Assuming your idea of a new Corvette isn't just one with Louis Chevrolet's face all over it, GM's performance brand is adding a ton of tiny tweaks for 2012 including a new ZR1 High Performance Package and Performance Traction Management for the Z06.
A post from a dealer on Corvette Forum covers most of the bases. While the cars will remain the same, the options will continue to shuffle like the steam trays at a Golden Corral. Most of the tweaks involve wheel swaps, but there a few worth noting.
First, for ZR1 owners who want to spend just a touch more the High Performance Package get black Cup-style wheels, Michelin PS Cup tires and the 6-speed close ratio transmission. Corvette Z06 owners who want to make their 'Vette more ZR1-like can add the formerly ZR1-only performance traction management to go along with Magnetic Selective Ride Control, Brembo Carbon Ceramic brakes and the Cup tires if they check the box marked Z07.
Also, they're killing black as a color! Well… they're killing paint code 41U black. There are still tons of other paint colors that are actually black with fancier names left. Here's the full list:
• Exterior colors:
(58U) Carbon Flash Metallic (included and only available with [ZLC] Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition)
(GLF) Carlisle Blue Metallic
• (ZLC) Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition
Commemorates Chevrolet's 100thanniversary. Available on 3LT, 4LT, 3LZ and 3ZR. Includes (58U) CarbonFlash Metallic exterior color, special Chevrolet Centennial Black wheels (specific to model) with special center cap logos, Satin Black graphics, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, Red brake calipers, special badging, Ebony seating surfaces with suede accents and Red stitching, Custom Leather wrapped instrument panel and doors (except 3LT), seat embossment, steering wheel badge and special interior trim plate.
• New 2LT Technology Package featuring Bluetooth1 for select phones, Head-Up Display, Bose, navigation and USB port2
• (34T) Blue convertible top (interim introduction during 2011MY)
• (RUL) 5-spoke, Chevrolet Centennial Black with Red stripe aluminum, 18" front and 19" rear wheels (included and only available on Coupe and Convertible with [ZLC] Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition)
• (RUM) Grand Sport Chevrolet Centennial Black aluminum, 18" front and 19" rear wheels (included and only available on Grand Sport with [ZLC] Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition)
• (RUR) Chevrolet Centennial Black with Red stripe, cup style aluminum, 19" front and 20" rear wheels (included and only available on Z06 and ZR1 with [ZLC] Chevrolet Centennial Special Edition)
• (RUV) Black cup style lightweight aluminum, 19" front and 20" rear wheels (included and only available on Z06 with [F55] Magnetic Selective Ride Control or [Z07] Z06 Ultimate Performance Package; also included and only available on ZR1 with [PDE] ZR1 High Performance Package)
• (Q5V) Machined-face, cup style aluminum, 19" front and 20" rear wheels, available on Z06 (with F55 or
Z07) and ZR1
• (XFH) Michelin PS Cup tires (included and only available with [Z07] Z06 Ultimate Performance Package or [PDE] ZR1 High Performance Package)
• (PDE) ZR1 High Performance Package, includes (RUV) Black cup style lightweight 19" front and 20" rear wheels, (XFH) Michelin PS Cup tires and (MH3) 6-speed close-ratio manual transmission
• New (F55) Magnetic Selective Ride Control available with Z06, includes Performance Traction Management (PTM), (RUV) Black cup style lightweight aluminum wheels and (XFG) Michelin PS2 tires
• Z07 now includes Performance Traction Management (PTM), (XFH) Michelin PS
Cup tires (optimized for warm, dry weather performance with reduced tread wear rating), (RUV) Black cup style lightweight aluminum wheels, (F55) Magnetic Selective Ride Control and Brembo carbon ceramic brakes
• (B92) Carbon fiber hood available for Z06
• Colored calipers available in (J6D) Dark Gray Metallic, (J6F) Red (standard on Z06), (J6C) Silver (standard on Grand Sport) and (J6E) Yellow
• (PIN) Customer selectable VIN (restrictions and approval required, available for SOLD orders only)Changes from 2011:
• Front and rear tires are now represented with 1 RPO code
• (MM6) is now the RPO code for the 6-speed manual transmission for Coupe, Convertible and Z06
• (MZ6) is now the RPO code for the 6-speed manual transmission for Grand Sport
• (ME2) is now the RPO code for the 6-speed manual transmission for ZR1
• (MYC) is now the RPO code for the 6-speed automatic transmission
• 3LT, 4LT and 2LZ now include (U3U) navigation1 audio system and USB port2
• New steering wheel design
• Suede seat inserts included on 4LT, 3LZ, 3ZR
• Bose audio upgrade to 9 speakers with new subwoofers
• (J55) Brake calipers painted Black
Deletions from 2012:
• Exterior colors
––(41U) Black
––(85U) Jetstream Blue Metallic Tintcoat
• (US9) AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer