Body Sealing Improved

For 2001, body sealing of all Corvettes has been improved for better sound insulation and isolation from the environment. By finding mass savings in other areas, the Corvette team was able to add an expandable foam baffle inside the lower lock pillar to lessen the penetration of road noise into the passenger compartment. This foam baffle replaces several applications of pumpable sealer and separate foam pieces, and is a more robust sealing system which provides consistently quiet performance from car to car.

New Convertible Top

For 2001, the Corvette convertible is even quieter. A fine road car to begin with, the Corvette Team still was not quite satisfied with the high-speed-driving sound levels of convertible models. Efforts were focused on making the convertible quieter for top-up driving.

The top for 2001 Corvette convertibles has been revised for overall noise reduction. Weather-stripping and sealing around the door glass were improved, particularly at the back edge of the door glass and rear portion of the top. A new headliner trim edge provides a tighter fit to the tonneau cover at the sides, and headliner material has been added in the sail areas where the linkage was previously exposed.

A new five-layer composite material (twill-fast MC) has also been utilized on the canvas top, replacing three layers in the previous top. The heavier material dampens the movement of the top, while also reducing low-frequency noise and boom. It also provides a smoother appearance at the bow areas when the top is up for better appearance — an important consideration to the Corvette owner.

As a result of these efforts, the convertible becomes more coupe-like at high speed, offering owners the kind of interior environment they expect of a world-class sports car during top-up driving.

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Other Body/Exterior Improvements

In the pursuit of continuous improvement, other areas of the body and the exterior of the 2001 Corvette have undergone a number of changes for a more refined, more usable sports car. They include:

• Two new exterior colors — Speedway White and Quicksilver — have replaced Arctic White and Sebring Silver.

• New polished, chrome exhaust tips have been added to the coupe and convertible models to emphasize the exhaust appearance.

• The fuel filler cap tether has been revised for easier, more intuitive use.

• Electrochromic, auto-dimming inside rear- and driver-side outside mirrors will be optional on all 2001 Corvette models.

For 2001, all Corvettes use a new headlamp actuator and low-density thermoset plastic headlamp housing, for a mass savings of 0.9 kilograms (1.98 pounds).

With a quieter interior environment for the coupe and convertible models, combined with additional improvements that enhance the total ownership experience, the 2001 Corvette is the most civilized, refined Corvette to date.