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In 1962, Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov initiated a program to develop a lightweight racer to compete against Carroll Shelby's Cobras on the track. The Grand Sport Corvettes would weigh about 2000 pounds and draw power from a 377-cubic-inch V-8 with aluminum-block-and-head construction. A 1963 General Motors edict to end all racing involvement derailed the plan, but not before a handful of the Grand Sports were built. The prototype Vettes were delivered to private parties, who raced the cars with mixed success until 1967, but plans to homologate the car with a total production run of 125 copies were abandoned.inline_mediumwraptextright26338120/reviews/driven/0911_2010_chevrolet_corvette_grand_sport0911_01_z+2010_chevrolet_corvette_grand_sport+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Enthusiasts have reason to be concerned about high-performance cars being regulated out of existence. Consider the recent passage of the Obama administration's new CAFE standards as well as the looming specter of cap and trade carbon taxes. Some Draconian scenarios predict an over-regulated future filled with dull cars.inline_mediumwraptextright30638772/green/news/0909_guide_to_the_future_of_high_mpg_efficiency_not_economy0909_03_z+2010_chevrolet_corvette+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The Corvette is steeped in heritage. The car's iconic status is so pervasive in Americana, racing, and automotive culture that the Corvette almost seems to have more history than Chevrolet itself. For 2010, Chevrolet is reaching into the Corvette's rich past to introduce a new trim level under the Grand Sport moniker. The Grand Sport name traces back to 1962 when chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov began developing a Corvette to beat Carroll Shelby's Cobras on the racetrack. That program was halted after just a handful of cars were built, but in 1996, Chevrolet turned out 1000 Grand Sport Corvettes. The limited-edition coupes and convertibles were built to commemorate the end of fourth-generation Corvette production with 330-horsepower V-8 engines, black ZR-1 wheels, and a unique paint scheme.

It looks like we're back to a familiar conundrum: should I buy a supercharged Mustang or a base Corvette? A base Corvette coupe starts at $49,515 with destination, and the only option that you'll really need is the two-mode exhaust system at $1195, so a worthy Vette starts at $50,710. That's actually $185 less than this particular Shelby GT500 coupe (and that's ignoring any potential dealer markup on the Shelby). Yes, the Shelby has more horsepower, but the Corvette is a better handler, more fuel efficient at 16/26 mpg, and 707 pounds lighter. By no means is this an apples-to-apples comparison, but it's certainly one that will be explored on many Web sites.inline_mediumwraptextright24817471/reviews/editors_notebook/0908_2010_ford_mustang_shelby_gt500_coupe0908_01_z+2010_ford_mustang_shelby_gT500_coupe+profile.jpgTrue

A rivalry played out on Instant Messenger

A funny thing happened on the way to the checkered flag at the 2003 24 Hours of LeMans: A Corvette C5R didn't win. Given the fact that the all-American heart throb already had two GTS class victories in a row under its belt (2001, 2002), and it was celebrating its 50th birthday, that loss was a tragedy.

As legions of recent divorcés have shown, there's no better way to put your troubles behind you than with a new sports car. Such is the hope at Stile Bertone, the storied Italian design house that has suffered some recent unpleasantness, including legal wrangles within the Bertone family and a split from the company's financially insolvent manufacturing arm.