The convertible version looks graceful when the top is down. Putting the top down exposes body-colored trim behind the seats that reminds us of an open-cockpit racer. It looks really cool.

The Z06 hardtop presents a different profile from the coupe. The hardtop roofline is actually more coupe-like than the coupe's, whose hatchback glass slopes more steeply. Other visible differences between the coupe and hardtop are subtle, including tidy Z06 emblems on each side of the hardtop. Modest mesh air intakes in the nose and wedge-shaped mesh brake cooling inlets are visible on the rocker panels just aft the doors. Four 3.5-inch exhaust tips under the center of the rear bumper hint at more power. Special five-spoke aluminum wheels afford a view of big red brake calipers and are fitted with massive Goodyear F1 Supercar rubber, P265/40ZR up front, P295/35ZR out back. There is no spare, nor are the tires run-flat units; instead, you get an emergency tire-inflator kit. So take your cell phone and try not to run over any nails.

The Z06 is more than a hopped-up model; it's a vastly different animal. It was intended as a street racer with track capabilities, Chevrolet's one-up response to Ford's Mustang Cobra R. The designation Z06 has a rich history, dating back to the 1963 split-window Sting Ray, when the Z06 was a pure road-racing package. (The Z comes from Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Corvette's famous first chief engineer.) Chevrolet has revived the Z06 designation for this more-than-worthy successor. Only now it's a separate model, not an option package.

The Z06 weighs 128 pounds less than the C5 coupe, even though it offers similar creature comforts, including leather, air conditioning, carpeting, a premium sound system, traction control and stability control. Using thinner glass, a titanium exhaust system and less insulation saves the weight. Don't bother arguing that insulation is a creature comfort; with a car like this, noise and spiritual comfort level are intertwined. Ask anyone who's driven a noisy racecar.

Corvette's lever-style door handles seem a bit dated, harder to grab than other designs.