Click here for the Ride&Drive Index!

The launch of a new-generation Corvette is always a major event in the automotive world. It happens about once a decade. The 2005 edition is more competition-influenced than any previous Corvette. The goal was a performance car that would be at home in virtually any environment. That means raw performance, improved ride comfort, and a technically sophisticated interior. And, of course, a contemporary new body.

Enthusiasts will probably be most excited about the new 6.0-liter V8 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. It comes with a revised suspension and more powerful brakes. The new 'Vette is 5 inches shorter and about 1 inch narrower than its predecessor. Larger wheels (18-inch in front, 19-inch in rear) are topped by dramatic fender forms. Exposed headlamps (not seen on Corvettes since 1962) combine with the grille to create a stronger "face" on the car. The fixed Xenon High-Intensity Discharge lamps provide superior lighting performance. The tapered rear deck and fascia improve high-speed performance. With a 0.28 coefficient of drag, the C6 is the most aerodynamic Corvette ever, and has improved anti-lift characteristics that improve high-speed stability.

The 6.0-liter V8 LS2 engine is based on GM's Gen IV small-block family, and it's the most powerful standard small-block engine ever offered in a Corvette. With base curb weight starting at 3,179 pounds, the new model is significantly lighter than its predecessor, too.

Not surprisingly, the combination of less weight and more power makes for a significantly faster car. The 2005 Corvette is capable of 186 mph, faster than any production Corvette in history. The base model we tested reached zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds at 114 mph. The optional Z51 Performance Package does zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds.

Chevy says that the Tremec six-speed manual features "improved" shifting characteristics "thanks to numerous upgrades," including new synchronizers that reduce travel by 10 percent, and a redesigned shifter lever. We still found it notchy and not entirely pleasant to use. The difficulty, as it has been for many years, derives from GM's use of a 1-4 shifter gate that tries to force the driver to upshift from first gear to fourth. They do that so the vehicle will produce superior fuel economy numbers for the government. But it means that any driver attempting to shift normally through the gears — i.e., first, second, third, fourth, etc. — is in for a constant struggle. Oh, well, it's become another one of those eccentricities like the Saab ignition switch placement that you just accept as peculiar to a brand.*

The Tremec is available with two sets of ratios. The more aggressive gear set is reserved for Corvette's Z51 Performance Package and is tailored with numerically higher gears to improve acceleration. Also, a numerically lower fifth gear gives the Z51 better fuel efficiency and a higher top speed than base models. To increase durability in sustained high-speed situations, the Z51 and the base European manual-transmission models have a transmission cooler.

The Hydra-Matic 4L65-E automatic transmission, which is also available, is an upgraded version of the C5's 4L60-E, strengthened and revised to accommodate the LS2's torque. It includes GM's advanced Performance Algorithm Shifting, which automatically selects the optimal gear for a given driving condition.

Inside, the new interior has just as much usable room — including cargo space — as its predecessor, despite the more compact exterior dimensions. It is quite comfortable once you get yourself situated, and the controls are all properly positioned for easy operation.

An AM/FM radio with CD player and MP3 capability is standard. New technology enhances conventional radio reception. An improved optional Bose audio system with an in-dash six-disc changer and XM Satellite Radio add to the choices available to the owner.

A full-function OnStar system is available, and for the first time, Corvette offers onboard navigation as an option. Using a 6.5-inch (165 mm) color touch-screen display, the DVD-based system contains all the map data for the United States and Canada on one disc.

Our test car carried a base sticker price of $43,445. To that, they had added nine grand in options for a total of $53,295 (including the $800 destination charge). The options ranged from side impact air bags to cargo netting to a DVD navigation system, and a lot more besides. My guess is that if you just bought a base 'Vette with no options you would find it perfectly satisfactory in terms of its equipment level. But, if you've got bucks to spare, Chevy has many ways to relieve you of more than a few of them.

In sum, what can you say about the Corvette that hasn't been said a thousand times before? It's an American classic and a terrific value for the money when compared to most foreign exotics that really aren't THAT much better in most cases. The most amazing thing about the Corvette story, though, is that GM has managed to remain true to the product's essential spirit for half-a-century without once mucking it up. That has to be some kind of a record. There was a time in the 1980s — when Bob Stempel was running the show at Chevy — when there were rumblings about a front-wheel-drive 'Vette that surely would have rung the death knell of the nameplate, but sanity prevailed in the end. Now, with this latest incarnation, we're set for another decade at least. R&D


*Saab has always put the ignition switch on the floor between the front bucket seats.