Road and Driver

Vette dreams: V-8 power for the price of a hot hatch, with the security of GM’s certified used-vehicle program.

BY CSABA CSERE

A brand-new standard-issue Chevrolet Corvette remains an incredible performance-car bargain. For less than two-thirds of the price of a Porsche 911, the latest C6 thunders to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat, corners at 0.99 g, and tops out at 190 mph. And for a two-seat rocket, a Vette is also very practical, with 57 percent more luggage capacity than a Honda Accord and tall gearing that, during relaxed highway cruising, squeezes more than 25 miles from each gallon of premium fuel.

Even so, the Corvette’s current base price of $49,515 might be more than some people can or want to spend. If you fall into this group, you’ll be happy to discover the many used Vettes on the market, given that today’s C6 generation was born in the 2005 model year. When you peruse secondhand Corvettes, you’ll also find that many of them have very low mileage, having been driven mostly on summer weekends in cold states. Three- and four-year-old cars with less than 10,000 miles are not unusual.

To reduce the risks of used-car buying, GM offers a certified used-vehicle (CUV) program. Similar to all such programs, GM’s starts with a detailed, 117-item checklist to make sure that everything is operating as it did when new. The car gets a thorough cleaning and detailing, brakes and tires that are more than half-worn are replaced, and the next scheduled maintenance is performed.

Keep Reading: Certified Pre-Owned: C6 Chevrolet Corvette - Feature

Lambo honors its legendary test driver with its most intense Gallardo ever.

BY STEVE SILER

With 552 hp, a body to die for, and a 0–60 time of 3.2 seconds, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 has little room for improvement. But there is room for variation, and perhaps the most significant is the new Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. Limited to just 250 units worldwide, the LP550-2 Valentino Balboni is named after Lamborghini’s esteemed test driver, who was hired by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself in 1967, and who has been instrumental in developing the dynamic attributes of every Lamborghini model introduced since 1973.

First Rear-Wheel-Drive Lambo Since the Diablo

Fittingly, Lamborghini honored Balboni by dialing up the excitement factor of what is already a pretty exciting car. Those familiar with Lambo’s naming practice, which combines a car’s metric horsepower and its number of driven wheels, have probably figured out the LP550-2’s biggest news: rear-wheel drive replaces the standard Gallardo’s four-wheel drive. Yes, the name also tells us that the LP550-2 Valentino Balboni is down 10 hp compared with the LP560-4 (542 versus 552 at 8000 rpm). But with just 3042 pounds of mass to propel—265 fewer than the LP560-4—the lost ponies aren’t likely to be missed. Torque remains the same at 398 lb-ft at 6500 rpm.

Keep Reading: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni - Car News