For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Corvette are height adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Lamborghini Gallardo doesn’t offer height adjustable seat belts.
The Corvette has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies.
Both the Corvette and the Gallardo have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available front and rear side-impact airbags and head airbags.
There are over 263 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Lamborghini dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Corvette’s warranty.
The Gallardo’s redline is at 8100 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Corvette has a 6500 to 7000 RPM redline.
The Corvette has more powerful engines than the Gallardo:
Torque |
|
Corvette 6.2 LS2 V8 |
424 lbs.-ft. |
Corvette 2 mode exhaust 6.2 LS2 V8 |
428 lbs.-ft. |
Corvette Z06 Coupe 7.0 LS7 V8 |
470 lbs.-ft. |
Gallardo 5.0 DOHC V10 |
376 lbs.-ft. |
Gallardo Superleggera Coupe 5.0 DOHC V10 |
376 lbs.-ft. |
As tested in Car and Driver the Corvette 2 mode exhaust 6.2 LS2 V8 is faster than the Lamborghini Gallardo (manual transmissions tested):
Corvette |
Gallardo |
|
Zero to 60 MPH |
4 sec |
4.6 sec |
Zero to 100 MPH |
9.2 sec |
9.6 sec |
Quarter Mile |
12.4 sec |
12.8 sec |
For more instantaneous acceleration and better engine flexibility in any gear, the Corvette’s engines produce their peak horsepower at lower RPM’s than the Gallardo:
Horsepower |
|
Corvette 6.2 LS2 V8 |
5900 RPM |
Corvette 2 mode exhaust 6.2 LS2 V8 |
5900 RPM |
Corvette Z06 Coupe 7.0 LS7 V8 |
6300 RPM |
Gallardo 5.0 DOHC V10 |
8000 RPM |
Gallardo Superleggera Coupe 5.0 DOHC V10 |
8000 RPM |
On the EPA test cycle the Corvette gets better fuel mileage than the Gallardo:
Corvette |
Gallardo |
|||
6.2 V8 Coupe/Manual |
16 city/26 hwy |
10 city/17 hwy |
V10 |
|
6.2 V8 Convertible/Manual |
16 city/26 hwy |
10 city/15 hwy |
V10 |
|
7.0 LS7 V8/Manual |
15 city/24 hwy |
n/a |
||
6.2 V8 Coupe/Auto |
15 city/25 hwy |
11 city/17 hwy |
V10/SMG |
|
6.2 V8 Convertible/Auto |
n/a |
10 city/16 hwy |
V10/SMG |
The Corvette has a tether attaching its gas cap, to prevent its loss. The Gallardo’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.
The Corvette stops much shorter than the Gallardo:
Corvette |
Gallardo |
||
80 to 0 MPH |
194 feet |
204 feet |
Road & Track |
70 to 0 MPH |
144 feet |
158 feet |
Car and Driver |
60 to 0 MPH |
100 feet |
111 feet |
Motor Trend |
For better traction, the Corvette has larger front standard tires than the Gallardo (245/40R18 vs. 235/35R19). The Corvette Z06 Coupe’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Gallardo (F:275/35R18 & R:325/30R19 vs. F:235/35R19 & R:295/30R19).
The Corvette has a standard tire pressure monitoring system, which will alert the driver to a drop in tire pressure before damage to the tire or an accident might occur. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a low tire pressure warning system.
Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the Corvette can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Gallardo doesn’t offer run-flat tires.
For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Corvette’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Gallardo (105.7 inches vs. 100.8 inches).
The Corvette’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.9% to 50.1%) than the Gallardo’s (43.2% to 56.8%). This gives the Corvette more stable handling and braking.
The Corvette Z06 Coupe handles at 1.01 G’s, while the Gallardo Superleggera Coupe pulls only .97 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.
The Corvette Z06 Coupe goes through Road & Track’s slalom 2.9 MPH faster than the Gallardo Coupe (71.2 vs. 68.3 MPH).
The Chevrolet Corvette may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Lamborghini Gallardo.
As tested by Road & Track, the interior of the Corvette Z06 Coupe is quieter than the Gallardo Coupe:
Corvette |
Gallardo |
|
At idle |
58 dB |
61 dB |
Full-Throttle |
87 dB |
87 dB |
70 MPH Cruising |
76 dB |
77 dB |
The Corvette has 3.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Gallardo (52.1 vs. 49).
The Corvette has 1.9 inches more front headroom and 3.2 inches more front shoulder room than the Gallardo.
The Corvette Coupe has a much larger trunk than the Gallardo Coupe (22.4 vs. 4 cubic feet).
When two different drivers share the Corvette, the optional memory system makes it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a memory system.
The Corvette offers an optional heads-up display which projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts onto the windshield, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a heads-up display.
The Corvette’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gallardo’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.
To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Corvette has standard extendable sun visors. The Gallardo doesn’t offer extendable visors.
The Corvette’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Gallardo’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.
The Corvette’s standard power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Gallardo’s standard power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.
The Corvette has standard automatic dimming rear and side view mirrors which automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Gallardo has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.
To help keep the driver’s hands on the wheel, the Corvette offers optional steering wheel controls for the radio. The Gallardo doesn’t offer steering wheel audio controls.
With optional voice command, the Corvette offers the driver hands free control of the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Gallardo doesn’t offer a voice control system.
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