'14 Vette surpasses '60 glory days.

• Jurisdiction: United States
• Author: Harper, Jason H.
• Date: 15 September 2013

Byline: Jason H. Harper

The Chevrolet Corvette has long been America's almost-great sports car.

In the 60 years since it first appeared, fans have eternally hoped that this time, this generation, the makers would get it right. It's our beloved underachiever.

And so comes the launch of the seventh generation, when the asterisks are smeared away and qualifiers become unnecessary. The brand-new C7 coupe is not only a great sports car; it's a great car -- full stop.

I, too, was holding my breath, expecting the Red Sox of the automotive world to choke again at the last moment, acquiescing to corporate penny pinchers and allowing substandard seats, ugly plastic and cheap knobs on the interior. As...