2008 Chevrolet Corvette

Pros: Surprising refinement in an affordable 436 horsepower sports car. Cons: Mediocre stereo The Bottom Line: More powerful, quieter, more rigid, more comfortable, and better-finished than the previous Corvette coupes, the 2007 Corvette is, hands-on, fun-to-drive sports car that's likely to give you a thrill and a scare at the same time. I can't think of any car that offers this much styling, performance, and pure driving pleasure.

I now have just over 5,000 miles on the new Corvette and feel I'm ready to offer an objective review. THIS CAR IS AWESOME!

I am very impressed with just how much GM has finessed this car in only five model years. Under what is essentially the same skin and chassis, is an all new motor, steering rack, and manual transmission. I also chose to move away from the Z51 performance package, opting for the sophisticated F55 magnetic suspension.

The interior was upgraded in the 2008 model year, and that was a very noticeable improvement over the plain, silver plastic surrounds used on prior models. Stitched vinyl and attractive glossy plastics are now used, and make the interior look much richer. Also in 2008, the larger and more powerful LS3 motor was introduced, putting out 430 horsepower, or 436 horsepower with the dual mode "NPP" exhaust system. That model year also saw the introduction of an improved steering rack, as well as a shorter throw manual six speed transmission.

The NPP dual mode exhaust is, for me, an ideal solution to the quiet cruising versus muscle car sound dilemna. It is very tame, with just a bit of burble, below 3500 rpm. Above 3500 rpm, it opens up and you get a nice blast of muscle music. Very nicely done, and very clever.

The new LS3 motor sounds great, idles smoothly, and is still capable of producing economy numbers in the upper 20's on a highway. My average mileage since getting the car has been exactly 22.0 mpg ... not bad for mixed driving with a green engine. I can't say I feel any "seat of the pants" difference between the LS2 and the LS3, but that mightt be because of the more aggressive transmission gearing of the Z51 compared to the F55.

The car comes with one year of OnStar, and three months of XM radio. Sound quality of the upgraded Bose stereo is acceptable, not bad with CD's, but not even close to an audiophile system. It's not as bad as some claim, but I've heard much better car audio systems.

The Navigation system is quite good with a dual map mode showing an over all view with a superimposed second window showing a closeup view with street names, it is very accurate and responds well to voice commands.

In closing , the 2008 is a significant progression in the C6 line of Corvettes. The car has been refined in many ways, particularly in the interior, transmission, and steering. It's getting frighteningly close to being the perfect sub $75,000 sports car. I don't know what they could do any better besides reworking the stereo system.