2004 Maserati Spyder vs. 2005 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

If you're really into driving -- and driving hard -- an open-topped car is the last thing you want. Despite the classic wind-in-the-hair sports-car imagery, most real-drivers' cars are coupes; their closed-body configuration providing the structural stiffness required to make the suspension, steering, and brakes work at their best.

Having said that, there's something magical about driving an open car. Maybe it's the whiff of jasmine on a warm summer evening or the brisk, salty tang of the surf as you tool past the beach, or maybe it's just that you want to hear the CD player over the wind noise. Whatever the reason, it seems natural to notch back the aggression, lean back in the seat, and go with the flow, smiling inwardly at all those wound-up lemmings running their own personal Daytona 500s in their tin-box sedans.

In coupe form, with a manual transmission and the Z51 suspension, brake, and powertrain upgrades, the C6 Corvette is a seriously quick driver's car--but America has a soft spot for the soft option: Chevrolet says half the C6s it sells are convertibles, 60 percent are autos, and only half are ordered with the Z51 goodies.

And it seems we don't mind paying more for it: The base Corvette convertible retails for $52,245, a $7735 premium over the coupe, and more C6 convertibles than coupes come equipped with upscale options, such as the $2955 1SB option package, which delivers the head-up instrument display, Bose premium sound system, and power-telescoping steering, among other things. Even so, the $62,805 sticker of our tester, fitted with 1SB, plus the power convertible top ($1995), dual-mode magnetic ride-control shocks ($1695), satellite navigation ($1400), and nearly 1300 bucks' worth of polished alloy wheels, caused sharp intakes of breath around the office.

Let's be clear: Even at more than $62 grand, it's unlikely many people will cross-shop a Corvette convertible and a Maserati Spyder Corsa. The Maserati lists at $96,765, including destination and gas-guzzler tax, but our test car rang up a similarly breathtaking $10,000-plus in options, including the $2390 Skyhook active damping suspension, satellite navigation at $1649, and Xenon headlights at a pricey $1205. But at least a power soft-top is standard, along with Maserati's six-speed automated Cambiocorsa manual transmission.