette C6.R GT2 | 12 Hours of Sebring / ALMS GT | Sebring win and the ALMS GT title; the C6.R retires |
| 2005–08 | Corvette convertibles and Z06 | Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500 | Pace cars every year; 500 Indy replicas in 2007 and 2008 |
Buying a C6 Corvette
What They Bring & What To Check
The C6 market sorts by model first: ZR1, then the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition and the 427 Convertible, then the Z06 by year and edition (Ron Fellows, 427 Limited, GT1 Championship, Centennial), then the Grand Sport, then coupes and convertibles by year and engine, with the 2005–07 LS2 cars at the bottom. Mileage counts for more than the year, the six-speed adds to everything but the ZR1 (which only came with one), and the 2011–13 cars bring a premium for the later interior and the low production of the bankruptcy years. The Z06 and ZR1 were the first modern Corvettes to appreciate, and delivery-mileage cars now bring more than they cost new.
Results tracked by Classic.com between October 2025 and October 2026 show the spread. Coupes and convertibles sold for $10,250 (a 67,000-mile 2006) to $39,600, most clean cars between $17,500 and $30,000 and the 2005 the cheapest 400-horsepower Corvette; Grand Sports for $28,750 to $61,000, most between $33,000 and $53,000, benchmark $40,635; Z06s for $25,300 to $82,500, most driven cars between $38,000 and $57,000 and delivery-mileage cars $69,000 to $82,500, benchmark about $48,600; Ron Fellows Z06s for $49,500 to $55,000, 427 Limited Editions for $50,000 to $58,500, Carbon Limited Editions for $63,800 to $123,750 (benchmark $86,277); 427 Convertibles for $45,000 to $93,500 ($63,280); and ZR1s for $73,700 to $151,250, most between $88,500 and $130,000, benchmark $100,221, with the Centennial and 60th cars on top. Check whether a result includes the buyer’s premium, and treat asking prices and unsold high bids separately from completed sales.
Verification is simple. The VIN’s eighth character gives the engine (U LS2, W LS3, E LS7, T LS9) and the fifth the body (Y for the base cars, Z for the Z06 and ZR1); the RPO label in the console or glovebox lists the packages (Z51, Z06, ZR1, Z16 Grand Sport, Z33 Ron Fellows, Z44 427 Limited, ZHZ Hertz, Z07, CFZ, the Centennial and 60th codes); the window sticker and build sheet survive on most cars and the museum’s archives will pull the production order. On a special edition the sequence number on the dash plaque or console should match the paperwork, and a Ron Fellows or 427 Limited car should still carry its signature.
What breaks: the LS7’s exhaust-valve guides on 2006–2011 Z06s and some 2013 427 Convertibles, which wear and can drop a valve (ask for a guide test or a receipt for the fix); the harmonic balancer and lifters on the LS3; the 2005 four-speed automatic and early TR6060 skip-shift and synchro complaints; the roof-panel and hatch seals; the column-lock recall carried over from the C5 on 2005–06 cars; paint and clear-coat on the carbon-fiber ZR1 panels; Magnetic Ride dampers, which are expensive to replace; and on any Z06 or ZR1, track use, so a clutch, brake and differential inspection matters more than mileage. The buyer’s guide below goes year by year, and a 2008–13 Grand Sport six-speed or a post-2012 Z06 is its recommended place to start.
MORE: THE MARKET
C6 Corvette Technical Research
The numbers behind the C6: production figures and build dates for all nine years, VIN decoding and the special-edition sequence numbers, every RPO and factory option with its price and take rate, the color charts, specifications and performance, sales brochures, owners manuals, technical service bulletins, recalls, common problems, maintenance schedules and our DIY and mod guides. The year pages carry each model year’s own set.
C6 Corvette Pictures, Videos, Wallpapers & Galleries
The C6 from every angle: galleries for each year, wallpapers, the C6s we have featured as Corvette of the Day, and videos of Z06s, ZR1s, Grand Sports, C6.Rs and special editions on the road, at auction and on track.
Everything We've Published On The C6 Corvette
Every story tagged C6 Corvette, newest first: cars for sale and auction results, Z06s and ZR1s, Corvette Racing, DIY and mod guides, videos, galleries and history. The latest headlines here.
FAQs
What years are the C6 Corvette?
The C6 Corvette was built for nine model years, 2005 through 2013. The coupe and convertible ran all nine years, the Z06 from 2006, the ZR1 from 2009, the Grand Sport from 2010, and the 427 Convertible in 2013 only. The C5 preceded it, ending with the 2004, and the C7 Stingray replaced it for 2014; the last C6 was built on February 28, 2013.
How many C6 Corvettes were built?
215,123: 37,372 in 2005, 34,021 in 2006, 40,561 in 2007, 35,310 in 2008, 16,956 in 2009, 12,194 in 2010, 13,596 in 2011, 11,647 in 2012 and 13,466 in 2013. That includes 27,994 Z06s, 4,684 ZR1s, 28,004 Grand Sports and 2,552 427 Convertibles. The rare ones are the 252 Z06 Carbon Limited Editions, the 399 Ron Fellows and 505 427 Limited Edition Z06s, the 125 GT1 Championship and 72 Competition Sport cars, the 875 Hertz ZHZs and the 500-car pace car replicas of 2007 and 2008; 2012 was the lowest Corvette year since 1961.
Who designed the C6 Corvette?
Tom Peters led the exterior design under GM design chief Ed Welburn, with Eric Clough on the interior. Dave Hill, the C5’s chief engineer, led the C6 to launch and retired in 2006; Tom Wallace followed him through the ZR1’s development and Tadge Juechter took over in 2008 and led the Corvette through the C7 and C8 until his retirement in 2024. The LS7 and LS9 came from GM Powertrain’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, and the C6.R was built by Pratt & Miller for Corvette Racing under Doug Fehan.
What engines did the C6 Corvette have?
Four Gen IV small blocks. The 6.0-liter LS2 made 400 horsepower in 2005–07; the 6.2-liter LS3 made 430 horsepower, or 436 with the dual-mode exhaust, in 2008–13 and in every Grand Sport; the 7.0-liter (427-cubic-inch) LS7 made 505 horsepower in the Z06 (2006–13) and the 2013 427 Convertible; and the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 made 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft in the ZR1 (2009–13), the most powerful engine GM had built. All drove a rear transaxle with a Tremec six-speed manual or, from 2006, a six-speed paddle-shift automatic (a four-speed in 2005).
What changed from the C5 to the C6 Corvette?
The C6 kept the C5’s hydroformed frame, rear transaxle and composite springs and changed everything around them: a body 5.1 inches shorter and an inch narrower on a 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase, exposed headlamps in place of pop-ups, 18- and 19-inch wheels, a 400-horsepower 6.0-liter LS2 in place of the 350-horsepower LS1, keyless access and push-button start, a power convertible top, a new interior with navigation, and drag of 0.28. The Z06 then moved to an aluminum frame and a 505-horsepower 427, which the C5 Z06’s 405-horsepower LS6 could not approach, and the ZR1 added 638 supercharged horsepower on top.
What is the difference between the C6 Z06, ZR1 and Grand Sport?
All three share the wide body with brake ducts. The Z06 (2006–13) is a fixed-roof coupe on an aluminum frame with the 505-horsepower 7.0-liter LS7, 3,132 pounds and a manual only, $65,800 to $76,575. The ZR1 (2009–13) is the Z06’s frame with carbon-fiber panels, a window in the hood, Magnetic Ride, carbon-ceramic brakes and the 638-horsepower supercharged LS9, $103,300 to $112,575, 4,684 built. The Grand Sport (2010–13) is the wide body, brakes and wheels on the base steel frame with the removable roof or the convertible top and the 430/436-horsepower LS3, $55,720 and up, 28,004 built. The 2013 427 Convertible is a Grand Sport convertible with the Z06’s LS7.
Which C6 Corvette year is the best to buy?
For a driver, a 2008–13 coupe or Grand Sport with the LS3 and the six-speed, and a 2011–13 car if you want the later interior and steering wheel. For performance, a 2012–13 Z06 with the Z07 package, which has the later valve guides, the ZR1’s brakes and Magnetic Ride, or any ZR1. For the least money, a 2005–07 LS2 coupe, the cheapest 400-horsepower Corvette there is. For collecting, the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, the 2013 427 Convertible, the Ron Fellows and 427 Limited Z06s and the Centennial and 60th Anniversary ZR1s. The one to check carefully is a 2006–11 Z06, for its LS7 valve guides.
How much is a C6 Corvette worth today?
Between October 2025 and October 2026, Classic.com tracked C6 coupes and convertibles selling for $10,250 to $39,600, Grand Sports for $28,750 to $61,000 (benchmark $40,635), Z06s for $25,300 to $82,500 (benchmark about $48,600), Ron Fellows and 427 Limited Edition Z06s for $49,500 to $58,500, Z06 Carbon Limited Editions for $63,800 to $123,750 ($86,277), 427 Convertibles for $45,000 to $93,500 ($63,280) and ZR1s for $73,700 to $151,250 ($100,221). Mileage sets the price within each group, and delivery-mileage Z06s, ZR1s and 427s bring more than they cost new; check whether a result includes the buyer’s premium.
What were the C6 Corvette special models?
Factory editions: the 2007 Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Z06 (399) and Victory Edition, the 2008 427 Limited Edition Z06 (505) and Hertz ZHZ (500 coupes, then 375 2009 convertibles), the 2009 GT1 Championship Edition (125) and Competition Sport (72), the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition (252), the 2012 Centennial Edition (2,201), the 2013 427 Convertible Collector Edition (2,552) and 60th Anniversary Design Package (2,059), and the Indianapolis 500 pace cars of 2005–08 (500 replicas in 2007 and 2008) and Daytona 500 pace cars of 2005–07. Tuner and racing: the Callaway C16 and SC606, the Pratt & Miller C6RS, Lingenfelter, the C6.R GT1 and GT2, the Z06-R GT3 and C6 GT4. Concepts: the 2009 Stingray Concept (Sideswipe), the Z06X and the Jake Edition.
How did the C6 Corvette do in racing?
It was Corvette Racing’s best era. The C6.R GT1 won Le Mans in 2005, 2006 and 2009 and the American Le Mans Series GT1 championship from 2005 to 2008; the C6.R GT2, on the ZR1’s body, won its class at Le Mans in 2011, the ALMS GT championships of 2012 and 2013 and Sebring in 2013, and privateer C6.Rs won GTE-Am at Le Mans in 2011 and 2012 and raced in the FIA GT championship. The C7.R replaced it for 2014. The production C6 paced the Indianapolis 500 four years running from 2005 and the Daytona 500 three times.
What are the common problems with a C6 Corvette?
The LS7’s exhaust-valve guides on 2006–2011 Z06s (and some 2013 427 Convertibles), which can wear and drop a valve, the one serious C6 fault; LS3 harmonic balancers and lifters; the 2005 four-speed automatic; TR6060 skip-shift and synchro wear; roof-panel and hatch seals and the roof panel delaminating on early cars; the steering-column lock on 2005–06 cars; headlight-lens hazing; expensive Magnetic Ride dampers on cars that have them; and on ZR1s the carbon-fiber panels’ clear-coat. Parts are cheap and the forums have a fix for everything, which is why condition and history set the price more than the year.
Is a C6 Corvette a good investment?
The ZR1, the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, the 427 Convertible and the low-mileage Z06s have appreciated since about 2020 and now bring more than their stickers, and the bankruptcy-year cars of 2009–13 are scarce; the ordinary C6, with nearly 160,000 coupes and convertibles built, is a driver’s car whose price tracks mileage and condition, and the 2005–07 LS2 cars have been the cheapest 400-horsepower Corvettes for years. A low-mileage Z06, ZR1, 427 or edition car bought with its paperwork has held value; an ordinary C6 is bought to be driven. We are not financial advisers; dated Classic.com results and the car’s window sticker and build sheet are the places to check before paying.
All The Research
C6 Corvette Advertisements / C6 Corvette Build Dates / C6 Corvette Buyer’s Guide / C6 Corvette Colors / C6 Corvette DIY / C6 Corvette Engine / C6 Corvette Engines (All) / C6 Corvette Factory Options / C6 Corvette Maintenance / C6 Corvette Mods / C6 Corvette Owners Manual / C6 Corvette Performance / C6 Corvette Posters / C6 Corvette Pricing / C6 Corvette Production / C6 Corvette Production Figures / C6 Corvette Recalls / C6 Corvette Research / C6 Corvette RPO Codes / C6 Corvette Sales Brochures / C6 Corvette Service Bulletins / C6 Corvette Specifications / C6 Corvette VIN Numbers
