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mph Top Ten Spins of the Year: Number 1
#1 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
American car magazines have cried automotive wolf so many times—
our new blah-de-blah coupe really sticks it to those Euro boys, or this new whooziewhatsit
eats the reigning Japanese sedan for breakfast—that the following statement
has lost much of its impact: The new Corvette Z06 is, dollar for dollar, the best sports car in
the world, and unequivocally the best American car ever made.
Been burned too many
times to believe it? Well,
what if we establish our
objectivity right here by
telling you what we hate
about it? It's got a Wal-
Mart interior and what
feels like a left-on Viking
range in its center tunnel.
But think about this for a
second: No dedicated
sports car is without its
vices. The Z06 is quicker
than everything except
the far-uglier Ferrari
Enzo, the harder-riding
Mercedes-Benz SLR
McLaren, or the tricky-to-
launch Porsche
Carrera GT. And it
costs just $65,800.
The
Z06 is not just fast and
affordable; it's refined,
usable everyday, and incontrovertible proof that
racing improves the breed.
Only dedicated Corvette saddoes will be able to
find all the tech Chevy pumped in from its C6-R
endurance racer, but it's there in the Z06's subtle
aerodynamic mods, its huge brakes, its ample
cooling ducts, and the dedication to low mass that
resulted in Chevy replacing the car's steel
foundation with an aluminum one. You might not
see all these things, but drive the Z06, and you'll
sense them. You'll feel the lightness of the carbonfiber
front end when it bites into a corner. You'll
feel the racing-car-like twitch when the rear
wheels commit all their horsepower to the earth.
You'll feel the V-8 open up, seemingly without
limit, as it pumps all that fuel and air through
its massive 7.0-liter self. But mostly,you'll just
feel great.
Obviously, a car like this couldn't have come at a
better time for GM, even if Z06 sales will be limited.
But the Z06's greatness isn't a relative thing, only
obvious when parked in front of a quarterly
earnings statement. No other car from any other
manufacturer has this much soul and intensity
married to this much flexibility. So forgive us if we
gush. Won't happen again.
#2 Ferrari F430
#3 BMW M5
#4 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
#5 Porsche Cayman S
#6 Lexus IS350
#7 Mazda MX-5
#8. Honda Civic Si
#9. Range Rover Sport
#10. Dodge Ram SRT-10 Quad-Cab
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