The Overview

The C6 is the Corvette for someone who wants a track-capable car with 400 to 638 horsepower at a used-car price, and it has been that since the C7 arrived and the prices started down. It was an evolution of the C5 rather than a clean sheet: the same front-engine, rear-transaxle layout on the same hydroformed frame, with a tighter, more chiseled body (five inches shorter on a longer wheelbase), the first exposed headlamps since 1962, a modern interior with keyless access and push-button start, and an engine lineup that went from the 400-hp LS2 to the 430-hp LS3, the hand-built 505-hp LS7 in the Z06 and the 638-hp supercharged LS9 in the ZR1, the first six-figure Corvette.

That spread is what makes the C6 a different purchase from the C5 before it. A buyer is choosing between five models that share a body and little else: the coupe and convertible on the steel frame, the Z06 and ZR1 on an aluminum frame with carbon panels, the Grand Sport with the Z06’s wide body on the LS3, and a run of special editions (Ron Fellows, Pace Car, 427 Limited, GT1 Championship, Carbon, Centennial, 60th, the 427 Convertible) that the market now treats as collectibles. The Z06 and ZR1 were the first modern Corvettes to appreciate; delivery-mileage examples bring more than they cost new, while a tidy 2005 coupe costs less than a new compact car.

This guide covers all of it: the nine years and what changed, the models and editions, what each tier of the market costs from the results the site tracks on Classic.com, what moves the price, what the cars are like to drive and to own, the LS7 valve-guide question and the rest of the known problems, the inspection step by step, how to verify each year’s cars and editions, and the questions readers ask most. The year pages and the model pages go deeper on each car; this page is where to start.

Why the C6 Is the Corvette to Buy Right Now

Thinking of Buying a C6 Corvette? - Here’s What You Need To Know

Spring is here at long last, and you're ready to take the plunge and purchase a Corvette! You've pondered your choices and you are prepared to purchase a sixth-generation Corvette because you've seen the prices drop steadily since the C7 was introduced a few years back, and you recognize that the C6 is truly a track-capable beast that offers incredible power at an increasingly affordable price.

If this sounds like you, and if you are now trying to navigate the hundreds of sixth-generation Corvettes that are for sale to find the one that's right for you, then we've found each other at the perfect moment. If you're still considering your options - maybe even considering something other than a Corvette (gasp!) for your summer fun - then we've caught up with you just in time too!

For everyone else - from current C6 owners to prospective Corvette owners of any generation, this article is intended to provide some insight into the experience of Corvette ownership, and give you some valid reasons why a sixth-generation Corvette might be right for you!

The sixth-generation (C6) Corvette was introduced in 2005 as a follow-up to the wildly-successful fifth-generation platform. The fifth-generation Corvette, which had been first introduced in 1997, was the generation that catapulted the Corvette platform from moderate sports car to a vehicle that rivaled some of the best European sports cars on the market, and at a fraction of the price.

When developing the sixth-generation Corvette, Chevrolet adopted the mantra, If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

For all intents and purposes, the C6 wasn't a re-design or re-imaging of the earlier model, but rather an evolution of it. Everything that helped make the C5 platform a commercial success was carried forward into the new C6 model, and the rest of the design simply improved upon the earlier model, eliminating those flaws which were deemed outdated or undesirable.

Chevrolet retained the same front engine/rear transaxle design that had been introduced in the C5, and instead turned their focus to the car's body and exterior. Where the C5 featured a soft, rounded design on virtually every surface of the car, the C6 featured a more chiseled appearance with better defined surfaces. This included sharper-edge coves behind each of the front wheels, more defined bodylines throughout the platform, and steeper, more pronounced fender peaks like those previously seen on the third-generation Corvette.

The wheelbase of the C6 was increased to 105.7 inches (compared to the C5 Corvette's 104.5 inch wheelbase) but the car's overall length was actually decreased from 179.7 inches (C5) to 174.6 inches (C6.) This decision was made to make the platform more attractive to European customers as well as to reduce some of the bulk of the earlier design which would, in turn, aid in the car's overall performance.

The C6 was also the first Corvette to feature exposed headlights since the first-generation Corvette. While this design change was initially met with considerable resistance by Corvette enthusiasts, the decision was based on data captured from the racing program and proved to improve aerodynamics during more extreme driving conditions. Today, exposed headlights on a Corvette are commonplace, and several aftermarket manufacturers have even developed exposed headlight conversion kits for older-gen Corvettes. In 2005 however, (the year the C6 was introduced,) even loyal fans questioned Chevrolet's decision to break with more than 40 years of tradition.

The C6 in a paragraph

When Chevrolet developed the sixth generation its mantra was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The C5 had taken the Corvette from a moderate sports car to one that rivaled the best of Europe at a fraction of the price, and the C6 kept everything that made it work, the front-engine, rear-transaxle layout, the hydroformed frame, the composite body over a drivable chassis, and improved the rest. The body gained sharper edges, defined coves behind the front wheels and the fender peaks of a C3; the wheelbase grew to 105.7 inches while the car shrank from 179.7 to 174.6 inches, partly for European buyers and partly to cut bulk; and the headlamps were exposed for the first time since 1962, a decision the racing program drove for aerodynamics and the faithful argued about for a year before everyone got used to it.

More car per dollar than anything else with this performance

A 2005 coupe has 400 horsepower, a six-speed and a chassis that ran with a C5 Z06 in Z51 form, and clean ones sell for less than $30,000. A 2008–13 LS3 car has 430 and the better interior for a few thousand more. A Grand Sport has the Z06’s wide body, brakes and wheels on the LS3 for the price of a coupe and a half. A Z06 is a hand-built 505-horsepower 427 in a 3,130-pound aluminum-framed car, and most of them trade in the $40,000s and $50,000s. A ZR1 was the first 200-mph Corvette and the first to cost six figures, and driven ones sell for less than they did new. Nothing else offers this much performance for this little, and the parts and know-how are everywhere.

The one that has started to appreciate

The C6 is the first modern Corvette the collector market has taken seriously. The Z06 and ZR1 bottomed out years ago, and delivery-mileage cars now bring more than their stickers; the Carbon Limited Edition, the 427 Convertible, the Centennial and 60th Anniversary cars and the Ron Fellows and 427 Limited Z06s have their own Classic.com benchmarks well above the standard cars; and the 2009–13 model years, built in the bankruptcy and recession at the lowest volumes since the early 1960s, are scarce in a way no C5 is. A good C6 bought now is unlikely to be worth less in five years, which is more than can be said for most cars with 400 horsepower.

And it is the easiest high-performance Corvette to own

An LS2 or LS3 is a pushrod small block that any competent shop can service, parts are shared across 215,000 cars and the aftermarket is enormous; the companion guide to C6 bolt-on mods shows how far an LS3 goes for little money. The known problems are known: the LS7’s exhaust-valve guides on the Z06, the electronic column lock on early cars, the roof panel bond, the headlamps that yellow, the dash that bubbles, the tires that last 15,000 miles. None of them is a reason not to buy a C6; all of them are a reason to buy the right one, which is what the rest of this guide is about.

MORE: THE C6 HUB / THE C6 Z06 / THE C6 GRAND SPORT / THE C6 ZR1 / C6 BOLT-ON MODS

The Model-Year Changes in Detail, 2005–2013

The table gives the headlines; this is the detail a buyer uses at the viewing, with the production breakdown by model for each year, from the site’s original C6 buyer’s guide. The year pages carry the full specifications, options, colors and production for each (and GM’s final counts where these differ), and the model pages the Z06, Grand Sport and ZR1 in depth.

2005 Corvette

2005 was the inaugural year for the C6 Corvette. For its first year, the Corvette was only offered as a coupe or convertible in base trim. The car included a number of new features over the outgoing C5 including push button start, an available navigation system, electric door releases, an improved interior, a power-closed rear hatch and exposed headlights.

Where the outgoing C5 featured an LS1 engine that produced 350 horsepower, the 2005 C6 introduced the LS2 engine, which increased the Corvette's engine output to 400 horsepower. The 2005 Corvette was offered with either a manual or automatic transmission. Even after its initial introduction in 2005, most automotive critics agreed that the 2005 Corvette was superior in performance and handling over its fifth-generation predecessor.

The C6's suspension package was revised and calibrated to provide excellent handling and a comfortable ride. Three suspension packages were offered:

The standard suspension which featured a careful balance between comfort and handling,

The selectable Magnetic Selective Ride Control, which gave drivers the option to adjust how the car handled via a selector switch mounted on the car's center console,

The Z51 Performance package, which provided the new Corvette a level of suspension and handling on par with the outgoing C5 Z06 Corvette.

Chevrolet built a total of 37,372 ‘Corvettes during the 2005 model year including 26,728 Coupes and 10,644 Convertibles.

2006 Corvette

While there were few additions to the 2006 model year, the option that were added included a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and XM Satellite Radio in Corvettes equipped with a Bose stereo system. Additionally, two new colors were introduced for 2006 - Velocity Yellow and Monterey Red Metallic.

The big announcement for the 2006 model year was the return of the highly-anticipated Z06 Corvette. The Z06 featured a 7.0 liter, 427 cubic inch LS7 small-block V8 engine rated at 505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. When introduced in 2006, it was the most powerful production Corvette available on the market. It was also a fixed-roof Corvette (unlike the base coupe model, all of which have a removable top) for added structural rigidity and improved aerodynamics.

Total production for 2006 was 34,021 units, of which 16,598 were coupes, 11,151 were convertible and 6,272 were Z06 edition Corvettes.

2007 Corvette

The 2007 model year saw few changes to any of the available Corvette models. A couple of new options were introduced including steering-wheel-mounted radio controls on the right spoke of the steering wheel. These controls enabled drivers to adjust volume, seek radio channels up and down the AM and FM bands, and to scroll thru selected preset stations.

Two limited-edition Corvettes were introduced in 2007:

The Ron Fellows ALMS (American Le Mans Series) GT1 Z06 Corvette which was built to honor famed Corvette Racing driver Ron Fellows. It was the first-to-be-signed special-edition Corvette in the history of the brand - with each unit carrying Ron Fellows autograph. The car was finished in Arctic White with a Monterey Red interior, fender stripes and trim.

The second was the Indy Pace Car Replica Corvette. This special edition model was limited to 500 units and was finished in Atomic Orange.

For 2007, a total of 40,561 Corvettes were built, including a total of 21,484 coupes, 10,918 convertibles and 8,159 Z06 Corvettes.

2008 Corvette

The most significant update to the 2008 model year was the introduction of the LS3 engine to all base model coupes and convertibles. The LS3 increased engine size from a 6.0L to a 6.2L V8, and increased engine output from 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque to 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of torque.

The 2008 also featured a new split-spoke wheel package on coupes and convertibles. An optional five-spoke wheel was also offered for the 2008 model year. The wheels came in a number of color options including Competition Gray, a polished finish or a chromed finish.

The interior of the 2008 Corvette also received some upgraded trim. All models received a revised cybergraphic pattern console trim plate, bright surrounds for the cupholder and manual shifter and brushed aluminum shifter and door release trim. Metal door sill plates were new (introduced late in 2007), and the floor mat retainers were simplified.

Lastly - this is an important item for anyone considering a 2008 Corvette - Hertz Fun Rental division ordered 500 RPO ZHZ Corvette coupes for the vehicle rental program. All 500 of these cars were finished in Velocity Yellow with black stripes and featured seven-spoke chrome wheels. (NOTE: These Corvettes are often available for sale across the country and may be listed at a lower asking price than other Corvettes. Please remember that these vehicles were used as part of Hertz's rental fleet and may have been prone to more aggressive drivers than privately owned Corvettes.)

2009 Corvette

The most notable addition to the 2009 line-up was the introduction of the new Corvette ZR1.

The program had been announced by General Motors in December, 2007 and began production for the 2008 model year.

The car featured a supercharged LS9 engine which was rated at 638 horsepower. While the engine carried the same displacement as the LS3 engine (6.2 Liters), the LS9 was a new design with a 10.5-quart dry-sump oil lubrication system and an Eaton supercharger that pumped out 638 horsepower and 604 lb-ft of torque, making the LS9 the most powerful production engine ever built by General Motors.

The 2009 ZR1 Corvette was also the first Corvette in the brand's history to carry a price tag of more than $100,000. Despite this sizable price tag, both Corvette enthusiasts and the automotive press recognized that the car was a bargain for the amount of power it produced, and it quickly became accepted as the new King of the Hill throughout the Corvette community.

Despite being widely accepted by fans and the press, the 2009 ZR1 Corvette accounted for just over 10% of total Corvette sales that year. In fact, all Corvette sales dropped by almost 50% over the previous model year with a total of just 16,956 units sold in 2009. Of these, 8,737 were coupes, 3,343 were convertibles, 4,400 were Z06's and just 1,847 were ZR1 Corvettes.

2010 Corvette

The 2010 model year saw the return of another Corvette moniker which had been absent since 1996.

The Grand Sport model, which was essentially a wide-body version of the base coupe with most of the styling/design cues of the Z06 was introduced as yet another alternative to the ever-growing Corvette stable. Although the Grand Sport featured the same 6.2 liter LS3 as the base coupe and convertible, the car provided owners with the Z51 suspension package that had been an option on older variants of the C6 as well as the a number of styling tweaks. Arguably, the Grand Sport model was one of the best looking Corvettes of the C6-generation.

As in 2009, unit sales of the 2010 Corvette continued to decline significantly over the previous year. For 2010, a total of just 12,194 units were sold, which included 3,053 coupes, 3,703 Grand Sport coupes, 1,003 Grand Sport convertibles, 518 Z06's and 1,577 ZR1 Corvettes.

2011 Corvette

Little changed for the 2011 model year. There were a few additions including larger, cross-drilled brake rotors (13.4 inches in the front and 12.8 inches in the rear) which were offered as an option on the Corvette coupe and convertible, or included as part of the Magnetic Selective Ride Control package (RPO F55). Z06 Corvettes included the Z07 performance package.

The 2011 model year introduced another special edition model - the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition. 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 cars mirrors and headlights were finished in black, and the exterior of all of the Carbon Limited Edition Corvettes were finished either in Supersonic Blue or Inferno Orange. The interiors of both cars included matching body-color stitching.

Sales improved just marginally over the 2010 model year with a total of 13,956 units which included 3,112 coupes, 780 convertibles, 5,212 Grand Sport coupes, 2,782 Grand Sport convertibles, 904 Z06's and 1,720 ZR1 Corvettes.

2012 Corvette

Although the seventh-generation Corvette Stingray was still two years away, GM's focus on the next-generation Corvette's development meant less time and effort was invested in refining the current-generation Corvette.

While the changes to the 2012 model year were somewhat limited, the base model Corvettes did receive and upgraded interior with improved driver and passenger seats. The Z06 model was offered to consumers with an optional full-length rear spoiler and carbon fiber hood options. It also received new wheels as part of the Z07 Performance Package. The ZR1 received an optional performance package and revised gear ratios.

The most significant product development for 2012 was the introduction of a Centennial Edition Corvette, which was available to consumers in all variants of the car, including the base coupe and convertible, as well as the Grand Sport, Z06 and the ZR1.

The Centennial Edition came finished exclusively in a Carbon Flash Metallic finish with satin-black graphics. Special badging graphics signifying Chevrolet’s racing history - including an image of Louis Chevrolet on the B-pillars - were added as accents to the cars finish. The number “100” replaced the traditional fluer-de-lis symbol on many of the Corvette hood and rear bumper emblems, but only on cars built with the Centennial Edition package.

The wheels were also finished in a satin black, and were sized specifically to the respective Corvette models – 18-inch front and 19-inch rear for the Coupe, Convertible and Grand Sport, and 19-inch front and 20-inch rears for the Z06 and ZR1 models. All models also received red brake calipers.

With the imminent arrival of the C7 Corvette just over a year in the future, sales of the 2012 Corvette were down once more. For 2012, Chevrolet sold just 11,467 Corvettes, which was approximately 25% of the total units sold just five year earlier in 2007. Of these, 2,820 were base coupes, 5,056 were Grand Sport coupes, 621 base convertibles, 2,268 Grand Sport convertibles, 478 Z06's and just 404 ZR1 Corvettes.

2013 Corvette

The 2013 model year marked the final year for the sixth-generation Corvette. It's arrival was greeted with a lot of grandeur by Corvette owners and enthusiasts around the world, partly because it marked the 60th anniversary of Corvette and partly because it was the C6's swan song, meaning that the C7 was about to become a reality.

Ultimately, the 2013 Corvette represented the pinnacle of the C6 generation, and in keeping with tradition of earlier generations that had come and gone before it, the final C6 Corvette would celebrate its departure with a very special, “special edition” model.

Evoking the heritage of early 427-powered Corvettes from generations past, the 427 Convertible Collection Edition model was built to take Corvette convertible performance to an entirely new level. It combined the convertible found in the base model and Grand Sport editions with elements from the Z06 and the ZR1 Corvettes, making it the fastest and most-capable convertible in Corvette’s history (at least until the introduction of the 2015 Z06 Corvette Convertible.) The car’s powertrain was the same as the Z06 coupe, including its 505 horsepower, 427 cubic-inch LS7 engine with dry sump. Also like the Z06 Corvette, the 427 Convertible was only offered with a manual transmission.

All Corvettes built in 2013, regardless of vehicle type or trim level, received special front and rear badging that replaced the fleur-de-lis portion of the crossed flags with a 60 Years logo. While a special 60 Years graphics package (RPO Z60) could be ordered that included optional side emblems on the front fenders and special floor mats with the 60th anniversary logo embroidered on them, GM included the special front and rear badging on all 2013 Corvettes to celebrate this significant milestone.

While the 2013 model year marked the end of the C6, it is interesting to note that the 2013 model year also offered five distinct models to consumers, the most models available in a single year in the history of the Corvette program. Sales remained flat in 2013 with a total of 13,466 units produced, including 2,597 base coupes, 4,908 Grand Sport coupes, 720 base convertibles, 1,736 Grand Sport convertibles, 2,552 427 convertibles, 471 Z06's and 482 ZR1 Corvettes.

MORE: 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2008 / 2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / THE C6 TIMELINE