2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Review

The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette is a classic of American sports car design that comes in both a convertible and coupe style. On the whole it is a stunningly powerful car that not only manages to drive outrageously fast, but turn heads wherever it goes. The convertible Corvette is the ultimate summer car with either a manual or power-operated soft top and comes in a range of trims that take it from basic styling to full-on luxury.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Performance

The base Corvette convertible sports a 6.2-liter V8 that pumps out 430hp and 424lb-ft of torque and makes 0-60mph in just 4.5 seconds – an incredible performance in its own right and hardly deserving of the “base” title. All Corvettes sport a 6-speed manual transmission with short throw and extra light clutch for lightning fast gear shifts. There is an optional six-speed automatic with paddle shift available, but for a sports car like this it is sheer madness to give away the pleasure of manual shifts.

Weight is distributed 50/50 between the front and back of the car for optimized handling, and double wish-bone suspension gives excellent road grip as well as sports. The new variable-ratio steering varies the steering ratio according to the steering angle, giving rock solid steering feel at high speeds. Optional is the Magnetic Selective Ride Control Suspension that allows suspension settings to be changed, but our experience shows that there is not a great deal of difference between the options.

In general the Corvette’s handling rivals the best that the Europeans can offer with extraordinarily direct and responsive steering and the kind of road grip that makes you want to throw it around corners faster and faster for the sheer exhilaration of it. At the same time however, the Corvette Convertible manages to be incredibly easy to drive in traffic thanks to its light clutch action and responsive steering.

Most surprisingly, EPA fuel economy of the Corvettes is reasonable, with the base model doing 16/26mpg city/highway for the manual transmission.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Interior and Features

Interior luxury is firmly second place to high performance in the Chevrolet Corvette Convertible, so don’t expect European-standard of interior design. However the Corvette has worked hard on upgrading its interior over recent years and now offers four levels of trim: 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT. In the 1LT you get keyless access with push-button start, leather upholstery, 6-way power adjustable driver’s seat, OnStar assistance, leather wrapped steering wheel, automatic headlights and cruise control. The convertible is manually folding on the base 1LT package. The 2LT package adds a power convertible top and wireless phone connection. The 3LT adds to that driver’s seat and mirrors memory function, heated seats, upgraded Bose audio system with 6 disc CD changer, head-up instrument display to show engine details and universal garage door opener. Top-of-the-range 4LT adds an upgraded interior trim and upgraded leather upholstery. Voice activated navigation system is also optional as well as dual-mode exhaust to give the horsepower an extra boost, as well as plenty of exterior tweakings to personalize your Corvette Convertible.

If you really want to go the whole hog, you can opt for an additional package that allows you to go for a tour of the Corvette facility and museum, where your new Corvette is presented to you with live internet broadcast to make it a really special experience!

Space is plentiful for the driver and passenger in legroom and headroom, and the trunk is surprisingly spacious. Kids will have to stay home as there is no rear seat, but why would you want to share it with them anyway?

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Safety

Despite being a performance vehicle, safety has not been overlooked in the Corvette series, including anti-lock disc brakes, dual front and side airbags and an advanced electronic stability system called “Active Handling”. OnStar is standard with one year’s subscription to give emergency assistance.

Safety features include:

• Dual front airbags and side airbags
• Electronic stability control
• Anti-lock disc brakes
• Traction control
• OnStar

Overall the 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is a testament to American engineering prowess and gives the European sports cars an extremely hard act to follow. As far as value for money goes, it is hard to beat this super-high-performance masterpiece, especially for a price tag well under $60,000 which makes the other sports cars in the class look way over-priced.