Hello, I'm a newbie to the world of Corvette.

How safe are Corvettes? Arent they made of fiberglass?

If you are in a minor accident, is is much more expensive to repair a Corvette? (fiberglass body panels?)

 

Verry safe (Walked away in a head on collision in a c5)
Yes Fiberglass
Its a sportscar it will be expensive to fix it

 

There are safer vehicles than a sports car, such as a Hummer or possibly a tank. Won't serve the same purpose though.

Dana

 

So it is safe...
But if the body gets a crack in it somehow, does that cost more than taking a dent out of a steel body panel?

I am worried about repair costs... at least no door dings right!?

Also, JD Powers rated the body & interior quality to be two bubbles on the C5, do you guys have any concerns?

 

The safest cars cost the most to repair. Look at head on collisions of the highest rated cars. The front end is demolished. Being safe, means the passenger compartment stays in tact and the energy from the crash isn't passed to the driver/passenger

Yes they are fiberglass, yes they will be expensive to fix. They are very good at protecting the occupants in a crash though.

 

A sports car is a sports car. My only experience, thank g*d, with an accident in a Corvette was in 1971. I hit a park car doing about 70 and walked away. The vette was totalled, but I was fine.

 

I would consider it very safe for the sports car category... especially if you get the 1SA-1SB package and get the additional side impact air bags...

 

Actually they aren't made of fiberglass. They are made with SMC.

 

Unlike the older Vettes one piece body, every panel is a bolt on
replaceable piece. Any car is expensive to fix .....a chip in a door
today is not as simple to repair with todays' base/clear system.
So might as well drive the best legend around !

 

don't worry about it, any new car you wreck will be expensive to fix.
"hello progressive, I have a claim"

 

If safety is the main concern...consider a Volvo.

 

...think the composite differs from "fiberglass"

 

There isn't any federal or insurance institute crash test data available for the C6. However, there have been some fairly spectacular wrecks. Most of what we've heard and seen says the car is pretty safe, not completely safe, of course, there have been fatalities, but most of the wrecks were survivable.

The body panels are made of SMC (Sheet Molding Compound) which is similar to traditional fiberglass, but more uniform and tougher. The body panels are hung on a steel structure which is very strong, and offers a high degree of occupant protection.

Impacts that could be beaten out on a steel panel are likely not to permanently deform SMC panels. In other words, they just spring back from minor impacts. Heavier impacts will tear SMC panels (but the same impact would likely also make a steel panel unrepairable). Replacing SMC body panels isn't that different from replacing sheetmetal panels. As with most body repairs, the hardest part is to match the paint on the repaired area with the rest of the car.

Now this isn't to say that repairs would be cheap. The Corvette is a limited production semi-exotic car, and replacement panels aren't cheap. The same can be said of other low volume production cars, of course. For example, a friend kissed a tunnel wall with his 350Z while running the Tail of the Dragon. The damage didn't look that bad, but the repair bill ran over $10,000. A similar wreck in a Corvette would probably cost about the same to repair. OTOH, a Malibu would be much cheaper to repair. But then you'd have to drive a Malibu.

 

What are your driving now?

 

see here..
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1012718

 

Repairs are what insurance is for!
ken

 

Here are some excerpts from a Corvette article quoting Dave Hill and other members of the 2005 C6 Corvette design team.

These words speak volumes about the C6 along with it's safety and design features:

“ We’ve thoroughly improved performance and developed new features and capabilities in many areas, while at the same time systematically searching out and destroying every imperfection we could find.”
"The development of the C6 intends to not only replace the outgoing C5 Corvette (1997-2004), but also to create a 21st century Corvette that both thrills the legions of traditional loyalists and captures the imagination of a new generation of performance enthusiasts. The formula from the C5 era remains: extremely high performance capabilities in a car that offers great style, value and quality, with surprising comfort for daily driving. The C6 builds on that foundation and reaches beyond with dramatic increases in performance and refinement, wrapped in a passionate new design."
"The sixth generation Corvette blends technical sophistication with expressive style. Five inches shorter than the current car, the 2005 Corvette cuts a tighter, more taut profile – with virtually no loss of usable space. More than just visual, the new dimensions make the car more agile and “tossable,” with upgrades in handling, acceleration and braking. At 0.28 coefficient of drag, the C6 is the most aerodynamically efficient Corvette ever and has improved anti-lift characteristics that enable improved high-speed stability and confidence."
“The C6 is more competition-influenced – given our championship experience with Corvette Racing – than any previous Corvette,” Hill said. “Our goal was a performance car at home in virtually any environment. That means more than just raw performance. It calls for improved ride comfort, a precisely-built and technically-sophisticated interior, and a sleek new body that is fresh and contemporary, while still instantly recognized as the new Corvette.”
"With countless enhancements, ranging from major changes to minor adjustments, the sixth generation aims to perfect the Corvette formula of power, passion and precision delivered with great value."

Chassis. "As the next logical step in the evolution of GM’s Performance Car Architecture, C6’s chassis and structure are significantly enhanced. While the overall design philosophy continues from the C5 Corvette, the details contain a host of improvements.
The key features of the structure – low weight, high strength, cored composite floors, enclosed center tunnel, rear axle-mounted transmission and aluminum cockpit structure – all have been extensively revised to extend Corvette’s total performance, with enhanced structural integrity, feel, refinement and quietness. Overall vehicle weight is projected to mirror the C5, despite mass-increasing features such as larger wheels and tires, more robust brakes and increased body acoustics and interior features."

Ride & Handling. "Improvements in ride and handling include greater lateral acceleration, more body control, less noise transmitted from the road, and better traction and stability in corners. The specific tuning changes in the chassis and suspension include suspension and steering geometry optimized for better handling and ride, advanced compounds in the tires, new directional control arm bushings, increased caster angle and greater suspension ride travel. The result is a Corvette that is more poised at even higher handling levels, yet easier to drive."

"The key features of the backbone structure – low weight, high strength via hydroformed steel frame rails, cored composite floors, enclosed center tunnel, rear-mounted transmission and aluminum cockpit structure – enable C6’s top speed, world-class handling, quiet ride and fuel efficiency.
Where the structure has been shortened, it has been strengthened to enhance its crashworthiness. Optimization in key areas – front rails, front bumpers, and hood-hinges – resulted in a design that is more robust yet shorter and lighter than its predecessor."

"The anti-lock braking system detects and intervenes to prevent wheel lockup during braking and features four channels plus a steering sensor. ABS is tied into the Active Handling stability system and shares sensors for steering angle, wheel speed, and acceleration and deceleration in all directions. Traction control initiates individual wheel braking and/or engine torque reduction after sensing excessive wheelspin. Active Handling stability control influences the attitude of the car by applying braking to individual wheels. The optional Magnetic Selective Ride system integrates with these systems to enhance handling and body control by optimizing damping rates based on input from changing road surfaces."

 

Want something to absorb impact? Composites do it better than anything. Look at a racing helmet, pretty much the same material as what the Vette is made out of.