The redesigned
2005 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is especially an "all-about-me'' car. Driving pleasure is its No. 1 priority and to heck with such things as decent interior storage space for a passenger.
As everyone should know by now, the 2005 Corvette is the sixth-generation 'Vette since the car's 1953 debut and is almost totally redesigned.
The new Corvette replaces a model introduced in 1997 and has slicker styling without the retractable headlights used since 1963, additional power, improved interior and trimmer dimensions. It's also the first Corvette convertible since 1962 to have a power top.
The new 'Vette continues to be offered as a coupe and convertible and almost looks "European,'' although it still drives like a brassy American sports car. It's 5.1 inches shorter and 1.1 inches narrower, although its wheelbase is up 1.1 inches to 105.7 inches -- giving it short front-rear body overhangs. It has nearly the compactness of the iconic Porsche 911 sports car.
The Corvette coupe with a removable roof panel arrived last August, but the convertible version didn't appear until months later. Chevy has been selling every new-generation Corvette it can make, so buyers of the convertible version especially shouldn't look for "deals'' as the summer begins.
The coupe costs $43,710, and the convertible lists at $51,445. Options brought my test convertible's price to $59,110, or about the price of an optioned 2004 Corvette convertible.
The new 'Vette is a very serious 400-horsepower (up from 350) two-seater with exotic sports car performance, doing 0-100 mph in 10.1 seconds and reportedly topping out at 186 mph.
The new Corvette finally should eliminate the car's reputation, starting in the mid-1970s, of mainly being a flamboyant cruiser for the unsophisticated gold-chain, open-shirt crowd.
The convertible especially benefits from the new generation Corvette's stiffer construction, which promises to keep the car free from shakes and rattles over the long haul.
The power top works well, but isn't cheap at $1,995. And one must order the $2,955 Premium Equipment option group to get it.
That equipment group contains heated seats, power telescopic steering wheel, elaborate Bose sound system and a head-up display that projects useful information, including vehicle speed, on the lower windshield. It can be turned off if distracting, but is handy in a car that can easily top legal speeds if a driver isn't paying attention.
The power top -- and the Premium Equipment group -- really aren't needed; the manual top is easily operated if one doesn't mind getting out of the car, and the Corvette comes with a wealth of equipment. But, as noted, this is a "selfish'' car -- and that option group has desirable items.
The Corvette's long doors can be a pain in tight parking spots, but the roomy cockpit has lots of easily read analog gauges and nicely bolstered seats for spirited driving.
The triple-layer soft top lowers quickly and disappears behind the seats to be concealed by a hard cover. It makes the convertible reasonably quiet at highways speeds. But the coupe is quieter, as are rival autos with retractable hard tops. Wind buffeting in the cockpit is no problem at sane highway speeds with a lowered top.
The cargo area is fairly roomy for a convertible, although its opening is high.
My test convertible had the $1,695 Z51 Performance package, which features such items as larger brakes and a stiffer suspension that doesn't affect the decent ride quality much. It's a worthwhile option, considering the Corvette's sensational performance.
The six-speed manual transmission has shorter throws and works with a lighter clutch -- but doesn't like to be hurried when gears are changed despite its precise action. A four-speed automatic is a no-cost option, but the 'Vette is more fun with the manual.
However, the Corvette has so much power and torque that the manual gearbox is mostly superfluous. Chevy says 62 percent of Corvette convertible buyers and 59 percent of the coupe's buyers order the crisp-shifting automatic.
Fuel economy is 18 mpg city and 28 highway with the manual and 18 and 26 with the automatic.
The most famous Corvette remains the classic 1963-67 Sting Ray, which Chevy said partly inspired styling of the new Corvette. The Sting Ray was a "pure'' sports car without excessive gadgetry. Times change, though, and the Corvette's $40,000-plus prices cause many buyers to demand high-tech gadgetry.
The Corvette thus has such arguably gimmicky features as a Keyless Access system that lets doors be locked or unlocked when a driver with the car's key fob walks away from the 'Vette or toward it. Also, the engine is started and stopped by pushing a button if the fob is present. Oddly, interior door "handles'' are just buttons.
The long-awaited warm weather driving season is finally here and the Corvette is poised to take full advantage of it, especially in convertible form.
2005 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
PRICES
$43,710-$51,445
LIKES
Deftly redesigned. No convertible rattles or shakes. Exotic car performance. Docile.
DISLIKES
Excessive gadgetry. Long doors. Little cockpit storage room. Don't anticipate price breaks.