Category: C5 Corvettes

The arrival of the 2004 Chevy Corvette brought with it the official announcement that, as far as factory production of the C5 was concerned, this would be the final year for the fifth-generation model.  Despite the growing rumors that an all-new Corvette was on the way, it had been decided that Chevrolet would continue to produce the Corvette so as not to leave a production gap (as they had in 1983) while ramping up production of a next-generation C6 Corvette.

Pricing: $44,535 (Coupe), $51,535 (Convertible), $52,385 (Z06 Coupe)

Engine options: LS1, 346C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Coupe/Convertible) LS6, 346C.I., 5.7Litre V8 (Z06)

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed:  171mph (Z06), 175mph (coupe, convertible)

Units Produced: 34,064

Available Colors: Quicksilver, Electron Blue, Speedway White, Black, Torch Red, Millenium Yellow, Medium Spiral Gray, Anniversary RedArctic White, Lemans Blue (Comm. Edition), Black, Machine Silver, Torch Red, Millenium Yellow, Magnetic Red II, Medium Spiral Gray.

Highlights of the year:

However, General Motors, looking to commemorate the spectacular accomplishments that had been achieved by the C5 Corvette both on and off the race track during its eight-year production run, also decided to introduce a special Commemorative Edition Corvette for its final model year.

The Commemorative Edition 2004 Corvette was specifically designed to pay homage to Corvette’s successful return to racing.  All the Commemorative Edition 2004 Corvettes were finished in a striking LeMans Blue paint with red-edged silver stripes that adorned the hood, roof and rear deck lid.  Special “LeMans 24-hours” emblems featuring Corvette’s iconic crossed-flags trademark appeared on the nose and the tail of the car, and a matching emblem was embroidered into the headrests of the custom shale color interior leather seats

The high-performance Z06 included in the corvette package benefited from suspension tuning for 2004 based on extensive testing at Germany’s fabled Nurburgring racetrack and General Motors Milford Proving Grounds. The goal was improved ride quality, but the revised Z06 suspension also felt ‘more tied down, more glued to the road,’ according to Chevrolet. Sporting a C5-R Le Mans stripe, the Z06 Commemorative Edition gets a lightweight carbon fiber hood.

Standard equipment included dual-zone climate controls, fog lamps, sport seats, four-wheel-disc brakes with ABS, a driver information center, remote keyless entry, stainless steel exhaust with chromed quad outlets, retractable headlights, Bose speakers, 6-way power seats with leather upholstery, extended-mobility (run-flat) Z-rated tires, traction control with Active Handling, and cast alloy wheels. The coupe came with a parcel net and luggage shade. Child Restraint Attachment System (CRAS) hooks were provided in the passenger and the passenger-side airbag cou;d be manually shut off while carrying children. The Z06 hardtop added a head-up instrument display, titanium exhaust, a tire inflator kit for its Goodyear Eagle F1 tires, and forged alloy wheels. The six-speed manual was the only transmission offered.

There was really nothing quite like the Corvette. Driving each of the C5 models, whether a coupe, convertible, or the Z06, was always a visceral experience. Most powerful was the Z06 hardtop, with 405 horsepower on tap. The coupe was the most practical, offering nearly twice as much trunk space as the convertible or hardtop models. The convertible was considered as sometimes the most enjoyable, however. Motoring along on a warm summer night in a Corvette with the top down could be a peak experience

For the past 50 years, the Corvette had been America’s sports car, a U.S.-production two-seater capable of real racetrack performance. The Corvette endured because it has always represented a performance value. The C5 doid this in a big way, boasting performance and handling matched only by the Dodge Viper, Porsche 911, and various exotics, all of which were far more expensive.

And successful it had been.  The C5 was one of the most respected and most celebrated of all Corvettes to date, and it had the awards to prove it.  Besides winning an unprecedented number of trophies on the podium at such venues as Leguna Seca, Road Atlanta, and even the coveted 24 Hours of LeMans, the production model Corvette had also been named “Automobile of the Year” (Automobile Magazine, 2001), “North American Car of the Year”, “Car of the Year” (Motor Trend, 1998), “A Best Buy Amongst Sports Cars (Consumer Guide Best Buy), and perhaps most impressive of all, it had ranked in Car and Driver’s annual 10 Best List in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Another measure of the C5’s overall success during its production run was the large number of units that were produced year after ear.  If one measures success in terms to total units manufactured and sold, then Corvettes numbers still reigned supreme with nearly a quarter-million C5 Corvettes being sold in just an eight-year window – which worked out to approximately 34,000 Corvettes per year

Photos of the 2004 Corvette:

 

 

Sources:

https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2004-Chevrolet-Corvette/expert-review/
https://www.corvsport.com/2004-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvsport.com/2004-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

 

 

The arrival of the 2003 Chevrolet Corvette represented the culmination of fifty years of evolution for General Motors flagship automobile.  It had been during the spring of 1953 that the first Corvette had been unveiled at GM’s “Motorama”. Since that time, it had transformed into an entirely new vision of Corvette with each evolution.

Now, with fifty years behind it, Chevrolet executives were prepared to commemorate the half-century-old sports car through a series of planned events that included the introduction of a Special Edition 2003 C5 Corvette.

Pricing: $43,895 (Coupe), $50,370 (Convertible), $51,155 (Z06)

Engine options: LS1, 346C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Coupe/Convertible) LS6, 346C.I., 5.7Litre V8 (Z06)

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 170mph

Units Produced: 35,469

Available Colors: Quicksilver, Electron Blue, Speedway White, Black, Torch Red, Millenium Yellow, Medium Spiral Gray, Anniversary Red

Highlights of the year:

There was a new luxury in the Corvette. The “50th Anniversary  Special Edition” Corvette package, available only on base coupes and convertibles. New Magnetic Selective Ride Control with Real-Time Dampingwas standard on the 50^th Anniversary Special Edition: Two modes, Sport and Tour, provide a new level of ride and control. A special Shale Convertible top provided a beautiful accent to the 50^th Anniversary Red exterior. A glass rear window with an electric defogger was included. Shale floor mats with the exclusive 50^th Anniversary logo were standard on the Anniversary Edition. The 50^th Anniversary Corvette interior with its dramatic Shale duo-tone has been extended to the door panels and instrument panel. Leather-appointed armrests and grips add to the elegant appearance. Sport bucket seats were a new standard feature in every 2003 Coupe and Convertible. The flowing “waterfall” – with its splash of exterior color between the bucket seats – was a colorful mark of distinction on 1953 – 1962 and 1998 – present (as of 2003) convertibles.

The people in charge of planning the Corvette’s 50th-Anniversary Special Edition picked a shade of what was then currently the most oft-selected Corvette color-red. Not just any bright Porsche Guards Red, mind you, and not the purple-red that proved unexpectedly popular on the 40th-anniversary model. No, this new, one-year-only Anniversary Red was a lustrous burgundy with Xirallic aluminum-oxide flakes floating under a special tinted clear-coat and complemented by special Shale interior trim with anniversary badges and cockpit embroidery.

The coupes and convertibles did include a number of equipment options that were now standard when ordering a 2003 Corvette.  New Corvette owners could now expect to receive a car that included fog lamps, sports sears, dual-zone auto climate control, and a power passenger seat.  The 2003 Corvette coupes also received a standard parcel net and privacy shade for the hatch area.

An interesting addition to the coupe, (given the specific nature of a two-seat sports car) was the introduction of special hooks that were installed on the passenger’s seat to facilitate the connection of a specially equipped child seat (an option that was only recommended when used in conjunction with a passenger-side airbag-cutoff switch).

As the Corvette celebrated its 50th anniversary, it was an interesting point of note that the Corvette was one of the longest-lived sports cars in the world.  Yet, despite its many iterations and its incredible complexity, Corvette has remained faithful to the pioneers who designed and built it as well as to the owners who have owned and enjoyed driving it for fifty years.

In fact, at its 50th anniversary, the 2003 Corvette continued to share its GRP (fiberglass) body panels and its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout of the 1953 model.  Without question, at fifty, Corvette continued to be the proud legacy of Harley Earl, who envisioned a two-seat roadster a half-century earlier.  Yet, as far as the Corvette had evolved since its earliest ancestor, the best was still to come.

Photos of the 2003 Corvette:

    

Sources:

https://www.corvsport.com/2003-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/corvette-specs/2003-corvette-specs/
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15136334/2003-chevrolet-corvette-50th-anniversary-special-edition-feature/
https://www.corvsport.com/2003-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

Pricing: $41,540 (Coupe), $47,975 (Convertible), $50,150 (Z06)

Engine options: LS1, 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Coupe/Convertible), LS6, 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Z06)

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 171mph (Z06), 175mph (coupe, convertible)

Units Produced: 35,767

Available Colors: Light Pewter, Quicksilver, Electron Blue, Speedway White, Black, Torch Red, Millenium Yellow, Magnetic Sunrise

Highlights of the year:

The Z06 had become the primary focal point for most of the engineering advances made to the Corvette in 2002.

Perhaps because the coupe and convertible had already been refined during the first several years of its production run, the evolution of the C5 line as a whole now seemed to be centered around advances being made around the Z06 – and it was a decision that GM was certain would pay off.

Last year’s introduction of the Z06 Corvette, based on the former hardtop model and the legendary 1960s Z06 option package, was aimed at true performance enthusiasts at the upper end of the high-performance market. And now with an extra boost of 20 hp, to 405, makes Z06 became the  quickest production Corvette ever (at that time)

This upgrade to the LS6 engine’s output is the result of new hollow stem valves, a higher-lift camshaft, a low restriction mass airflow (MAF) sensor, and a new low restriction air cleaner design. Eliminating the PUP converter from the exhaust system enables better flow of spent gasses and reduces vehicle weight, without compromising Corvette’s NLEV (National Low Emission Vehicle) status.

Of course, producing the level of power that the new LS6 equipped Z06 was now capable of would require modifications to other areas of the car.  To withstand the additional engine torque, the Z06 received a redesigned clutch.  The modifications to the existing clutch included the use of premium alloy wire during fabrication of the damper springs and the design of the damper springs were actually changed to increase the clutch wind-up rate.  Lastly, the flange-late thickness was increased by 20 percent.  In all, these improvements would provide drivers with improved overall performance and added durability to the clutch.

The Z06-specific FE4 High-Performance suspension system featured a larger front stabilizer bar, a stiffer rear leaf spring and specific camber settings – all calibrated for maximum control during high-speed operation. The Z06 also came with new rear shock valving for a more controlled ride.

There were also changes to the convertible and coupe.

Minor changes were introduced which included the introduction of an in-dash AM/FM/CD player which was now standard on both coupes and convertibles except in those instances when the car was sold with the optional 12-disc CD changer.  In such instances, the factory-installed stereo head unit would continue to include the AM/FM/cassette unit.

For those Corvettes equipped with an automatic transmission, they would receive a lighter-weight transmission cooler case that was now manufactured out of cast aluminum instead of stainless steel. To help with weight-savings, all 2002 Corvette Convertibles equipped with a Heads Up Display (HUD) received a slightly thinner, 4.8mm thick windshield (as compared to the previous 5.4mm that had been standard on all Corvettes prior to 2002.)  This thinner windshield would provide a weight savings of 2.65 lbs per car.

Beyond being a serious contender on the race track, the 2002 Corvette was once again bestowed with the honor of being the official pace car at the 2002 running of the Indianapolis 500.  On May 26, 2002, the Chevy Corvette led the open-wheel race cars around all of the inaugural laps of the Indy 500, representing Corvette’s fifth appearance at the historic racing event.

Photos of the 2002 Corvette:

  

 

Sources:

https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/corvette-specs/2002-corvette-specs/
https://www.corvsport.com/2002-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvsport.com/2002-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

Pricing: $41,540 (Coupe), $47,975 (Convertible), $50,150 (Z06)

Engine options: LS1, 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Coupe/Convertible), LS6, 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8 (Z06)

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6 speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 171mph (Z06), 175mph (coupe, convertible)

Units Produced: 35,627

Available Colors: Light Pewter, Quicksilver, Navy Blue, Speedway White, Black, Torch Red, Millenium Yellow, Magnetic Red, Bowling Green

Highlights of the year:

Back in 1963, codes such as L-88, ZR-1, M-22, and ZL-1 were created as internal designations for Corvette options, but they have since taken on deep and emotional meaning for the Corvette faithful.

For 2001, Chevrolet rejuvenated a code from this hallowed list with the new model you see on these pages. Called the Z06, it represents a variant of the C5 Corvette enhanced with a comprehensive package of go-fast upgrades designed to make it the highest-performance production Corvette ever built at that time.

The Z06 name was chosen to honor Zora Arkus-Duntov and the original “race-ready” Z06 package that he was instrumental in developing for the 1963 Corvette.  Further paying homage to Duntov, Chevrolet engineers developed a new powerplant for the new Corvette flagship which carried the engine designation LS6 (which was the same engine designation given to Duntov’s famed 425 horsepower (gross) big-block V-8 that was originally offered, though only briefly, in 1971.)

The new Z06 started with a more powerful version of the Corvette’s LS1 V-8 engine. Designated the LS6, this engine employed a redesigned intake manifold with smoother internal passages. Revised cylinder heads incorporate better-flowing intake and exhaust ports, combustion chambers redesigned to reduce valve shrouding, and a higher compression ratio. New thin-walled cast-iron exhaust manifolds provided a smoother exit for the combustion products

Developed solely with the driving purist and racing enthusiasts in mind, it was no surprise when it was decided that the Z06 platform should only come equipped with a manual transmission.  As such, the Z06 was equipped with a new six-speed manual transmission gearbox which included more aggressive gearing than that found on the base coupe.  When mated with the LS6 engine, the Z06 powertrain was decisively more powerful than that of any Corvette which had come before it.

In addition to the improvements made to the power output of the Z06, a “weight savings” program helped further bolster the car’s performance numbers.  The weight reduction program included the aforementioned exhaust system, the replacement of the standard-issue car battery with a compact lead-acid battery and the replacement of the standard-issue automotive glass with a thinner windshield and backlight glass.  Overall, the Z06 weighed in at 36 pounds less than the former Fixed Roof Coupe and was 117 pounds lighter than the base model coupe.

Cosmetically, the Z06 Corvette was not much of a departure from the FRC Corvette that preceded it.  The most notable change that differentiated the Z06 from the Coupe was the replacement of the rear hatchback and deck lid with a closed cockpit that featured a backlight rear widow and the re-introduction of a functional, stand-alone trunk.

Photos of the 2001 Corvette:

While the 2000 C5 Corvette underwent little physical modification from that of its predecessor, it did receive some limited design changes as well as some unique enhancements that continued to perpetuate the car’s popularity both on the track and at the dealership

Pricing: $39,475.00 (coupe), $38,900.00 (FRC hardtop), $45,900.00 (convertible)

Engine options: LS1 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 169mph (Hardtop), 171mph (Coupe)

Units Produced: 33,682

Available Colors: Arctic White, Light Pewter Metallic, Sebring Silver Metallic, Nassau Blue Metallic, Navy Blue Metallic, Black, Torch Red, Millennium Yellow, Magnetic Red Metallic, Dark Bowling Green Metallic

Highlights of the year:

Corvette convertible. Pure magic. The only convertible that matters. In the beginning, there was only one Corvette: the convertible, a.k.a. roadster. Corvette has traveled far since that first Polo White, Powerglide ’53 Vette rolled off a makeshift Flint, Michigan, assembly line, but the magic endures in every graceful line of the 2000 convertible. A subtle hint of earlier classics – “Our future must start with our past,” says Corvette Chief Designer John Cafaro. “Each and every day, we live and breathe Corvette history. From memorable streetcars and significant race cars to forward-looking concept cars and design studies, we feel the presence of every Corvette that ever came before.”

Convertible details on the current car that evoke Vettes of an earlier era include a dramatic “waterfall” effect as the exterior body color sweeps down between the bucket seats; the sculpted “cove” through the front fenders and doors; and, of course, those four round taillamps. The structure makes the difference – there’s a reason the 2000 convertible feels so solid, so agile and so precise in its response to your driving input. This Corvette is substantially stiffer than the previous-generation Corvette convertible, and it also has a lower curb weight. Lateral shake is virtually gone, and the ride is impressively smooth.

Most of the other mechanical improvements for the 2000 Corvette centered around drivability and ride stability as well.  Engineering improvements were made to the Selective Real-Time Damping suspension.  These changes largely involved the introduction of new or revised algorithms integrated with a re-designed (softer) jounce bumper for ride and handling improvements.

A close examination of the most popular Corvette, the coupe, is revealing. The award-winning LS1 V8 engine is a 345-horsepower combination of refined smoothness and seemingly unending muscle. Variable-effort Magnasteer and “drive-by-wire” electronic throttle control provides a virtually seamless connection between driver and car. The innovative drivetrain layout – with the engine up front and the transmission in the back – contributes to superb weight balance and unexpectedly spacious interior. Standard features in every Corvette coupe include a one-piece removable roof panel, electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission (a 6-speed manual is optional), air conditioning, a theft-deterrent system with horn alarm, traction control and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS. And, the forged aluminum wheels are newly styled for 2000.  The new wheels were now fully forged with a flow-formed rim for greater durability, even though the new wheels featured thinner spokes than its predecessors.

Photos of the 2000 Corvette:

   

 

Sources:

https://www.corvsport.com/2000-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/corvette-specs/2000-corvette-specs/
https://www.corvsport.com/2000-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

 

From its inception in 1953, the Chevy Corvette has always been recognized as a vehicle that was a “step above the common car. Beginning with its earliest Motorama concept, to its first production models and beyond, the Corvette quickly became recognized and universally accepted as “America’s sports car” and, over time, became increasingly synonymous with the American dream – a dream in which every American could aspire to own a house, have 2.5 kids, and afford a sporty, two-seat, convertible coupe.

Pricing: $39,171.00 (coupe), $38,777.00 (FRC hardtop), $45,579.00 (convertible)

Engine options: LS1 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 169mph (Hardtop), 171mph (Coupe)

Units Produced: 33,270

Available Colors: Arctic White, Light Pewter Metallic, Sebring Silver Metallic, Nassau Blue Metallic, Navy Blue Metallic, Black, Torch Red, Magnetic Red Metallic

Highlights of the year:

Over time, the Corvette became a luxury item that fewer and fewer enthusiasts could readily afford to purchase.  While this helped add an aura of exclusivity to the car, it also caused some within the General Motors corporation to question whether the Corvette franchise was headed down a path where increasing exclusivity might actually bring about an even greater decline in sales.

It was from this concern that actions were put into motion during the early planning phases of the C5 Corvette.  Chevrolet had begun exploring the idea of creating a less-expensive, somewhat-stripped down variant of the C5 coupe that could be marketed as a “budget-conscious” Corvette.

While a few responded that there was a market for a budget-oriented Corvette, most agreed that developing a “cheaper” version of the very successful C5 would not only hurt sales of the other, more expensive variants, but It would also adversely impact the public’s perception of the Corvette.  It seemed that the exclusivity of Corvette ownership that many within GM feared would hurt sales numbers was actually the thing that helped promote them.

Despite this revelation about their flagship automobile, the concept of producing a “stripped-down” Corvette continued to be an appealing idea for the car’s development and marketing managers.  While sales campaigns would have to be selectively tailored to properly reflect the added benefit of purchasing a no-frills Corvette, it was decided that, for the 1999 model year, Chevrolet would move forward with a new variant of the Corvette – one that would focus on eliminating otherwise “unnecessary” features in favor of producing a performance-enhanced, reduced-weight vehicle.  It was with this notion that the C5 hardtop Corvette was born.

The hardtop is the first fixed-roof Corvette since the 1963-67 Sting Ray coupe. When the C5 was being developed three years ago, Chevy asked chief engi­neer Dave Hill to figure a way to make a cheaper Corvette. At the time, the factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, wasn’t selling all the Corvettes it could make. Hill says he looked at a C5 coupe’s one-by-four-inch-thick tubular steel roll hoop and imagined it fastened to the body of a con­vertible, covered by a lighter but stronger fixed panel without the heavy glass of the hatchback.

Originally, the hardtop was to be a stripper that would put a Corvette in at least double the number of driveways it occupied at the time, if not on every Amer­ican block. So prototypes were built with cloth-covered, manually operated seats; smaller 17-inch tires front and back; and a few other cost-saving tricks by Chevy. For example, these prototypes were built with the less-expensive four-speed auto­matic transmission (about 60 percent of Corvettes are sold with automatics). In these prototypes, the cost-cutters also left out the electronically variable shock-damping system, the traction control, and the brake-controlled active-handling stability system.

Every 1999 Corvette had a comprehensive standard safety package that included state-of-the-art dynamic stability technology as well as occupant protection features. This advanced safety package was the result of GM’s unmatched worldwide research and testing facilities. Standard occupant protection features included Next Generation driver and passenger airbags, safety/shoulder belts, front and rear crush zones, and safety cage construction with integral side door beams. Equally important were the advanced crash avoidance features standard in every Corvette. They included Daytime Running Lamps, ABS, and Traction Control.

There’s a reason one would feel secure in a 1999 Corvette. It was designed that way. Daytime Running Lamps are standard. These lamps (which operate in conjunction with turn signals) come on automatically to help other road-way users notice your oncoming vehicle during daylight hours. All the windows were tinted, and the windshield featured Solar-Ray glass, for reduced heat buildup. The high-strength windshield was made of lightweight, urethane-bonded laminated glass. Next Generation driver and passenger airbags supplement the lap/shoulder safety belt system to help restraint the driver and passenger in the event of a moderate to severe frontal impact. Drivers were advised to always wear safety belts, even with airbags. Audible front brake wear sensors gave indication when it was time to replace front brake pads. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS provide powerful stopping performance.

Total sales of the 1999 Corvette increased from the previous model year by more than two-thousand units, totaling 33,270 Corvettes in all. The Hardtop Coupe (FRC) Corvette certainly helped in this department, accounting for 4,031 of the total Corvettes sold that year. While Chevrolet’s focus continued to be to increase total units sold, 1999’s production run was certainly respectable – and promising that the Corvette’s long-term future looked increasingly optimistic.

Photos of the 1999 Corvette:

 

Sources:

https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/corvette-specs/1999-corvette-specs/
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15113873/1999-chevrolet-corvette-hardtop-road-test-review/
https://www.corvsport.com/1999-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvsport.com/1999-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

 

Despite the limited number of units produced in 1997, there was no question that the new C5 Corvette was anything less than a phenomenal success.  Enthusiasts and critics alike praised the car for its outward appearance, improved ergonomics, impressive drivability and handling, uncompromising performance capabilities, and its complete feeling of precision and quality.

Pricing: $37,495.00 (Coupe), $44,425.00 (Convertible)

Engine options: LS1 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Top speed: 175 mph

Units Produced: 31,084

Available Colors: Arctic White, Light Pewter Metallic, Sebring Silver Metallic, Pace Car Purple, Nassau Blue Metallic, Black, Light Carmine Red Metallic, Aztec Gold, Torch Red, Fairway Green Metallic, Medium Purple Pearl Metallic

Highlights of the year:

For its sophomore year, Chevrolet introduced an all-new convertible companion to the C5 coupe

The Corvette design team, working carefully to maximize the functionality of the available space on the car while focusing on developing a rag-top design that was more streamlined than earlier models, created a Corvette convertible that was both practical and very aesthetically pleasing.

In truth, the C5 Corvette had been engineered to accommodate a convertible top without the necessary heavy structural reinforcements most convertible cars require.

The benefit of this intentional design strategy was that the C5 Convertible would not require extensive reworking, it would weigh just one pound more than the coupe, and it would retain almost all of the structural rigidity of its coupe counterpart.

Additionally, the C5 convertible actually weighed 114 pounds less than the C4, yet it was four times more torsionally sound than its predecessor

For starters, the C5 convertible included a functional trunk and at 13.9 cubic feet, it was not just a small cubbyhole but rather a cargo area that provided genuine and practical functionality. And the C5’s expansive posterior came with many benefits, especially since it was fitted with the first proper trunk on a Corvette since the 1962 model. Thanks to the compact manual top and the run-flat tires that eliminate the need for a spare, this trunk was amazingly generous.

Among two-seaters, only the Porsche Boxster, with its top up, could equal the 11 cubic feet of luggage space offered by the C5 roadster with its top-down. And with its top-up, the C5 offered 14 cubic feet of trunk volume, more than any other convertible on the market at that time.

Other changes for 98 models both coupes and convertibles included clips on the window frames that raised the speed at which the glass pulls away from the weatherstripping, a fuel pump that doesn’t whine like a jet engine when cold, a quieter accessory drive on the engine, a shifter revised for smoother, less clunky operation, and a half-degree more caster in the front suspension to enhance steering stability.

The 1998 Corvette featured an impressive V8 engine. It goes – and it goes by the option code LS1. In designing the LS1, the Corvette team benchmarked competitors. One thing was certain. This V8 engine had to be a terrific balance of everything – horsepower, torque, fuel economy, smoothness, and durability.

A premium four-wheel anti-lock brake system is standard. This ABS V reduces wheel lockup while braking hard and is designed to help maintain steering control and help prevent the Corvette from skidding on most slippery surfaces. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard. This system operates via battery-powered sensors located inside the valve stem assembly of each tire. When a low- or high-pressure situation occurs in any of the tires, a warning message automatically appears on the Driver Information Center (DIC). Using the DIC, the Corvette driver can also check individual tire pressures while underway.

Considering the incredible reception that the 1997 Corvette received, it was really no surprise that the 1998 C5 convertible was very well received by enthusiasts and critics alike – so much so in fact that it was selected as the official pace car of the 1998 Indianapolis 500.

Sales numbers for the 1998 C5 Corvette were incredibly positive – and affirmed that the positive press and overwhelmingly positive response was more than just talk.  For its first full model year, a total of 31,084 units were sold – which equated to the highest production total of Corvettes in 12 years. Needless to say, General Motors was thrilled by the sales results and again, people were asking how the team responsible for the C5 Corvette were going to top their current efforts.

Photos of the 1998 Corvette:

  

 

Sources:

https://www.corvsport.com/1998-c5-corvette/
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15146916/1998-chevrolet-corvette-convertible-road-test/
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/learn/about-corvette/corvette-specs/1998-corvette-specs/
https://www.corvsport.com/1998-c5-corvette-image-gallery/

 

For Corvette enthusiasts all over the world, March 7, 1997, was a date that would be long remembered.  After the thirteen-year production run of the C4, Chevrolet had declared this date as the day that the first all-new Corvette would be made available for sale to the public.  Given the massive amount of fanfare that surrounded the arrival of the C5 Corvette, it was little wonder that there was such an overwhelming clamor for this amazing new variant of the legendary sports car.

The arrival of the C5 had been announced sometime earlier and there had certainly been plenty of information made available to consumers and enthusiasts alike long before its actual arrival.  The new Corvette was celebrated as “bringing a new level of sophistication to the franchise.”  Further, it was abundantly clear that this new Corvette was truly going to be unlike anything that had ever come before it.  While these types of catch-phrases were synonymous with the introduction of any new car – especially a sports car – there was a great deal of truth behind them, as would soon be discovered by the world over.”

Pricing: $37,495.00

Engine options: LS1 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Units Produced: 9,752

Available Colors: Arctic White, Sebring Silver Metallic, Nassau Blue Metallic, Black, Light Carmine Red Metallic, Torch Red, Fairway Green Metallic

Highlights of the year:

To begin with, the C5 Corvette had a completely new look that was at once elegant, seductive, and a testament to the long lineage of sports cars that proceeded it.

The C5 was longer and wider than its predecessor, but the relocation of the wheels to the corners of the car also aided in giving the C5 Corvette a very modern appearance.  The wheelbase had been increased from 96.2 inches to 104.5 inches, the overall length increased from 178.5 inches to 179.6 inches, the width increased from 70.7 inches to 73.6 inches, the height increased from 46.3 inches to 47.8 inches, and the track width had been extended 4.4 inches in the front and 2.9 inches at the rear.  These increases produced the aforementioned end result of placing the car’s wheels close to the corner of the Corvette’s chassis, which not only aided in the car’s contemporary appearance but also produced enhanced stability and gave the car a roomier interior. The rounded taillights, another throwback to the earliest Corvettes, gave the car an entire familiar appearance while still being a completely new design

Like the exterior, the C5’s interior was an almost complete departure from all earlier-generation Corvettes.  The cockpit was bigger, roomier, and more thoughtfully designed.  The four-inch-tall doorsills of the C4 were eliminated, thanks to a newly designed frame.  The end result of the elimination of these side rails meant that C5 owners would find ingress and egress to be no problem whatsoever.

But there was more to the Corvette than just the comforts of the cockpit or its ultra-sleek exterior.  It was built to perform with automobile contenders from around the world.

To start, the new Corvette was fitted with a newly designed, yet historically traditional pushrod, 16-valve small-block V8. Designated as the LS1, this new engine delivered 345bhp (brake-horsepower) at 5,600rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm

Perhaps one of the 1997 Corvette’s most significant achievements is that the C5 was immediately recognized as one of the fastest Corvettes of all time and was one of the fastest cars in the world that year.

Needless to say, the C5 was a success from the moment the first models hit the showroom floor.  The automotive press was, for the most part, very enthusiastic about the new car, favorably comparing it to such exotic counterparts as Porsche and Ferrari – and at a cost that was less than half of what its European counterparts, there were few who could criticize the Corvette for being anything less than the perfect blend of “emotion and intelligence.”

Surprisingly, given the demand for pre-sales of these cars, only a total of 9,752 C5 Corvettes were built in its 1997 model year.  This was not a critical concern to anybody within General Motors though because future orders were increasing exponentially.  Besides, the production constrained 1997 Corvette had another variable working against it – namely that the model year had started late for the C5 Corvette.  Still, the Corvette was selling briskly for the first time in more than a decade.

Photos of the 1997 Corvette:

 

 

Sources:

https://www.corvsport.com/1997-c5-corvette/
https://www.corvsport.com/1997-c5-corvette-image-gallery/