The first thing I noticed after climbing into the black cockpit of the Machine Silver coupe I got to drive first upon my arrival in the Detroit area was the new instrument cluster. At first glance it's very evocative of a C5's gauge panel; the C6 still uses white-on-black numerals. The instruments are laid out nearly almost identically to the C5's nearly perfect arrangement, and the multi-level elevations of the gauges (it's not a perfectly flat panel) is carried over-but there's less clutter on the faces of the tach and speedo since the idiot lights (Chevrolet refers to them as "telltales") have been moved to a space between the two major gauges. The most significant visual change is the additional of satin-finished bezels surrounding each individual gauge. It's a minor thing, but it really adds pizzazz to the gauge cluster. The gauges are backlit with "white LEDs" at all times, and they are definitely easier to read in harsh sunlight than the gauges in my '00 coupe. The faux aluminum trim on the "stack" (the center panel on the dash that holds the climate and audio systems controls and runs down onto the top of the console to surround the shifter and cupholders) adds both interest, character, and a more upscale look to the C6.
The C6's ignition switch is in essentially the same location as on the C5-and that's where the similarity ends. The new switch is keyless. As long as you have the remote Keyless Access key fob (that's definitely an oxymoron) on or near your person, you simply push once on the upper portion of a rocker-style switch and the car's brain (i.e., computer) does the rest. To shut off the engine, push the lower part of the switch once, and to go to the "Accessory" mode, push the lower part twice. By the end of the first day, it seemed fairly natural.
I had some doubts about the new steering wheel when I first saw it last December, but after looking at it and grasping it for several hours on three hundred or so miles over a couple days, I've really warmed up to the new design. The center airbag and horn buttons area are much trimmer than the C5's; the more open look and classier hub on the new wheel add a lot to the inside.
Most of the major controls and switches are located in quite close proximity to where they were in the C5. The ergonomics of the fifth gen. were pretty damned good overall, so GM wisely opted to not mess with success.
What really matters is how the new Corvette drives. I experienced five different C6s during the two and a half days I was in Detroit-three coupes and two convertibles, four with six-speeds and one with the automatic transmission. Two of them, a six-speed coupe and an automatic convertible were equipped with the base suspension. One other coupe had the optional F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control, and the other two, a coupe and a convertible, were set-up with the Z51 Performance Package.
The pair of C6s-the aforementioned Machine Silver coupe with the Z51 Performance Package and six-speed gearbox and the base suspension automatic Precision Red convertible-I got to drive on my "bonus" early-arrival day represented the opposite ends of the C6 performance spectrum (at least until the new Z06 comes out a year from now!). Even though I drove the coupe first, I'd like to start off with my perceptions of the convertible. I'll also add that many of my comments are based on comparisons with both my daily-driver '00 coupe with automatic and base suspension and with my son Rob's recently acquired Torch Red '99 1YY17 hardtop, which was available only with a six-speed and the Z51 "Performance Handling Package."