The interior is all-new for 2005 and much improved over past Corvettes. It no longer looks like an upgraded Camaro inside. There's a two-tone leather treatment available that doesn't make me feel like I should be wearing a black leather jacket. Chevrolet indicated that some dramatic changes were needed to meet the expectations of buyers in the new millennium, so the C6 got premium soft surfaces, beautiful grain in the materials, more elegant tailoring. The dashboard is finished in a soft material that feels nice to the touch. The seats are nicely finished. Glare is managed. Real metal accents are used, but they don't generate glare. The electronics serve the driver without getting in the way.

The seats are comfortable and easier to adjust than in past Corvettes, though there's still that feeling of sitting deep down in a massive machine. There's more headroom, though, and the windshield doesn't seem as close to the driver's face. The steering wheel looks more like a Suburban wheel than a Ferrari wheel, but it felt good in my hands and afforded a good view of the instruments.

The instruments are big analog gauges that are easy to read at a glance. The Corvette is, thankfully, devoid of a lot of digital readouts. One exception is the head-up display, which projects speed, rpm, and even g-forces onto the windshield, a handy and entertaining feature.

There's no need to take the key out of your pocket to unlock the doors or start the car. Simply walk up to the car and open the door. Sensors detect your key and unlock the door. Climb in and press the starter button.

The Convertible features an optional power-operated soft top, a feature that last appeared on a Corvette in 1962. The power top features a single-button control and completes its cycle in 18 seconds. An easy-to-operate manual top is standard. The five-layer fabric top is available in three colors. It looks good with the top up, but looks terrific with it down, with body-color trim that gives it the racy look of an open-cockpit Le Mans prototype. Naturally, the convertible gives up cargo capacity, offering 10.5 cubic feet of storage with the top up, which isn't bad for a roadster, and just 5.1 with the top down. The coupe offers 22.4 cubic feet of trunk space.

Whether cruising down the road or pushing your limits on a race track, the new Corvette is much easier to drive than the old one, which feels dated by comparison. It rides nicer, the handling is improved, it generates more grip. When driven hard, it's more forgiving than the old car.

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The low, throaty roar of the LS2 sounds great and generates thrilling acceleration. Stand on the gas and even the automatic will chirp the rear tires when it shifts into second. The new LS2 V8 displaces 6.0 liters (364 cubic inches) making it the largest standard small-block engine ever offered in a Corvette. It's also the most powerful. Its 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque represent a substantial increase over the previous LS1 5.7-liter V8's 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. The new Corvette nearly equals the output of last year's limited-production Z06 model, which came with a special LS6 engine rated at 405 horsepower. No exotic overhead cams here. This is an overhead-valve engine that has more in common with a heavy-duty Silverado than a Ferrari. But it's tuned well and refined. The new Corvette can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds and cover the standing quarter-mile in 12.7. That's quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera or Jaguar XK8 and comparable to a Ferrari 360 Modena. There's lots of torque at all engine speeds. Stand on the gas and it goes. Corvette engineers say the new car can lap a racing circuit nearly as quickly as a Z06, and boasts a top speed of 186 mph. But it's quite happy just cruising around and gets an EPA-rated 19 / 28 mpg City / Highway with the manual (18 / 25 with the automatic), and there's no gas guzzler tax.

Both transmissions are new and both are appealing on their own merits: The automatic does not sap all the fun out of driving the Corvette the way automatics do in small sports cars with small engines. The big V8 ensures that. The automatic is responsive to the driver's intent. It shifts hard and fast when you're getting with the program, but smooth and soft when cruising. The manual is now a more viable option as a daily driver than it used to be. Called the Tremec T56, the six-speed manual shifts more easily than last year's manual gearbox and the clutch pedal is easier to operate. The mechanism that forces you to shift from first to fourth when accelerating slowly (to improve the fuel-efficiency rating) is less intrusive than before. Fifth and sixth gears are both overdrives, again to improve fuel efficiency. Shifting through the gears is a lot of fun and it's easy to brake and downshift using the heel-and-toe method (actually using the ball of foot and side of foot) when approaching a corner. Still, the automatic is best for commuting in stop-and-go traffic.