2005 Chevrolet Corvette Preview

The American Dream -- On Wheels

An American icon gets pruned, pumped up and polished.

Should You Buy This Car?

Even though the C6 is nimbler, faster and more upscale than the car that it replaces, its base sticker is a few hundred dollars less than the 2004 model. With its rust-free composite body, a well-maintained Corvette can be kept in drivable condition for decades. And, unlike almost every other American car, the Corvette has better-than-average resale value.

The supercharged, six-cylinder Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 convertible stickers for $49,000, which encroaches on the Corvette's starting price. No contest. The Chevy wins on all of the "gotta have" attributes. Potential buyers can choose from several other good-handling sporty cars that cost less than or about as much as the Corvette. That list includes the Mazda RX8, Porsche Boxster, Honda S2000 and Nissan 350Z. These excellent cars all have their strong points, but none of them can quite match the Corvette's lusty V-8 or its all-out sex appeal.

The BMW 645 convertible seats four and makes fewer sports car compromises than the Corvette. It also has a $79,000 sticker. Cadillac's new XLR shares the Corvette's platform (but not much of anything else) and its sticker starts at $76,650. The Corvette's most serious American rival is the new Mustang GT, an attractive V-8 sports coupe that doesn't offer as many goodies as the Corvette, but lists for half the price.

The new Corvette is helping Chevrolet reclaim its heritage. If GM is serious about reviving Chevy's fortunes, it needs to inject some of the 'Vette's DNA into the rest of the Chevy lineup.