I have just enough self confidence to drive this thing with the top down. The Jetstream Blue Metallic paint and the massive chrome 15-spoke wheels combine to make me look like the ultimate trust-fund jack ass behind the wheel. In downtown traffic, the massive 6.2-liter LS3 V8 is unnaturally well mannered, especially with the silky-smooth six-speed automatic transmission behind it, but you still get the sense that burbling around parking lots and sulking toward stoplights is absolutely absurd in this car. You’re commanding 430 vicious ponies with your right foot and the best thing you can find to do with your time is commute? Get real. So we did, taking the mighty Corvette to the infamous Rte 129 – the Tail of the Dragon. Hop the jump to hear what we learned.

This car consumes tarmac. No matter where you are, it’s clear from the get go there is no approaching the Corvette’s limits on policed roads. Nine tenths? Forget it. Settle for three tenths and be happy with yourself. When I told my father General Motors had been kind enough to share this rig with us for the week, all he said is, “Power in that car builds like a Tornado.” At first, rolling around town, it was hard to figure out what he was talking about. Ease onto the throttle and the Corvette quietly accelerates with a pleasing push, breezing through the first four gears so smoothly you’d be hard pressed to keep track of which cog you’re on. The rpm’s stay at or below 1,500 rpm, and the 424 lb-ft of torque available means there’s no need to downshift when going for a pass.

Find an onramp, point the wheels straight and go for the skinny pedal, and suddenly it’s clear there are forces of nature beyond your comprehension at work. In convertible guise, the Corvette tips the scales at a relatively light 3,222 lbs. The 430 horsepower V8 positioned behind the front wheels comes to life with a downshift and you’re at 60 mph before you can blink. The dual-mode exhaust opens up to let the siren song of push-rod power out of the box, and the full-weight of Bow-Tie grunt kneels on your chest. Make the mistake of taking a deep breath, and you’re knocking on 100 mph’s door before you know it. If you gave into the devil on your shoulder, the car would keep pulling all the way up to 200 mph. They sell these things to the public? America at its best and brightest.

But as thrilling as straight line passes continue to be, it’s hard to beat this rig’s prowess in the twisties. For those of you who don’t know, Rte 129 from Tennessee to North Carolina is an 11 mile stretch with 318 turns. What better place put GM’s $1,700 Z51 package through its paces. Complete with massive drilled rotors, enhanced vehicle cooling, larger stabilizers, stiffer springs and package-specific gear ratios, Chevrolet bills this lot of goodies as a perfect bag o’ tricks for the Autocross/Gymkhana crowd. Incidentally, it makes the Corvette perfect for undulating Tennessee tarmac.

It’s true the Corvette is massive. At 72.6 inches wide and with a 105 inch wheel base, there are back yards smaller than this thing, but run through the first set of curves and its clear there’s a reason for the size. The sprawling width and length makes for an incredibly stable platform that produces instantaneous turn-in. I drove the car for a week and was still apexing early – you just don’t expect something this size to be so incredibly light on its feet. At the relatively low speeds of Rte 129 (Speed Limit: 30 mph), the engine breathes easy and quiet, relying on the wells of available torque to dart through each turn. Despite the low rpms speed builds quickly, and the Corvette handles each input with glee. Get too happy with the accelerator, and the traction control quietly does its job without any fanfare.

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