has made a ton of improvements with its Corvette over the past couple of decades. Once the laughingstock of sports cars, Corvettes today can rival the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

When did Corvette change to reestablish its reputation? Motorheads will debate this to no end, but we think critical change occurred in the early 2010s.

Meet the 2013 Corvette

The 2013 Corvette was the last of the sixth generation of Corvettes (C6). Many carmakers tend to phone in the last model year of any generation. What's the point of trying to innovate when you'll be redesigning the car next year?

But for Chevy, the 2013 Corvette was different. 2013 marked the 60th anniversary of the legendary Corvette name, and Chevy wanted to do something more special than just upgrading cosmetics. While the engine from the prior year is the same, Chevy went all out on improving handling.

This was mainly achieved by adding a plethora of high-tech electronics that enabled quicker response times. As a result,

KBB

said this new model "rounds corners and responds quicker than any previous Corvette."

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How does the 2013 Corvette compare to others?

MORE: The 2019 Corvette is Still Smokin'

While the new and improved handling was a nice touch, the 2013 Corvette had something that gearheads have wanted for years: a convertible Z06. Chevy delivered that. Sort of.

The Z06 Corvette is designed for one thing only: superior track performance while also being street legal. As convertibles tend to hinder track performance, it seemed that Z06 fans would never be able to feel the wind in their hair. But Chevy found a workaround.

The 2013 Corvette featured a brand new trim called the 427. The 427 is a convertible, and by most intents and purposes, you could call it a Z06 convertible. Other than the roof, there is only one other major difference.

The 427 uses the same hydrofoam steel frame found on base models as opposed to the aluminum frame used on the Z06. Other than that, you could say the two are identical. This includes the beefy engine that is found in both cars: a 7.0-L LS7 V-8 behemoth. This beast can produce a jaw-dropping 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.

Buying one of these speed demons

MORE: Your Chevy Corvette Could Be Worth Much More Than You Paid

The MSRP for a 2013 Corvette 427 started at $76,900. That's about 30% more than the base trim, but worth it for Z06 fans.

If you want to buy one today, be prepared to travel. We were only able to find about a dozen of these iconic Corvettes listed on the market. Prospective buyers will probably need to buy a plane ticket just to test drive one.

Surprisingly, it seems its value has depreciated. There was only one listing that maintained the original MSRP, and all the others were in the $50,000 - $60,000 range.

Speed into cheaper car insurance

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