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There comes a time, even at Chevrolet, when a car should perform as wellas it looks. Enter the `86 Corvette with its 5.7-liter tuned-port, injected V-8 engine, rated at 230 horsepower.

But then, what a 5.7-liter V-8 gives, a 4-speed General Motors manualtransmission takes away.

The fuel injected V-8 is much more responsive than the carbureted enginefrom back in `84; but that doesn`t mean “diddly squat“ when you`re stuckwith an arthritic 4-speed manual.

The `Vette is a styling gem and the engine in the `86 coupe we drovedevelops more power than those rear wheels can handle without a yelp.

Nonetheless, when you have to wrap both hands around the gear shift inhunting for third gear, you start wondering why you didn`t buy two ToyotaMr2`s instead of one `Vette.

In the `Vette for `86, automatic transmission is standard, 4-speed manual with overdrive a no-cost option. If you choose the 4-speed, you deserve allthe grief coming to you.

Another irritant with the 4-speed is the fact a simple press of the topof the gear-shift lever gets you into or out of overdrive. Other carmakers usea button that has to be depressed to activate overdrive.

Those accustomed to grabbing the gear shift lever palm down findthemselves going into or out of overdrive when shifting gears simply from the hand pressure on the lever.

Another annoyance is the standard suspension system, which is a bit toosoft for the car. Back in 1984 when the all-new `Vette came out, the ride and handling were firm.

Unfortunately, some complained that the ride was too firm; so now Chevyoffers a choice of soft or optional firm sports suspension.

If you are mainly concerned with show, stick with the standard suspension and somewhat mushy and wider-swing turns and cornering.

If you don`t mind leaving a few tar marks on the road in return forquicker response, firmer cornering, and livelier merging or passing, go theoptional Z-51 route and get the Bilstein gas shocks, front and rear sway bars and heavy-duty springs.

A much appreciated feature of the `Vette is the new antilock brakingsystem, which prevents wheel lockup if you hit the binders in a panicsituation.

A computer goes to work to pump those brakes about 12 times a second toprevent wheel lock and stop you with the tires on the pavement. You know thesystem is working when you feel and hear a pulsing in the brake pedal.

We found a patch of ice, accelerated to 30 miles an hour and hit thepedal just as the right rear wheel reached the slick surface. Though the carimmediately veered a few inches to the side, it straightened itself out justas quickly.

Another new feature for `86 is VATS, an electronic antitheft systemdesigned to complement the existing sensor-activated alarms for the doors and hatch lid.

With VATS (Vehicle Anti Theft System), there`s a pellet embedded in theignition key with a specific electri cal resistance built in–in other words,an electrical code. If you use a key without the pellet, the starter and fuel injectors are immobilized for two minutes.

`Vette buyers take note of two other features on the `86: Chevy advisesusing only 5W-30 oil and the emissions systems consists of three catalyticconverters. And before you ask, aluminum heads were supposed to replace castiron heads, effective last month.

Coming soon is the convertible, which Chevy calls a roadster, thoughthere is no removable metal top that goes with it. At least one custom houseis busy designing one for the convertible.

The roadster will come in a variety of colors just like the coupe. Allroadsters will be called Pace Car models to coincide with the `Vette roadster being named the Pace Car for the Indy 500 this year.

The roadster will come with Pace Car graphics and decals and you`ll havethe choice of putting them on or leaving them off. Call us cynical, but wecan`t help ut wonder if somewhere down the road someone will put the pace cargraphics on an `84 or `85 and peddle it as an `86. The actual pace car, by theway, will be yellow.

Chevy has had trouble selling `Vettes this year. News of the roadstercoming at midyear had several buyers waiting to see it first. Then Chevyannounced the price: $32,038, and buyers are starting to come back to the$27,027 coupe. Chevy also is offering 9.9 percent financing on the `Vette, to reduce stockpiles.