Chevrolet has aroused the passion of consumers once again with its 2005 Corvette.

Some dealerships have only recently received their allotment of these sporting beauties, and many have already been spoken for. When designers make any modifications to the Corvette’s body style, people stand in line to sign on the dotted line. For them, it isn’t a car purchase — it’s an investment.

Don’t worry that you won’t recognize what it is. One glance and you’ll have no doubt that it’s a Corvette, but there are modifications in the look and the power.

Under the hood is a 6-liter V-8 engine that produces 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This car is capable of reaching 186 exciting miles per hour, which makes it the fastest of any previous street Corvettes.

For 2005, Chevy took cues from the classic Corvettes of 1963-67, but added a high-tech twist. Using a combination of advanced computer-aided design techniques and traditional hand sculpting, designers molded the new Corvette into a contemporary car that still has a hint of its ageless heritage. For example, the 2005 model has exposed headlamps, a feature that hasn’t been on Corvettes since 1962.

The convertible comes with a manual top or an optional power-operated soft top. Both tops have five-layer fabric material that conceals the top’s internal structure and reduces road noise. The coupe’s removable roof panel is 15 percent larger, but weighs just a pound more than its predecessor.

What isn’t the same is the power. The 2005 Corvette is capable of doing 0-62 mph in 4.2 seconds. And, if your heart is up to it, it will cover a quarter-mile in 12.6 seconds at 114 mph.

However, most people won’t be send their revered Corvette screaming around a track to see what it will do. They normally treat their car as a prized possession and respect their Corvette for what it is: an icon that continues to keep its roots deep in American auto history.

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