As if to prove that the universe has a sense of humor, it began to rain almost as soon as the Chevrolet Corvette convertible arrived in the driveway.  It then proceeded to rain, continuously and sometimes torrentially, for the next five days.  It may come as a surprise to hear that this was no problem whatsoever.

Thanks to stunning performance and a badge marking it as a member of GM’s value-leader division, the Corvette has a reputation as something of a bargain-basement supercar.  With a powerful V8 up front and room for two in a wide, voluptuous body, it certainly fits the supercar bill.  At the same time, the Corvette is not as race-engineered as a Porsche 911 or Ferrari, nor as flamboyant as a Lamborghini.  And it’s not quite as…just plain nuts as a Dodge Viper.  As a result the Vette gets left off of a lot of ultimate-performance wishlists.  That’s a mistake.  The dark days of the late 1970s are long gone, and the Corvette is a serious, world-class performer.  The introduction of the 405 horsepower, race-bred Z06 model this year serves to underscore this fact.  The 350-hp “standard” Corvette is nothing to sneeze at, either.

The current Corvette retains a familiar long, drooping snout and short, four-taillight rear deck as visual links to the Vette’s long history.  It’s wide and low, even more so close up.  Vents behind the front wheels emphasize the wheels and narrow-waisted silhouette.  The broad hood is handsomely sculpted, as if pulled down taut over the motor.  The wheels are big, of course; 17″ in the front, 18″ at the rear, with a handsome open five-spoke design.  The convertible’s top hides under a rigid tonneau that matches the body and dives down between the passengers.

There’s more space than you’d expect inside.  It’s a long drop to get there, but the seats are wide and comfortable.  The cabin feels private and snug, even with the top down.  The Corvette wraps around its passengers, with high sills and that long hood stretching so far out in front you’ll wonder if you’re sitting on top of the rear axle.  A surprisingly generous trunk can be accessed through the decklid or from the interior.  It’s easier to get into a Corvette than out again, thanks to gravity.  The handsome dash consists of multiple dials set in a three-dimensional array.  A heads-up display (HUD), which projects a digital readout of road speed onto the windshield so drivers don’t have to look away from the road, is also available.  If there’s a complaint, it’s that the Corvette doesn’t look or feel particularly special inside.  It certainly doesn’t feel like a $50,000 car in there.

With the top locked firmly in the up position, the week’s rain showers proved to be an opportunity for the Corvette’s sophisticated, high-tech side to shine.  The 5.7 liter V8 makes 350 horsepower.  Corvette convertibles are not available with the more powerful engine from the Z06, not that it matters.  Any new Corvette is powerful enough to require a great deal of vigilance and maturity when dealing with traffic.  Roll-on acceleration is staggeringly fast.  Our test car was equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed is optional), which made percolating slowly through town easy but seemed to hurt outright acceleration.

The Corvette is never a handful, though, thanks to an outstanding stability system.  The Active Handling system is standard equipment.  By controlling the proportioning and stability of the rear brakes during light braking and hard acceleration, it is able to arrest even the most boneheaded stomps of the throttle.  Getting the rear tires to spin is never hard, and an integrated traction control system is along for the ride to straighten the car out when things begin to slip sideways.  The system controls wheelspin without cutting off power or reducing acceleration.  Even in a torrential downpour, the wide-tired, low-slung Corvette was a breeze to keep on the road.  Don’t like traction control?  A “competitive mode” can be selected, which keeps Active Handling but shuts off the traction control.

On the road, the Corvette feels substantial, almost heavy.  It’s not cumbersome, but the sensation is of a car with a large footprint.  The four-wheel independent suspension consists of double wishbones at all four corners.  Like a Porsche, the Vette’s potential is too high to be explored on public roads.  Saturday-morning corner-burning is fun, but the car will be bored with it.  The race-bred suspension is overmatched to almost any public road.  The feeling of control is a given; the Corvette responds as quickly as an attack-trained police dog.  All of that unused potential makes it hard to relax completely, though.

Alongside Porsches, Dodge Vipers, and Ferraris the Corvette is something of a wallflower when it comes to attitude and curbside appeal.  Make no mistake, however; it’s just as much of a housebroken race car as the rest of them.  Doing without the flashy image pays off, too; the Corvette’s road-racing performance starts well below $50,000.  Our test car was a Corvette convertible, equipped with dual-zone air conditioning, the HUD, and chrome wheels.  It stickered for $52,350.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Corvette convertible which we tested.
Length:     179.7 in.
Width:        73.6 in.
Height:        47.8 in.
Wheelbase:    104.5 in.
Curb weight:    3248 lb.
Cargo space:    13.9 cu.ft.
Base price:    $46,805
Price as tested: $52,350
Engine:     5.7 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain:     four-speed automatic, rear wheel drive
Horsepower:     350 @ 5200
Torque:     360 @ 4000
Fuel capacity:    18.5 gal.
Est. mileage:    18/26