Touring Chicago in a C5

Chicago--one of my favorite destinations. Where you do 75 in a 55-mph zone and get passed by battle-weary police cruisers. Home to some of my favorite things--deep-dish pizza, the jazz/rock/pop group "Chicago," Hammond organs (the name has been bought and sold many times, but the old plant where the classic B3s were built was on Diversey), Schwinn bicycles (also sold and now headquartered in Colorado), the long-suffering Cubs, and a style of hot dog unique to this city.

What could be better than a trip to Chicago? How about a trip through town in a Light Pewter hardtop C5?

Now, for Gen-Xers, getting in and out of a Corvette isn't a problem, but for us graying boomers whose backs and knees aren't what they use to be, the C5 requires some finesse. It's well worth the effort, though, and once inside, the C5 shows off the coolest 3-D gauges ever. The interior is a wonderful platform from which to see Chicago.

On Irving Park Road, rolling east toward downtown, the aging buildings lining this major artery bear the scars of time, many boarded and vacant, many branded with graffiti. Irving Park's war zone-like pavement puts the Corvette's higher-rate Z51 suspension to the test. The big Goodyear F1s (P245/45ZR-17 front, P275/40ZR-18 rear) offer plenty of contact patch to pick up every detail of the wall-to-wall potholes, expansion joints, and cracks and patches, but the Corvette's scienced-out springs and shocks do a good job of absorbing the offensive input. The optional JL4 Active Handling System ($500) selectively applies brakes to counter slides. It could save your fenders or more if--especially on wet pavement--the big bumps get you crossed up.

Traversing downtown, the Corvette is completely content, never complaining, never compromised by slow speeds or frequent stops and starts. But on the weekend of my visit, which just happened to be the hottest day of the year, the air conditioner could adequately cool only by recirculating inside air. The only other negative observation is that on some types of pavement, the rear tires were pretty noisy.

On a side trip into Indiana to log some highway miles and shoot some photos, the Corvette proved to be an absolute joy. At 65 mph, the tach reads just short of 1,500 rpm. Once into Indiana's endless flatlands, I amuse myself by playing with the onboard computer's instant mileage readout. At 70 mph, the instant mileage fluctuates a point or two either side of 30 mpg. Shaving 10 mph off my speed boosts the readout to 35-ish. Try getting that kind of fuel efficiency with your old 427 Stingray. The Corvette hardtop is as smooth as velvet at 65 mph and above, but the big rear tires generate plenty of noise which finds its way into the cabin. This is one way I'd rather not be connected to the road.

As my Chicago excursion concluded, I reluctantly pulled into Midway Airport's parking garage and left the Corvette--and Chicago--behind. But both again renewed their standing as long-termers in the warmest and fuzziest corners of my heart.

For highlights of the trip, click on the sidebars below.