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"     1961 Chevrolet Corvette      DIMENSIONS      Wheelbase, in     102       Tread, f and r     57/59       Over-all length, in     178       Width     70.4       Height     52.1       Equivalent vol, cu ft     378       Frontal area, sq ft     20.4       Ground clearance, in     6.7       Steering radio, o/a     21.1       Turns, lock to lock     3.7       Turning circle, ft     37       Hip room, front     49       Pedal to seat back     38       Floor to ground     14      CALCULATED DATA      Lb/hp (test wt)     10.7       Cu ft/ton mile     148.3       Mph/1000 rpm (4th)     19.6       Engine revs/mile     3050       Piston travel, ft/mile     1525       Rpm @ 2500 ft/min     5000       Equivalent mph     98.4       R&amp;amp;amp;T wear index     46.5      SPECIFICATIONS      List price     $3872       Curb weight, lb     3080       Test weight     3390       Distribution, %     53/47       Tire size     6.70-15       Brake lining area     157       Engine type     V-8 cyl, ohv       Bore &amp;amp;amp; stroke     3.88 x 3.0       Displacement, cc     4639       Equivalent cu. in.     283       Compression ratio     11.0       Bhp @ rpm     315 @ 6200       Equivalent mph     122       Torque, lb-ft     295 @ 4700       Equivalent mph     96.1      GEAR RATIOS      4th (1.00)     4.11       3rd (1.31)     5.38       2nd (1.66)     6.82       1st (2.20)     9.04      SPEEDOMETER ERROR      30 mph actual     26.4       60 mph     56.6      PERFORMANCE      Top speed (6500)     128       Best timed run     n.a.       3rd (6500)     98       2nd (6500)     77       1st (6500)     58      FUEL CONSUMPTION      Normal range, mpg     11/17      ACCELERATION      0-30 mph, sec     3.1       0-40     4.2       0-50     5.1       0-60     6.6       0-70     7.5       0-80     9.6       0-100     14.5       Standing 1/4 mile     14.2 @ 98 mph      TAPLEY DATA      4th, lb/ton @ mph     360 @ 78       3rd     475 @ 72       2nd     580 @ 57       Total drag at 60 mph, lb.     135       Once upon a time, just a few years ago, owners of America&amp;#039;s only sports car were on the receiving end of constant gibes from the &amp;quot;sporty car set,&amp;quot; which held that the only thing the beast had to offer was drag strip performance. It would go like the wind (in a straight line, they said), but it wouldn&amp;#039;t corner, it wouldn&amp;#039;t stop, it had a boulevard ride, and a glass body. And it took 265 cu in. (4.5 liters) to get that performance.   Well, these derogatory remarks probably were true at one time. At least, some of them were. But engineers have now achieved an excellent package, combining acceleration, stopping power, a good ride and handling characteristics whose adequacy is indicated by the car&amp;#039;s race-winning ways.   In our January 1959 test report of the 1959 we said the 1960 would be the year for the big changes in the Corvette. We were wrong. The 1960 model wasn&amp;#039;t too much different from, or too much better than, the 1959 version. Lacking any great changes in 1960, we might logically have predicted a major change in 1961, but luckily we didn&amp;#039;t.   However, the few changes which have been made are for the better. Continual refinements since 1954 have made the Corvette into a sports car for which no owner need make excuses. It goes, it stops, and it corners.   The major change in the appearance is the rear end treatment, which was derived from the Sting Ray, GM racing Corvette, owned by Bill Mitchell. The stubbier look achieves a more crisp and a fleeter appearance than that of previous models, which looked &amp;quot;soft.&amp;quot; The front end remains basically unchanged. New bumpers fore and aft blend nicely into the body design, and the exhaust tips are now under the body instead of through the bumper tips. This was a good move; there&amp;#039;s no mistaking the Corvette for any other make and it is a better looking car now.   The finish of the fiberglass body is generally excellent, although we did find a few minor flaws on our test car, mostly in obscure places. Panel fit and fairing from one panel to another were good and showed Chevrolet&amp;#039;s great attention to the Corvette molds.   Interior trim and design are similar to past models and well done, but have a little of the Motorama touch. The seats are excellently designed and are very comfortable. Our longest single excursion was of some 200 miles, but no sign of driver fatigue was evident and we honestly feel a day behind the wheel of a Corvette could be put in without undue strain.   The instruments are easy to read and include a speedometer, tach (reading to 7000 rpm -- red-lined at 6200), gas gauge, temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge and ammeter. Indicator lights are used for the turn signals, high headlight beam and parking brake. The parking brake light on the panel lights up when the key is turned on (if, of course, the parking brake is on) and when the engine is started the light blinks its warning to the driver. The only fixture in the Corvette interior that&amp;#039;s hard to use is the radio, which is mounted in a console deep under the instrument panel. This console also carries the clock, which is difficult to see and should be looked at only when the car is stopped.   The seats have 3 in. of fore and aft movement, which gave everyone on our staff adequate leg room, but the body panel between the seats interferes with the driver&amp;#039;s elbow (when shifting) when the seat is at its rearmost position.   Vision in the Corvette is excellent when the car is equipped with the hardtop. Slim pillars and lots of glass area are responsible. We used two test cars, one white and one metallic blue. Reflections from the white rear deck into the rear window of the white car caused a hazy view when we looked out of the back window or used the rear view mirror. The darker colored car did not give us this trouble. Even in the white Corvette no haze was noticeable in the windshield, because the cowl was covered with red material to match the upholstery.   We noticed a considerable amount of wind noise with the windows rolled down, and if the windows are rolled up they have to be all the way up or the driver feels a bad draft. Some engine and wind noise was evident even with both windows up.   The car started with a flick of the key on cool mornings but, oddly, it was difficult to start on several occasions after the car had been thoroughly warmed up. This is unusual and could most likely be cured by further tuning.   The clutch operation proved extremely smooth, whether we were plugging along in slow-moving traffic or getting off the line for a standing start acceleration run. We tried a stop and start on a hill of approximately 30% grade and found that by dextrous manipulation of the clutch and throttle it could be surmounted with ease and smoothness. We hadn&amp;#039;t worried about a lack of horsepower, but we had wondered about the flexibility of the engine until we tried the hill.   Once more we found the injector to be extremely flexible. The engine is able to pull smoothly from under 15 mph to top speed with no bucking or hesitation. In our test car, which had 4.11:1 rear axle gears, it was much easier, of course, than it would have been with the top ratio available. Flexibility, rather than actual increased power, is the main justification for the injectors and in road racing use they allow full power to be maintained under all conditions. Carburetors will almost invariably starve when the car turns one way and flood when it corners in the opposite direction; and quite often they will flood under extreme deceleration, making it difficult for the driver to accelerate properly out of the turn.   Options for the 1961 include five horsepower ratings: 230 (standard), with a single 4-barrel carburetor; 245, with twin 4-barrels; 270, with twin 4-barrels; 275, with fuel injection; and 315, with fuel injection. Three transmission options are available: 3-speed synchromesh; 4-speed synchromesh, and Powerglide. Five rear axle ratios are available: 4.56:1, 4.11:1, 3.70:1, 3.55:1 and 3.36:1.   Obviously, any buyer should find a combination to suit his needs. Performance of this Corvette was little different from the one we tested two years ago and only improved at the upper end. A similar car, owned by Alan Lockwood, race tuned, timed 107 mph at the end of a quarter mile at the LADS drag strip, Long Beach, Calif.   We&amp;#039;ve said many times that we think the Corvette 4-speed transmission is one of the best in the world and we have no reason to change our minds. In all, five different people on our staff drove the car and none was able to fault the synchromesh. The ratios are excellently spaced and, with synchromesh on all four gears, the driver always has the proper ratio at his disposal by a mere movement of the lever.   We were greatly impressed by the combination of a very good ride coupled with little roll on corners. Most cars with riding qualities approaching those of the Corvette can&amp;#039;t match its sticking ability on curves. And those that match or beat its handling usually ride like the proverbial truck.   The Corvette is absolutely unmatched for performance per dollar in terms of transportation machinery (some of the newer Formula Junior cars will beat it for performance per dollar, but are, of course, single purpose cars).   The steering is accurate, though a little slower than we would like in a car with this much power and speed. The brakes proved up to every test we put them to and a sudden panic stop to avoid a day-dreaming motorist increased our admiration for the refinements and improvements made by Chevrolet engineers in the Corvette since its introduction. Once again we want to thank Harry Mann Chevrolet for furnishing the test car. The following weekend the Corvette was used as the pace car at the Riverside Sports Car GP. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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