The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

New Corvettes come around only about once a decade, so with the new ‘Vettea few months from its debut, it’s easy to forget that Chevy still has a reallynifty one to sell.

The styling is still fresh and exciting, even if you’re used to seeing itafter 12 years. It’s also just as mean. If you’ve never driven one, it’s quitesimply the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

Climb over the massive door sills and into the narrow bucket seats, placeddown in a narrow well. With feet straight out in front of you, you’re ridingjust above ground level.

Put the key in the ignition and turn. The 5.7-liter overhead valvesecond-generation Chevrolet small-block comes to life with a low, menacingrumble. The car seethes and vibrates as the engine revs in anticipation.

Place the car in gear, stomp the throttle and hold on tight. The technologymight be old-fashioned, but only buff-books really care. This engine gets thejob done. It makes this car move faster than a CEO says downsize. There aregobs of grip, thanks to the P255/45ZR17 tires up front, P285/40ZR17 rear.

If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxed driving environment, you’ve come tothe wrong car. There’s a lot of noise and vibration, but it’s the kind sportscar lovers thrive on. The view over the hood, where massive wheel-well bulgesframe the equally bulging hood, is a view only to be found in a ‘Vette.

The driving environment is as you remember it. The speedometer is digital,housed in a big arch. The rest of the controls are at the base of the console,clustered together with small buttons. The driveshaft tunnel is immense, thecargo hold much less so.

Of course, there are the latest drive-train electronics with anti-lockbrakes and traction control. Available on the coupe is a new Selective RealTime Damping system, which electronically monitors wheel movement and adjuststhe damping mode accordingly. Also available (for those who wear kidney belts)is the Z51 Performance Handling Package, for those who take up autocrossing.

Two special editions are available this year as well. One is the GrandSport, with blue paint, a white hood stripe, red hash marks on the frontfender, black aluminum wheels, and massive P275/ 40ZR17 tires in front andP315/35ZR17 out back. Only 1,000 were slated for production.

Also available is a Collectors Edition, which wears silver paint,Collectors Edition emblems and embroidered seats, and special tires.

Both trim packages come as a coupe or convertible. The Grand Sport sports a330-horsepower LT4 small-block, which is optional on other ‘Vettes.

But it’s the fast rough-and-tumble drive train that makes this monster run.There are rear-drive cars that are easier to handle, as well as being morerefined. But this is America’s only sports car. One that men and women stilldream of owning. One of the few American cars in production with a trueperformance heritage and styling leadership that spans the decades.

And even if the new car is better, there’s little doubt that this one, likeso many others, will someday be a collector’s item.

1997 Chevrolet CorvetteStandard: 5.7-liter overhead-valve V8, four-speed automatic transmission,traction control system, acceleration slip control, power four-wheel discbrakes with anti-lock, keyless entry, dual remote heated rear-view mirrors,removable fiberglass roof panel, AM/FM cassette with clock, air conditioning,analog/digital instrumentation, cruise control, intermittent wipers, leatherbucket seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power door locks, power windowswith driver’s express down, rear window defogger, remote glass rear hatchrelease, P255/ 45ZR17 front tires, P285/40ZR17 rear tires.Options: Equipment Group 1 (electronic air conditioning, Delco/Bose AM/FM cassette, six-way power driver’s seat), adjustable sport seats, six-waypower passenger’s seat.Base price: $37,225As tested: $40,053EPA mile age: 17 city , 25 highwayTest mileage: 18 mpg