ONE of the most famous names in world motoring will soon be making a comeback in the UK, it has been confirmed.

Next year will see a brand-new Corvette on British roads, offering more power than a Porsche 911 for around half the price.

Fifty years after the first Corvettes appeared, the fifth-generation model will boast 404bhp from its six-litre V8 engine.

Performance is impressive, with a top speed of 186mph and a nought-to-60mph time of around four seconds.

Buyers will also benefit from European-influenced design and interior quality.

Though unmistakably an American muscle car, the new model is smaller in every dimension than the last car to carry the famous "crossed flags" badge, and has undergone extensive testing in an effort to satisfy the needs of European buyers.

In addition, a sports suspension package that is optional in the US will be fitted to all cars sold as the original comfort-oriented American settings were deemed too soft for European tastes.

Other items of standard equipment include a "head up" display system, which projects driver information onto the windscreen, a gravity meter to measure cornering forces, and keyless entry and ignition.

There will eventually be both a coup, and convertible featuring a stowable hard top.

An even more powerful variant, with more than 450bhp, will be introduced a year or so after the Corvette is initially launched.

Parent company Chevrolet - which, in turn, is part of the giant General Motors (GM) group will be marketing the Corvette as a "stand-alone" brand, largely as a result of its own reinvention selling Chevrolet-badged Daewoos.

The Corvette will only be available in left-hand drive, which is likely to limit its appeal in the UK.

However, a senior company spokesman confirmed that if demand proved sufficient, a right-hand-drive version could be produced.

The Corvette is just one aspect of a full-scale re-engagement with Europe from Chevrolet.

It will eventually bring its full product range to Britain, with models such as the STX sports utility vehicle likely to strike a chord with British buyers.