The 2012 Corvette also gets some performance-oriented upgrades as well, though the lion’s share of them go to the hard-core Z06 model, which arguably doesn’t need anything more than more grip to handle the 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque from its 7.0-liter V-8. Fortunately, additional grip it will get, in the form of newly available Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires. They will be available as part of the Z07 handling package for the Z06, and also for the ZR1 as part of its new PDE performance package. Measuring 285/30-19 in front and 335/25-20 in back, the new tires will help the Vette corner at more than 1.1g, according to Chevy. (That claim is not as outrageous as it may seem. We’ve recorded 1.07 in both a Z06 and a ZR1.) Also helpful are the new lightweight aluminum wheels paired with the new tires, which will be offered in satin black or machined finishes. More important, each wheel weighs about five pounds less than its counterpart on the current car.
Also new to the Z06 is Performance Traction Management, which, in a nutshell, is multiple, driver-selectable stability control programs and launch control. While we love tire smoke and yaw as much as anybody, the prospect of a more-controllable Z06 sounds good to us. Rounding out the changes for the 2012 Corvette are a newly available racing-style full-width rear spoiler for the Z06 and ZR1 as part of the Z07 and PDE packages, respectively. The Z06 also is available with a new carbon-fiber hood.
If you want to see these changes up close, your first opportunity will be a special event at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where production of the 2012 model commences this July. And if you’re us, you’re excited for another opportunity to belt in the test gear and head to the test track—this time, with better seats.
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