• What we drove:
  2005 Chevrolet Corvette convertible
  6.0-liter, 16-valve V8 with six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
• Base price: $51,445
• Price as tested: $58,985

What's New:
For only the sixth time in its more than 50-year history, the Corvette is an all-new vehicle. Known to 'Vette faithful as the C6, this newest version of America's sports car carries 85 percent new parts.

The body is new - and draws on the famed Stingrays for its inspiration.

The engine is the new LS2, still a "small block" V8 but now the most powerful in Corvette production car history except for the LS6, which generated only five more horsepower during its brief reign.

The 6.0-liter LS6 provides 400 horsepower (and 400 foot-pounds of torque) and is the only engine in the 400-and-over category that doesn't force its owner to pay federal gas-guzzler taxes. Eighteen city and 28 highway are the 'Vette's fuel economy ratings, yet this is the fastest 'Vette yet with a top speed of 186 miles per hour and a supercar-caliber, zero-to-hero 60-mph sprint time of just 4.2 seconds.

For the first time since 1962, the Corvette convertible comes with an optional power top. By the way, 1962 also was the last year the 'Vette came with exposed headlamps, a prominent feature of the C6 exterior redesign.

Also new is the interior design, which is the best yet in a 'Vette.

What's Not:
The only components that carry over from the 1997-2004 C5 generation are things that are hidden away out of sight.

The chassis architecture is similar, but the re-engineered underbody now is both lighter and stronger.
The four-speed automatic has been upgraded, but the six-speed manual is new, and offers two sets of gears; those that come with the Z51 Performance Package were selected to enhance the car's acceleration.

Six good things we can report about the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette:
* You can't beat the Corvette in the bang-for-the-buck race: Four hundred horsepower for a base price of less than $45,000. With a top speed of 186 miles per hour, the Corvette finally has entered international supercar status, but unlike the other supercars, this one actually has a trunk that will hold a couple of descent-sized suitcases.

* The C6 Corvette also finally gets an interior that's worthy of supercar recognition. The gauge cluster with a wonderful three-dimensional quality; seats are firm enough for serious drivers while still comfortable for a long road trip; cup holders don't interfere with shifting, and there's even a handy storage shelf built into the bulkhead behind the seats.

* Our test car was equipped with the optional heads-up display, which projects such things as engine rpm and vehicle speed onto the windshield. With the speeds at which the Corvette can travel, this not only makes the driver feel like a jet fighter pilot, but can be a true safety factor. The HUD also can be set up to indicate the g-forces you're pulling in corners, and it holds that number for three seconds after the apex so you can see the number once you're safely on the straightaway. We saw .98g on an early test drive on the handling course at the General Motors proving grounds and .78 on our 1000-mile road trip around northwestern Arizona.

* There are few views more wonderful for a driver than a two-lane highway as seen between the bulging front fenders of the C6 Corvette. We did part of our test drive while accompanying the annual Copperstate 1000-mile vintage car rally on the old Route 66 in northern Arizona. With the top down, the new Corvette convertible and the old road combined to transport us back to the days when Todd and Buz toured the Mother Road.

* Even with all of its power, the new Corvette is very content to putter around town in fourth gear, almost as if you had an automatic instead of a six-speed manual gearbox.

* The new interior design includes sun visors that are long enough to cover the side windows, and that's a real blessing for a driver heading south at sunrise or north at sunset.

On the other hand:
* First-to-fourth lockout on manual transmission remains one of the most frustrating features in any car and forces you to drive like a racecar driver even if you simply want to cruise around town. Momentarily forget that the 'Vette gearbox goes from first to fourth unless you put the pedal to the metal as you pull away from a stop sign and make an uphill turn and you'll find yourself sitting still in traffic.

* Speaking of the gearbox, the six-speed manual needs strong-arm treatment. Even though the gearbox has new synchronizers that reduce travel by 10 percent, and an inch-shorter shift lever, this is not snick-snick-snick gearbox; it's much more a shove-jam-ram operation.

* How can a convertible with a base price of more than $50,000 not come with a standard power top, which is a $1,895 option?

*With the top down at Interstate speeds, there's a lot of wind buffeting in the Corvette convertible interior. Putting the windows up helps, but not enough.

* The nuances of the keyless, push-button starter system and the push-button interior door release switchgear take some getting used to.

Who should consider buying this vehicle?
Used to be, a lot of Corvette buyers were guys (or gals) going through their mid-life crises and at least had the good sense to buy a vehicle with four wheels instead of two. But with its redesign and performance upgrade, the Corvette finally rates as a supercar in seemingly every way but price. The 'Vette undercuts the Porsche 911 by $25,000, the Dodge Viper by nearly 40 grand, the Ford GT by $100,000 and your basic Ferrari by around, oh, 150 grand (give or take).

Who actually might buy this vehicle?
You have 50 grand to spend on a real sports car: C6 Corvette or Porsche Boxster?

How's it stack up?
The Chevrolet Corvette is one of those cars that nobody really needs, but that many people want.
For more than 50 years, the Corvette has been America's sports car. With the sixth-generation "C6" version, it's finally also worthy of ranking among the world's supercars.

Unlike too few things in this out-sourced economy, the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette proves that American companies and American workers still can build world-class products that provide value at a bargain price.

Other comments:
* You're allowed to form your own opinion on the design of the C6 Corvette. We like it, even though we see elements of Ferrari and Viper in its exposed headlamped front end and its gilled sides, and find that the trunk lid is right at workbench level. We like the coupe's styling better than the convertibles because the coupe's roofline more strongly carries forward cues from the famed Stingrays of the 1960s.

* While lengthening the wheelbase by an inch and a half enhanced the ride of the new Corvette, the car actually is five inches shorter and an inch narrower, yet is roomy inside and offers a trunk to boot.

* Our real-world fuel economy ranged between 23 and 26 mpg, which was very impressive for the sort of speeds we were driving on virtually empty roads in northern Arizona. Even with the more aggressive gearing that comes with the Z51 performance option, the Corvette's big engine needs to pull less than 2000 revs to keep up with the fastest traffic you'll find on your local Interstate or freeway.

Standard mechanical equipment includes:
6.0-liter V8 (400 hp / 400 lb-ft)
six-speed manual transmission
rear-wheel drive
front and rear short/long arm double wishbone suspension with transverse-mounted leaf springs and monotube shock absorbers
magnetic power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering
13.4-inch front and 13.0-inch rear disc brakes
18-inch front and 19-inch alloy wheels with 245/40 ZR (front) and 285/35 ZR (rear) Goodyear Eagle F1 SC Extended Mobility tires
18.0-gallon fuel tank
Standard safety equipment includes:
Anti-lock brakes
Electronic traction control and active handling
Front and side airbags
Standard interior features include:
Leather seating
8-way power seats
Tilt steering wheel
AM/FM/CD audio
Dual-zone automatic climate controls
Driver information center
Power windows/locks/mirrors
Standard exterior features include:
High-intensity discharge Xenon headlamps
Fog lamps
Heated mirrors
Folding top with heated glass backlight
Options on test vehicle:
Preferred equipment group ($2,955) includes head-up display, heated seats with memory settings, Bose audio system with six-CD changer, telescoping steering wheel
Power convertible top ($1,895)
Zt1 Performance package ($1,495) includes larger and cross-drilled brake rotors, stabilizer bars, springs, shocks, gear ratios and performance-tuned tires
Polished aluminum wheels ($1,295)

Price as tested: $58,985

Other models:
Corvette coupe $43,700