What it is: The Corvette is a purpose-built, two-seat V-8 sports car, available in three basic flavors: The base Corvette, which comes as a coupe or convertible and powered by a 430-horsepower V-8; the 505-horsepower Z06; and for the truly twisted — and well-heeled — the 638-horse ZR-1.

The convertible version adds a classic roadster driving experience to this performance icon. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Our tester was a Corvette convertible, liberally festooned with options that pushed its very reasonable base price of $51,700 all the way up to an eye-popping $67,405.

Mixed in among the options were the 3LT preferred equipment package, a $6,550 extra that offers 15 different features, including power top, heated leather seats, heads-up display and an upgraded radio; polished wheels at a cool $2,860; navigation system at $1,750; the $1,695 Z-51 performance package featuring better brakes, suspension and tires; a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifter for $1,250; and last but not least, a $750 upcharge for the beautiful jetstream blue metallic paint, a rich medium blue color.

The 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 is loaded with gutsy torque but still tractable at traffic speeds. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Performance: Even with the least powerful engine of the three Corvette models and an automatic transmission, the base convertible will pin you back in the seat and loosen your dental work, accelerating from a standing start in just 4.3 seconds. Top speed is nearly 190 miles per hour. That’s performance that will shame a lot of costlier sports cars.

The 6.2-liter LS3 powerplant is as tractable as any GM small-block, perfectly content to putter around at reasonable speed until it’s time to drop the hammer. And then all bets are off, as the big V-8 gets ‘er done with a nice blend of low-RPM torque and deep guttural growl.

The V-8 is very responsive across a fairly wide range of the power band, and — heresy, this is — the paddle-shift automatic transmission actually is a fine choice, shifting quickly and firmly, but never harshly.

Drivability: Exactly what one would expect. The open top, low-slung driving position and firmly tuned chassis makes slow driving a slightly rough-edged experience, but find a slice of open road and the Corvette comes into its element.

This is a car that prefers — no, demands — to be driven hard, and it responds exceptionally well behind the wheel to skilled hands. Understand this, unless you’re a professional sports car racer, the odds are that the chassis capabilities of the Corvette far exceed your’s as a driver.