The 2011 Corvette

The Overview

Chevrolet turned 100 on November 3, 2011, and built its 100-millionth small-block V-8, an LS9, at the Performance Build Center in Wixom on November 29; GM had gone public again the previous November, and Corvette production rose for the first time since 2007, to 13,596, 11.5 percent over 2010. The Grand Sport again took more than half of the year, 5,212 coupes and 2,782 convertibles, 7,994 cars and 58.8 percent, and gained Magnetic Selective Ride Control as a $1,695 option (with cross-drilled rotors, and Gen 2 Eagle F1 Supercars on manual cars) while keeping the dry-sump LS3, differential cooler and rear battery on manual coupes; 2,059 wore the Heritage Package. The standard coupe (3,112) and convertible (780) got a new five-spoke wheel in silver, Competition Gray, machine-faced or chrome, the J55 cross-drilled brake option ($500), headlamp housings in Cyber Gray, Blade Silver or Black ($590), contrasting yellow, blue or red stitching ($395), revised headrests, a USB port with the navigation radio, and two new colors, Supersonic Blue (1,417) and Inferno Orange (790), both $300. Prices rose $20 to $49,900, $54,550, $55,740 and $59,550 with destination up to $950.

The Z06 was the year’s story. For $9,495 the new Z07 Ultimate Performance Package put the ZR1’s Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, Magnetic Selective Ride Control with Performance Traction Management and Competition Gray 20-spoke 19 x 10 and 20 x 12-inch wheels on Michelin Pilot Sport 2s under the 505-hp LS7, making the lightest production Corvette of the year and, Chevrolet said, the best-balanced; 540 buyers took it. The CFZ Carbon Fiber Package ($3,995; 535 cars) added a carbon splitter, rockers and roof panel in black and a body-color ZR1-style spoiler. Both were folded into the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition (RPO ULZ), announced in 2010 to mark fifty years since the Corvette’s first Le Mans race and priced at $90,960: Z07 with black 20-spoke wheels and dark gray calipers, a painted carbon raised hood, black headlamps and mirrors, Supersonic Blue or Inferno Orange paint with matching stitching in an Ebony leather-and-suede 3LZ interior, a unique steering-wheel emblem, sill plates and headrest logos, a carbon-pattern engine cover and a set of Euro-style racing numbers in the trunk. Chevrolet planned 500 and built 252 on their own VIN series, 600001 to 600252; Rick Hendrick bought the first at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach for $297,000 and the last, the only black one, built with an engine he assembled himself. The Z06 sold 904 in all, up from 518, at $75,255; the ZR1, unchanged at 638 hp, rose $2,920 to $110,750 and sold 806. Sixteen Z06 and ZR1 buyers paid $5,800 for the Engine Build Experience (PBC), assembling their own LS7 or LS9 at Wixom, and four paid $5,000 to choose their VIN sequence number (PIN).

At Le Mans the No. 73 C6.R of Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia won GTE Pro by two and a half minutes over the Ferrari 458, Corvette Racing’s seventh class win there and its first in the GT2-based class; the Z06X track-car concept built with Pratt & Miller, the Carlisle Blue Grand Sport for the 30th Corvettes at Carlisle and the Ron Fellows Hall of Fame Tribute Z06 for SEMA 2011 filled the show calendar. Production was 3,112 coupes, 780 convertibles, 5,212 Grand Sport coupes, 2,782 Grand Sport convertibles, 904 Z06s and 806 ZR1s, 8,516 of the LS3 cars with the automatic and 2,274 with two-tone seats. In 2026 the 2011 Grand Sport sold at auction for $31,750 to $43,500 against a $40,635 C6 Grand Sport benchmark, the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition for $63,800 to $123,750 against $86,277, the standard Z06 for $47,000 to $63,000, the ZR1 for $92,000 to $150,000, and the coupe and convertible for $22,000 to $29,000.

The 2011 Corvette Story

At the onset of the 2011 model year, as General Motors continued to streamline their product offerings, things were looking up for Chevrolet. The huge economic recession that had nearly driven the automotive manufacturer into bankruptcy was over, unit sales were improving year over year, and General Motors stock was once more on the rise. For Chevrolet, 2011 also marked a major milestone in the history of the company – it was the year the company turned 100 years old AND it was the year that marked the production of Chevrolet’s 100-millionth small-block V-8 engine.

On November 29, 2011, General Motors produced its 100-millionth engine at the Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan. The milestone engine was a 638-horsepower, supercharged LS9 variant of the fourth-generation small block engine. The original small-block engine was a 265 cubic-inch V-8 that Chevrolet introduced in 1955. Variants on the original 265 cubic-inch engine are still manufactured for marine and industrial applications. The 100-millionth small-block was an LS9, the ZR1’s engine, and GM kept it for its heritage collection rather than installing it in a car.

The Chevrolet Corvette, America’s sports car, celebrated its fifty-ninth model year in 2011 by again enticing consumers with a broad lineup of returning models, and introducing a new special edition Z06 for the discerning Corvette collector – the base Corvette coupe and convertible, the Corvette Grand Sport coupe and convertible, the Corvette Z06 coupe, including the introduction of the all-new Carbon Edition Z06 coupe, and the crowned jewel of the entire paddock, the return of the ultra-powerful Corvette ZR1. While Corvette had offered a limited number of model choices just a few years before, Corvette now offered a model to meet every consumer’s needs, from the casual cruiser to the weekend track warrior, and beyond.

To commemorate both the milestone anniversary of the company as well as the incredible evolution of the small block V-8 engine, Chevrolet offered a new option to Corvette owners for the 2011 model year. Designated by Regular Production Option (RPO) PBC, future Corvette owners could now purchase the Engine Plant Build Experience when purchasing either a Z06 or a ZR1 Corvette.

For an additional $5,800 over the cost of their car, ZR1 and Z06 purchasers could visit the Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan and assemble the engine that would actually go into their car during final assembly. The package, while considered too expensive by most, did include the assistance of PBC workers throughout the assembly process, local lodging and transportation while in Wixom, Michigan, and delivery of the Corvette at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

However, it did not include travel to or from either Wixom, Michigan or Bowling Green, Kentucky, and, as a result, only sixteen of the Engine Plant Build Experience option were purchased in 2011.

Refinements to the Corvette base model coupe and convertible were very limited for 2011. The coupe, convertible and Grand Sport came equipped with the 430 horsepower LS3 engine, and came standard with a 6-speed manual transmission, AM/FM/XM stereo with CD, a three-month trial subscription to XM radio, an MP3 jack, OnStar, leather seats, a power driver’s seat, active handling, traction control, tire pressure monitors, and driver, passenger and side airbags.

Outwardly, one of the few changes to the 2011 base models was the introduction of a new wheel design – a competition style five-spoke wheel that came finished in either silver, competition gray, machine face or chrome. For consumers that wanted more robust braking power out of those wheels, GM also offered RPO J55, larger cross-drilled brake rotors, for $500. Two new exterior paint colors were also introduced to the 2011 lineup – Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue. Lastly, optional color-contrasting headlamp housings were offered in Cyber Gray, Black or Blade Silver.

Within the cockpit of the coupe and convertible, a few notable changes were introduced for the 2011 lineup. All 2011 Corvettes received revised seat headrest designs. Potential buyers had the option of purchasing contrasting thread stitching color throughout the leather wrapped interior. Consumers could choose from yellow (RPO 36S), blue (RPO 37S) or red (RPO 38S). New for 2011 was the introduction of a USB port and input jack on cars equipped with the navigation radio option.

Making a return for its sophomore year was the 2011 Corvette Grand Sport. The Grand Sport coupe and convertible models had been a “knockout hit” among consumers and had accounted for very nearly half of all Corvette production in 2010. Customers were drawn to its unique blend of the Corvette’s capable chassis and powertrain, while also enjoying the enhanced handling attributes that had previously been available only in the Z06 model. The car also featured wider fenders, specific front fenders, unique wheels and other exclusive design cues.

For 2011, the Corvette Grand Sport received the same refinements as the coupe and convertible with one notable addition – the Corvette Grand Sport could be equipped with Magnetic Ride Control as an option. When equipped with both Magnetic Ride Control and a manual transmission, the car also came equipped with four Goodyear F1 Supercar Gen 2 tires. The optional Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension featured magneto-rheological dampers that can detect road surfaces, and adjust the damping rates to those surfaces almost instantly for optimal ride control. It included larger, cross-drilled brake rotors.

With its special equipment, the Grand Sport offered consumers a unique – and more affordable – blend of performance and amenities. The GS suspension package is comparable to the suspension found on a Z06 Corvette, but still offers consumers the option of removing the roof from the coupe models (all C6 Z06 Corvettes had a fixed roof) and, of course, the availability of ordering a Grand Sport model in a convertible body style. Additionally, consumers had the option of purchasing their Grand Sport with a six-speed automatic transmission, an option that was unavailable to anyone purchasing a Z06. These amenities only helped to further enhance the attractiveness of the Grand Sport model to consumers.

Still, for anyone who was interested in track-ready performance, they need look no further than the 2011 Corvette Z06 model. As with the previous C6 Z06 Corvettes, the 2011 model came equipped with the 7.0-liter, LS7 V8 engine, which produced 505 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm.

Chevrolet offered two new packages for the 2011 Corvette lineup designed specifically around the Z06. The first was the RPO Z07, the Z06 Ultimate Performance Package. Priced at $9,495 over the base model Z06, the Ultimate Performance Package included Magnetic Selective Ride Control, which gave more options to the driver as well as enhancing the handling of the car on all road surfaces. In addition to Magnetic Selective Ride Control, the Z07 package included Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, wider Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires and Competition Gray ZR1-style 20-spoke wheels.

Did you know? The ZR1 may reach 60 mph in a supercar-like 3.4 seconds, but when it comes to braking the Z07-equipped Z06 is the quicker car: it stops from 60 mph in 93 feet against the ZR1’s 97.

The second package was the RPO CFZ Carbon Fiber Package, also exclusively designed for the Z06 Corvette. The Carbon Fiber package featured a black carbon fiber splitter, rockers, roof panel and a body-color ZR1-style, full width rear spoiler. While not hugely popular amongst Corvette enthusiasts, due in large part to the additional $3995.00 price-tag that came with the upgrade, Chevrolet nonetheless did utilize this package, along with the Z07 Ultimate Performance Package, when cobbling together their next special-edition Corvette.

Called the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition Corvette, this latest entry into the special-edition portion of the collector’s market was designed to celebrate Corvette’s 50th anniversary at Le Mans. The Z06 Carbon Limited Edition Corvette featured the Z07 Performance Package, plus the introduction of a painted carbon fiber raised hood, a carbon fiber splitter and rockers. The car’s mirrors and headlamps were finished in black, every Carbon Limited Edition was painted Supersonic Blue or Inferno Orange, and the interior stitching matched the exterior color.

“For track use, the Z06 Carbon is the best balanced Corvette yet. It combines the lightweight and naturally-aspirated Z06 engine with the road-holding and braking of the ZR1,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette Chief Engineer. “For technical tracks like Laguna Seca, the Z06 Carbon could shave up to three seconds off the Z06 lap time.”

“Designed to further incorporate technology developed through racing, the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette’s first race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “With a limited production of 500 units, this car is a must-have for the true Corvette collector and driving enthusiast.”

In addition to the features listed above, the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition also boasted Brembo carbon ceramic brakes with specific dark gray metallic calipers. These powerful brakes were first introduced on the ZR1. Black 20-spoke 19-inch front/20-inch rear wheels complemented the car’s Michelin PS2 tires. Other mechanical features included Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and the car carried a special carbon-pattern engine cover. For track events, customers could also install the Euro-styled racing numbers that came with each car.

The Z06 Carbon’s ebony leather and suede interior was complemented by blue or orange seat stitching to match the exterior color chosen. Other features included a unique steering wheel emblem, sill plate and logoed headrest. The suede used on the steering wheel, shifter, seat inserts, armrests and doors added to the luxury of this limited edition Z06.

When it was announced that Chevrolet was introducing the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition Corvette, it was assumed that the 500 unit limit imposed by GM would make this car a much sought-after commodity. To Chevrolet’s surprise, only 252 Carbon Limited Editions were actually built. Some speculate that the car, which cost $90,960, more than $15,000 over a standard Z06, just didn’t provide consumers with enough additional value to warrant the extra cost.

The 2011 Corvette ZR1 also returned once more for the 2011 model year lineup. Powered by a unique, supercharged LS9 6.2L engine, the ZR1 continued to remain the fastest, most powerful production car ever offered by Chevrolet up to this point in the automotive manufacturer’s history. The ZR1 has its own section below.

While sales of the C6 Corvette had seen a steady decline in total number of units since 2008, the 2011 model year saw sales numbers begin to rise once more, though only slightly. A total of 13,596 Corvettes were built for 2011, and of those the Z06 accounted for 904 (252 of them Carbon Limited Editions) and the ZR1 for 806. While these numbers were still significantly lower than the first couple of years of the C6, where production ran between 34,000 and 40,000 cars a year, Corvette continued to forge ahead with the manufacturing of their iconic sports car, though with a growing certainty that the decline in C6 sales tied directly to the still recovering economy and, more concernedly, the age of the C6 itself. Unbeknownst to most, a seventh-generation Corvette was already in the works. While working in conjunction with data created by, and collected from, the C6.R Corvette Race Car each race day, the engineers behind the next generation Corvette were looking to the race track in an effort to better design (and eventually manufacture) the most capable, track-ready Corvette ever created.

As for the Corvette Racing teams, the 2011 race season was capped by Corvette’s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance classic. After a grueling 24 hour race, the No. 73 Corvette won the GTE Pro class. Driven by Olivier Beretta, Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia, the team beat the second-place Ferrari 458 Italia by nearly two-and-a-half minutes.