The Chevrolet Corvette rolled out of Flint, Michigan in 1953 and has never stopped—eight generations, no domestic rivals left standing. It nearly didn't happen fiberglass body, straight-six engine, two-speed automatic, and at its Waldorf-Astoria debut, almost none of its 300 hand-assembled units sold. 2015: King of the Hill. The Z06 returns for 2015 packing a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that puts out 650 horsepower. It comes as a coupe or convertible, with your choice of a seven-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic— the latter launching the car to 60 mph in a flat 3.0 seconds. A set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires rounds out the package, generating a staggering 1.19 g on our 300-foot skid pad.