2008 Corvette -- notably improved

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With the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 noted for being one of the great performance bargains and the 600-horsepower supercharged ZR1 on the horizon, the ‘basic’ version of America’s prized automotive icon is in danger of being overlooked. Which would be a shame, because the 2008 model has a few welcome improvements.

The small-block V-8 engine has been bored out -- to 6.2 liters from 6.0 -- resulting in a horsepower bump to the tune of 30 hp, with total output now rated at 430 hp and 424 pound-feet of torque (that’s an extra 24 lb-ft too). Vital statistics read 4.5 seconds in the sprint from standstill to 60 mph and a top speed of 190 mph.

The exhaust system has been tweaked to provide a more blood-stirring soundtrack, and a new, smooth-shifting six-speed manual has replaced the old agricultural transmission. In the cabin are unfamiliar yet higher-quality materials, dial edges glinting under a translucent polycarbonate roof.

All this for $56,300. The icon lives on.

-- Colin Ryan