I felt less likely to get into trouble in the new car. Corvette engineers say the new car can lap a racing circuit nearly as quickly as a Z06, and boasts a top speed of 186 mph. The new fixed lamps are more aerodynamic, more contemporary, and there’s still no mistaking this car for anything else. However, we recommend opting for the side-impact airbags, which are included in the two major option packages: Package 1SA ($1,405) includes a rear area cargo convenience net, luggage shade, sport bucket seats with perforated leather seating surfaces, back angle/lumbar adjustment and side bolsters; Package 1SB ($4,360) adds to that a head-up display, a Homelink transmitter w/garage door opener and three-channel programming, interior rearview mirror with compass, driver-side auto-dimming exterior rearview mirror, dual front heated seats, a premium seven-speaker AM/FM Bose system with six-disc in-dash CD, MP3 playback, power telescopic steering column with manual tilt, and a memory package with two driver presets for seat, exterior mirrors, climate control, radio and steering column. The exact text will differ depending on the actual application you have running. It looks good with the top up, but looks terrific with it down, with body-color trim that gives it the racy look of an open-cockpit Le Mans prototype. Plenty of power and when the top is down, provides me with a sense of freedom and release from all my problems and worries. The final big decision is which of three suspensions to get: the standard suspension, the Z51 Performance Handling Package ($1,495), or F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control ($1,695) with electronically controlled variable damping. There's no high-performance Z06 hard top available (yet), but the lightweight new models with the LS2 are nearly as quick as the old Z06. Edmunds has a detailed expert review of the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Base Convertible. And, yes, it's faster. More important than the headlamps, however, is the Corvette's smaller proportions. The mechanism that forces you to shift from first to fourth when accelerating slowly (to improve the fuel-efficiency rating) is less intrusive than before. Unauthorized distrbution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. There is, however, a 3.15 rear ratio ($395) available for the automatic for quicker acceleration performance. Its body work may be all new, but no one will have any trouble recognizing the C6 as the Chevrolet Corvette. Police boats search for it with sonar. It’s tracked by NORAD and the Weather Network. Moulded into the rigid tonneau cover behind the seats are sexy, Porsche-like nacelles that rise to meet the headrests. We get it. Hailed at the time for its rigid and innovative chassis, it represented a huge leap ahead of the C4 (1984-96). Beyond the tire slap, little road noise gets past the lined top. There is, however, a 3.15 rear ratio ($395) available for the automatic for quicker acceleration performance. All rights reserved. Both transmissions are new and both are appealing on their own merits: The automatic does not sap all the fun out of driving the Corvette the way automatics do in small sports cars with small engines. The Corvette is, thankfully, devoid of a lot of digital readouts. Movie icon, cruise night staple, the Corvette is venerated as “America’s sports car.” Newcomers — the limited-production Ford GT, the ever-improving Dodge Viper — would challenge for the title, but this two-seater with a Chevy badge and a price tag that is only moderately unreachable remains closest to the definition of common man’s super car. Its smaller size and lighter weight improve agility. Thanks for that. It's quieter, smoother, and feels tighter, with less cowl shake than before. The resonant bellow of the Gallardo’s V-10 rolls back as the driver hits the gas, but we respond with the sharper crack of the Corvette V-8. In moments, we’re back on the Trans-Canada. Read this 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Z51 review and road test from the auto experts at Motor Trend Magazine. Our instinct is to take this car onto the track that is contested by Formula One and Champ Car drivers for a true look at its potential. The convertible even boasts a trunk, a recent addition for Corvettes, with a reasonable 11 cubic feet of luggage space — when the top is up. The more diminutive dimensions give it a more international character, says Chevrolet, allowing it to feel more at home in other parts of the world. The dashboard is finished in a soft material that feels nice to the touch. 7.6 (37) (coupe), 365 Bloor St East, Toronto, ON, M4W3L4, www.postmedia.com. The windshield wipers are designed to not lift off the windshield until you're going 150 in the rain. For many years Corvettes have used hideaway headlamps to complement their sleek, aerodynamic designs, but advances in optics and lighting technology enable designers to achieve those goals with exposed headlights. We weren't expecting it to be that much better. The instruments are big analog gauges that are easy to read at a glance. But the surfaces, if plain, are well finished, and the seats are tall and sports-car supportive. We pull into a restaurant lot, set the parking brake and place the shifter in neutral, necessary steps for the power top to function. After choosing the body style, the next big decision is whether you prefer the four-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox, both no-cost options. The coupe offers 22.4 cubic feet of trunk space. Though 5 inches shorter in overall length, the wheelbase has been stretched by more than 1 inch, resulting in shorter overhangs; shorter overhangs improve agility, while the longer wheelbase improves stability. The seats are nicely finished. Glare is managed. This is an overhead-valve engine that has more in common with a heavy-duty Silverado than a Ferrari. For most, though, moderately unreachable is still unreachable. It only takes a few seconds. That tiny spoiler is functional, reducing rear lift at high speeds. Click on the icon for your Adblocker in your browser. Reason prevails before every gendarme on the West Island can be alerted. It feels like it has more grip than the old one, and it does. Our admiration isn’t daunted by an even larger change for 2005 — the loss of the flip-up headlamps that have lit the Corvette’s path for 23 years. The narrower rear end is the biggest improvement from a styling standpoint, offering more pleasing proportions. The new Corvette also cuts a tighter, more taut profile. After choosing the body style, the next big decision is whether you prefer the four-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox, both no-cost options. Chassis engineers were able to reduce weight substantially, helping offset weight gains from larger wheels and tires, bigger brakes, sound-deadening measures and interior features. The 2005 Chevrolet Corvette comes as a coupe ($43,445) or convertible ($51,445). ): City 13.2 (21), Hwy.