2012 Chevrolet Corvette Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Chevrolet Corvette review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Corvette, and includes Chevy Corvette safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Available in coupe and convertible body styles, the 2012 Chevy Corvette is an iconic American sports car capable of world-class performance.

Because the Corvette is Chevrolet’s iconic halo car, General Motors knows that continual improvement is necessary to keep the ‘Vette at the top of its game. For 2012, that means all Corvettes get new seats with better bolstering and optional microfiber suede inserts, a padded center console and armrests, and a new steering wheel. A navigation system, and a head-up display are included on all standard Corvettes except the base 1LT model, and a better nine-speaker Bose audio system with USB/iPod connectivity is optional across the lineup. Buyers can choose between four different brake caliper colors for 2012 – red, yellow, silver, or gray – and new colors include Carlisle Blue and Carbon Flash.

That latter hue is available only on the new Centennial Edition, which is a package that Chevrolet is offering on all Corvette models. In addition to Carbon Flash paint, the Centennial Edition features Satin Black wheels, red brake calipers, an Ebony leather interior with microfiber seat inserts and red contrast stitching, microfiber-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, and special badges and graphics (including a likeness of Louis Chevrolet – odd, that). The Corvette Centennial Edition also has a Magnetic Selective Ride Control (MSRC) suspension.

Z06 models are also upgraded for 2012. In addition to changes listed above, a carbon fiber hood is a new option, and the Z07 Performance Package now includes a full-width rear spoiler, lighter weight Cup wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires, and a Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension. Separately, the MSRC is now offered with Cup wheels, Michelin PS2 tires, and Performance Traction Management.

At the top of the Corvette lineup, the ZR1 receives the upgrades listed above plus a new performance package that includes lightweight wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires, and a full-width rear spoiler.

For 2012, the Chevrolet Corvette lineup looks like this: standard Coupe, standard Convertible, Grand Sport Coupe, Grand Sport Convertible, Z06 Coupe, and ZR1 Coupe. A new Centennial Edition package is optional on each of them.

If you’re looking for the least expensive way to park a Corvette in your driveway, the standard model is the right choice. Equipment levels are denoted by 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT trim levels. Leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, Keyless Access with push-button ignition, Xenon HID headlights, Eagle F1 run-flat performance tires, and OnStar telematics with Automatic Crash Response and Turn-by-Turn Navigation service are key features for the Corvette 1LT.

The Corvette 2LT is worth making the upgrade, because it includes Bluetooth, a Bose premium audio system with a USB port and iPod connectivity, a navigation system, a head-up display with a track mode, and both a cargo net and a luggage shade for the cargo area.

To get sport seats wrapped in perforated leather, upgrading to the Corvette 3LT is necessary. Additionally, the 3LT includes power side bolster and lumbar support adjustments, a power front passenger’s seat, heated front seats, a power telescopic steering wheel, memory for the driver’s settings, and a HomeLink universal remote. Convertibles also include a power, rather than manual, top.

The Corvette 4LT is equipped just like the 3LT, but includes a leather-wrapped interior package that covers the dashboard and other parts of the cabin in genuine stitched leather with a choice between blue, red, or yellow contrast stitching.

The Centennial Edition Package can be added to the Corvette 3LT and 4LT. Other options include a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, a dual-mode exhaust system that provides slight bumps in horsepower and torque, several wheel choices, your pick of brake caliper colors, and a transparent removable roof panel on Corvette Coupes. A Magnetic Selective Ride Control Suspension is also available, and most models can be outfitted with a two-tone interior. Chevy dealers are also happy to customize your new Corvette with a wide variety of accessories.

The Corvette Grand Sport represents a design and performance upgrade over the standard models. It gets a performance-tuned suspension, an improved braking system and, for Grand Sport Coupes equipped with the standard short-throw manual transmission, a dry-sump oiling system, a differential cooler, and a rear-mounted battery just in case you decide to run it hard at a track event. The Grand Sport also gets bigger wheels and more aggressive rubber, a wider track and bulging fenders, and Z06 styling cues, along with unique side gills shared with no other Corvette model.

The Grand Sport is offered in 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 4LT trim levels that mirror the standard Corvette, and the 3LT and 4LT models can be outfitted with the new-for-2012 Centennial Edition Package. A Heritage Package is also available on this model, and it includes a two-tone interior treatment and signature Grand Sport hash mark graphics on the left front fender.

While the standard Corvette and the Corvette Grand Sport are impressive performers, Chevrolet builds two high-priced variants that are designed for maximum velocity, handling, and braking. The first of these is the Corvette Z06. A fixed-roof coupe, the Z06 contains a 505-horsepower, 7.0-liter V8 engine, a strengthened six-speed manual transmission with launch control, a dual-mode exhaust system, stiffer suspension tuning, vented and cross-drilled brakes with six-piston front rotors, and lightweight alloy wheels shod with Goodyear F1 Supercar G:2 performance tires. But these upgrades are only part of the story.

The Z06 is designed to be the lightest Corvette available, so it also gets an aluminum frame, carbon fiber fenders and doors, and a stripped-down cabin for which many features are optional, like a navigation system, a Bose premium sound system, power front seats, extended leather trim, and other items unnecessary to the tasks at hand – which are ferocious speed, nimble handling, and immediate braking.

Many of the Z06’s options are designed to expand the performance envelope. The Z07 Ultimate Performance Package provides Brembo ceramic brakes, lightweight Cup-style wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires, a full-width rear spoiler, and a MSRC suspension. The Carbon Fiber Package adds a black-painted roof, front splitter, rocker panels, and a ZR1-style rear spoiler made of, you guessed it: carbon fiber. A carbon fiber hood is newly optional for 2012. A Performance Traction Management system, available only with the MSRC suspension or the Z07 Ultimate Performance Package, gives the driver five traction and stability control settings from which to choose. As with other Corvette models, there is a Z06 version of the Centennial Edition available for 2012.

The Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful car General Motors has ever built. Equipped with a hand-built, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 visible through a clear plastic window in the ZR1’s hood, this version of the Corvette makes 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque, and is subject to a federal gas-guzzler tax. Weight is kept to a minimum thanks to the same structural elements used for the Z06 plus a carbon fiber hood, roof, vehicle floor, and aerodynamic bits and pieces. Brembo ceramic brakes, a Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, and a Performance Traction Management system are standard.

ZR1 buyers can opt for a Bose sound system, a navigation system, a custom leather-wrapped interior, and other features that increase weight. New for 2012, the ZR1 High Performance Package adds black lightweight Cup-style wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires, a close-ratio manual gearbox, and a full-width rear spoiler. The ZR1 can also be outfitted in Centennial Edition trim.

Standard and Grand Sport models are equipped with a 6.2-liter “LS3” V8 engine that makes 430 horsepower at 5,900 rpm and 424 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. When breathing through the optional dual-mode exhaust system, the engine’s horsepower rating rises to 436 and torque increases to 428 lb-ft. A six-speed manual gearbox delivers the power to the rear wheels, and if you can’t operate clutch pedal, there’s no need to fret because a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters is optional. Fuel economy ratings are 16 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission, and 15-city/25-highway with the automatic. Premium fuel is recommended but not required.

The lightest of all the Corvette models, the Z06, receives a 7.0-liter “LS7” V8 cranking 505 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, operating on required premium fuel. A six-speed manual gearbox is the only way the power is transferred to the rear wheels, and fuel economy ratings are 15 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. According to Chevrolet, the Corvette Z06 accelerates to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 198 mph.

Despite extensive use of carbon fiber components, the Corvette ZR1 is heavier than the Z06, but makes up for its few extra pounds with a supercharged 6.2-liter “LS9” V8 that generates an impressive 638 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 604 lb-ft at 3,800 rpm. Unique to the ZR1, a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual is specifically designed to channel this kind of brute force, and the new-for-2012 ZR1 High Performance Package includes a close-ratio version of this gearbox for maximum accelerative capability. As expected, the ZR1’s fuel economy isn’t very good at 14 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway, resulting in a gas-guzzler tax on this particular model. And remember, that mileage is achieved with the geeks from the EPA behind the wheel. You’re gonna do worse than that, especially if you attempt to match Car and Driver’s 3.4-second run to 60 mph or achieve the car’s 205-mph top speed.

Every 2012 Chevy Corvette comes standard with front and side airbags, antilock brakes, Active Handling traction and stability control, and tire pressure monitoring at each individual run-flat tire. OnStar telematics with six free months of service that includes Automatic Crash Response – which allows a live operator to send rescuers to a crashed Corvette’s exact location even if nobody inside the car is responsive – is also included.

How well a Corvette will protect occupants in a collision is unknown. Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has crash-tested a Corvette.

What comes as a somewhat unexpected surprise are reasonably favorable predictions for reliability, which perhaps underscores the level of durability engineering that goes into America’s Sports Car. Consumer Reports thinks reliability will be average over time, while J.D. Power and Associates gave last year’s Corvette a better than average prediction.

The Chevrolet Corvette is built in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where General Motors is making a significant $131 million investment to upgrade the facility in advance of the debut of the next-generation model, due for 2014.

For buyers paying cash up front and ordering a Corvette, there are a few perks. First, you can take advantage of a Color Combination Override option that lets you “individualize vehicle appearance by overriding recommended restrictions to color, trim and convertible top.” You can also, “subject to restriction and approval,” specify your Corvette’s Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN.

For Corvette Z06 and ZR1 buyers, Chevrolet offers the Corvette Engine Build Experience. You travel to GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan on your own dime, but once you get there you get to help build the engine that will go into your Corvette.

Buyers who order their cars can also fly to Bowling Green and take delivery at the National Corvette Museum if they wish.

We’re big fans of the 2012 Chevy Corvette, even if the design is now entering its eighth year and some of the interior parts are really low rent. No matter which model you choose, a Corvette outperforms other sports cars sold at the same price, and often spanks models that are two or three times more expensive. For its iconic styling, indisputable value, inspired acceleration and handling, and impressive dependability, Vehix recommends the 2012 Corvette.

By Christian Wardlaw