INDIAN RIVER CORVETTE CLUB
NEWSLETTER

 President  • Rob Callery  • Vice-President • Bill Ulisky  •  Secretary • Sandy Ericsson  •  Treasurer • Amy Harp
February 2004

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
12 - Kathy Sterner,  15 - Sandee Pollack
16 - Peggy Gillespie,  18 - Sue Kranenburg
21 -  Karl Sterner  24 - Hollyann Quina 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU ALL!

President Rob Callery conducted our first meeting of the new year on Jan 9th.  A good crowd was on hand for dinner and the meeting.  Lou Ericsson won $50 in the 50-50 drawing and we adjourned for dessert at Toojays.

Hurricane Harbor - 47 cars and 92 owners converged on this popular river front restaurant on Sunday, Jan 11.  The weather was nice and everyone enjoyed looking at cars from the Stuart Corvette Club, Space Coast Corvettes and Indian River Corvette Club.  The party broke up before 3:00 enabling everyone to catch the NFL playoff games.

January's Mystery Dinner Run to Pappys Place organized by Karl and Bonnie Steene was a real winner!  32 members crowded into Pappys for some real special food and entertainment.  They specialize in Central and South American food.  Several Columbian dishes were on the buffet.  Entrees included Tilapia, chicken and beef with lots of wine on the table.  The homemade hot sauce was great.  We enjoyed some real Spanish dancing and then many of us enjoyed dancing to the live music. Sue Smith got a free flamenco dance lesson to the delight of all.  Thanks Karl and Bonnie for a wonderful evening right in our own back yard.

PHOTOS FROM CLUB EVENTS ARE POSTED ON THIS WEBSITE

February Activities
 Jan 31-Feb 1 - Rolex 24 hours in Daytona 
Feb 7 - Reflections In Glass 
Feb 13 - Monthly Club Meeting 
Feb 21 - Jensen Beach Mardi Gras 
Feb 24 - Mystery Dinner Cruise 
Feb 28 - Vero Beach "Under The Oaks" & Hobo Stew  

Corvette C6 vs C5 At A Glance

C6 Coupe

C5 Coupe
Overall Length, In. 174.6 179.7
Overall Width, In. 72.6 73.6
Overall Height, In. 47.7 47.7
Track F/R, In. 62.1 / 60.7 62.0 / 62.1
Coefficient of drag Under 0.29 0.29
Curb Weight, Lb. 3,179 3,246
Engine 6.0 liter LS2 V8 5.7 liter LS1 V8
Bore & Stroke, In. 4.0 X 3.62 3.9 X 3.62
Horsepower @ RPM 400 @ 6000 350 @ 5200
Torque, ib. - ft. @ RPM 400 @ 4400 350 @ 5200
Wheels, F/R 18 x 8.5 / 19 x 10.0 17 x 8.5 / 18 x 9.5
Tires, F/R 245/40ZR-18 / 285/35ZR-19 245/45ZR-17 / 275/40ZR-18


2005 Corvette, known as C6, is more evolutionary than revolutionary.

ANTICIPATION always runs high when Chevrolet enters the maternity ward to deliver a new Corvette. Based on the four previous times one generation has given way to the next, enthusiasts have come to expect epic leaps in design, engineering and performance.

But the keepers of the flame had different priorities for the sixth-generation car, which will be unveiled today in Detroit: instead of inventing a whole new Corvette, Dave Hill, the chief engineer, concentrated on fixing small glitches in the old one.

The new car, known as C6, is slightly shorter in length, but taller and narrower. Mr. Hill says it slips through the air with less drag and less cockpit turbulence when the removable roof panels are stored in the smaller but more functional cargo compartment. The wheelbase is stretched 1.2 inches (to 105.7), not because the car needed more space between its axles, but to facilitate the sharing of parts with the Cadillac XLR roadster built in the same Kentucky plant.

The most notable changes in appearance are the first exposed headlamps on a Corvette since 1962, and a new grille designed to force air through the radiator and into the engine. Sharp creases atop the front fenders and across the flanks replace the previous model's gently sculptured surfaces. The tail section, widely unloved in the fifth generation, has new proportions and more interesting details.

While there are no significant power train changes, the V-8 engine is slightly larger and now produces 400 horsepower, up from 350. That, in conjunction with the reduced aerodynamic drag, means the new Corvette will be incrementally faster.

Placing the catalytic converters closer to the engine improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. Minor improvements were made to both transmissions, the six-speed manual and the four-speed automatic. The tires, brakes and suspension were tweaked for better performance.

New gadgets and creature comforts abound. Electric assists disable the anti-theft system, unlatch the doors, heat the recontoured bucket seats, secure the rear hatch, raise and lower the convertible top and allow the engine to be started at the punch of a button. A new navigation system responds to voice commands. The heads-up display, which projects information onto the windshield, can be programmed to report cornering g's, or lateral acceleration - the car's grip of the road. The interior trim is better; a second cup holder has been added.

The C6 will arrive this fall as the first new Corvette in which user-friendly endearments outranked engineering strides on the priority list. — by DON SHERMAN