This is the greatest Corvette ever – and it’s only $70,000 (GM)

Let’s get down to it.

Matthew DeBord/BI

This is the greatest Vette ever. True, the Z06 is mind-bogglingly impressive, and the Stingray is wonderful.

But I grew rapidly addicted to the combo of the 8-speed, the V8, and the suspension dynamics. Over and over again, I let the revs climb slowly north on the tachometer, feeding in a flow of throttle, then abruptly increasing my input. BOOM! The back end LOCKS DOWN, the front rises slightly, and you’re off like you’ve been fired from a howitzer. The power is sweet and honey smooth, but there’s so much of it.

And unlike with the 650-hp Z06, where it’s well-nigh impossible to get into all that oomph, with the Grand Sport you can sense it enveloping you, challenging and protecting in equal measure.

The handling is sharp and direct, and your sense of the road is immediate. This car feels very much like a Vette, too, with that edge of backwoods wildness that you don’t get from a Porsche or Ferrari or Lamborghini. That said, all the Z06 tech on loan means that the Grand Sport is a genuine sports car. Sure, you can haul ass in a straight line all day. But you can also carve into corners. Blissful.