1997 Chevrolet Corvette A World-Class All-American. By Tony Swan, New Car Test Drive .com

It's been 14 years since the last all-new

Corvette came along, and with that much time you'd expect the new one to

be an improvement on its predecessor. But even so, we think you'll be surprised

at the magnitude of those improvements.

The previous Corvette was fast and agile. The new one is faster, and

it has the reflexes and poise of a world-class athlete. And that's just

the sports car side of the equation. Chevy's work on the comfort side of

the ledger is even more impressive. The new car is far easier to get in

and out of, with more room inside. Improvements in structural integrity

and assembly have eliminated the stress squeaks that have plagued Corvettes

ever since 1953, and ride quality has improved by a factor of four. Driving

a Corvette is no longer a mixture of pleasure and pain.

Although this new Vette arrives four years behind schedule, it's clear

that the development team put the extra time to excellent use. For the

first time, the Corvette can claim a place among the elite of the world's

best sports cars.