From a handling and acceleration standpoint, it's tough to perceive any performance distinctions between coupe and convertible. Corvette's chief engineer said the structural design for the new Vette began with the convertible, and as a consequence no shoring-up measures were required for the soft-top chassis. You hear the same song from almost every purveyor of convertibles, but in this application it seems to be true. If there's any distinction to be made between the agility and stability of the Corvette coupe and the new convertible, it would be all but impossible to discern on public roads.
Even with the basic suspension package, our test car's responses were surgically precise, if you can imagine a surgical instrument with 345 horsepower and great gobs of torque. The Corvette offered sharp reflexes while driving down rural roads in Maryland. It provides a superb blend of muscle and finesse, with a much higher tolerance for mistakes of the enthusiastic variety, complemented by brakes that are nothing short of raceworthy.
Just as important, there wasn't a hint of cowl shake, the time-honored malady of convertibles wherein the dashboard and exterior oscillate at differing rates. Ride quality is decidedly stiff. You don't get a sports car's ability to change directions without snubbing body roll and limiting up and down suspension motions, and when you do those things you're obliged to accept some tradeoff in comfort. Potholes in and around Washington, D.C., were easily identifiable in the Corvette. Yet they were not uncomfortably harsh. We heard them and felt them, but they weren't jarring and did not unduly upset the handling balance. Next Page