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Indulging in a Classic Joy Ride
2003 Corvette C5 Convertible

I trusted the sun and lowered the top. It was a desperate act of faith. I had only a few days left with the 2003 Corvette C5 convertible, the 50th anniversary edition. Rain was in the forecast.

I hadn’t been able to enjoy a convertible in weeks. Topless cars came with downpours.

So, I chanced it on a late spring afternoon and took the C5’s top down. This was not easy. It was a manual top. I lowered the side windows, pushed aside the sun visors, unlatched the headers and lifted the front end of the car’s beige cloth roof.

I got out of the C5 and lifted the roof’s rear, thus bringing both ends together in the manner of an accordion. I pressed a yellow button beneath the car’s tonneau cover, lifted the cover, dropped the top into that space and shut the cover tight.

It all took 90 seconds, which is why I was chary about lowering the C5’s top on a cloudy day. But rain worries disappeared with the deep, throaty noises of the car’s 5.7-liter (LS1) V8. That engine is a mighty beast, developing 350 horsepower at 5,600 revolutions per minute and 375 foot-pounds of torque at 4,400 rpm.

Trust in filtered sunlight became trust in thrust. There is something about driving a powerful car that fuels bravado. Maybe, as a North Carolina friend once said: “It’s like balancing on the edge of disaster and genius. You know you’re holding all of that power in your hands. It’s up to you to control it — or crash.”

He might have a point. But I think the attraction goes beyond power. It’s the feel of the thing, such as the sensation of the optional six-speed manual gearshift moving through its gates — impatient in first gear; anxious in second, ready to run to third; pliant in third and fourth; liberated in fifth; totally free in sixth, which is ironic.

Running in sixth gear for more than a few minutes in the C5 could mean running into jail, or at least into several months of living without your driver’s license. On most U.S. highways, running in fifth is running fast enough.

But the temptation to go faster in a Corvette always is there, especially in the 50th anniversary C5, which comes equipped with General Motors Corp.’s Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) system.

In brief, the system uses a magnetized fluid to control the damping action of the C5’s shock absorbers. It automatically smooths the ride over bumpy roads; and it works with the car’s traction control system on slippery surfaces to keep you from sliding into trouble. Put another way, the MRC system does a wonderful job of compensating for many acts of driver incompetence.

But I was thinking about none of that on that rare, partly sunny day in the oddest of East Coast springs. I just wanted to take the top down, crank the engine and cruise.

The sun felt good. It played on my skin and the C5’s spec ial “Anniversary Red” paint — a burgundy hue brought to life by aluminum oxide flakes dancing beneath a clear, polyurethane coat. It mattered not that clouds gathered in the distance, mocking my joy.

Nuts & Bolts

Complaint: The C5 needs an automatic top. The current version is too much trouble.

Praise: The sheer joy of the Corvette! The car has been around since 1953 for a reason. It is the quintessential American sports car — boisterous, powerful and sexy as all get-out. Automotive prudes need not bother with this one. It simply isn’t made for them. It’s a hot car-lover’s car.

Head-turning quotient: Maximum. It draws raves from car-lovers and animus from self-appointed crusaders against consumer excess.

Ride, acceleration and handling: The C5 can move from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. It pins your back to the seat. Ride is adjustable, the more bottom-friendly “touring” mode or the stiffer “sport” setting, your choice. Ha dling is remarkably agile for this car, which weighs nearly 3,250 pounds.

Body style and layout: The 50th anniversary C5 is available as a hatchback coupe or a soft-top convertible. It is a two-door, two-seat, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive automobile.

Capacities: Two seats mean two people. Cargo volume in the convertible is 13.9 cubic feet. Fuel capacity is 18 gallons of gasoline. Premium gasoline is required.

Mileage: Highway mileage is surprisingly good for this high-performance car — 28 miles per gallon according to the Environmental Protection Agency. City mileage is 19 mpg, the EPA says.

Technical highlight: The Magnetic Ride Control system — a commendable, innovative approach to achieving vehicle stability.

Safety: Four-wheel antilock brakes, Magnetic Ride Control, traction control, child-seat safety latch (which must be used with the passenger air bag turned OFF).

Price: Base price on the Corvette C5 convertible is $50,535. Dealer invoice is $44,218. Price as tested is $58,335, including $5,000 for the 50th anniversary package, $2,000 for other options, and an $800 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Great toy! GM plans to make 10,000 anniversary editions, which means limited supply, which means you could wind up paying a price greater than $58,335.