The Chevrolet Corvette (C5) is the fifth generation of the

Corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

sports car A sports car is a type of automobile that is designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as Automobile handling, handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving, and Auto racing, racing capability. Sports cars originated in ...

, produced by the

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

division of

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

for the 1997 through 2004

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated as MY) is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

s. Production variants include the high performance Z06. Racing variants include the C5-R, a

24 Hours of Daytona The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car racing, sports car Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Flo ...

and

24 Hours of Le Mans The 24 Hours of Le Mans () is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the city of Le Mans, France. It is widely considered to be one of the world's most prestigious races, and is one of the races—along with ...

GTS/GT1 winner. The C5 Corvette was the first GM vehicle to feature the third generation small block "LS" engines.

Pop-up headlights Hidden headlamps, also commonly known as pop-up headlamps, pop-up headlights, flip-eye headlamps, or hideaway headlights, are a form of automotive lighting and an automotive styling feature that conceals an automobile's headlamps when they are no ...

were featured on a Corvette for the final time during this generation.

Overview

The C5 was unveiled on January 6, 1997 at the

North American International Auto Show The Detroit Auto Show, formerly known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan. Hosted at Huntington Place (formerly Cobo Center) since 1965, it is among the largest auto shows in ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. The fifth generation was originally intended to debut in 1993 to celebrate the Corvette's 40th anniversary, but it was delayed by financial troubles and changes in staff within GM. A major change from its predecessor the C4, the C5 had a

hydroformed Hydroforming is a means of shaping ductile metals such as aluminium, brass, low alloy steel, and stainless steel into lightweight, structurally stiff and strong pieces. One of the largest applications of cost-effective hydroforming is the automot ...

box frame, a design that offered an improved structural platform, especially for a convertible bodystyle. To improve handling, the transmission was relocated to form an integrated, rear-mounted

transaxle A transaxle is single mechanical device which combines the functions of an automobile's transmission (mechanics), transmission, axle, and differential (mechanics), differential into one integrated assembly. It can be produced in both manual tra ...

assembly. Connected to the all-new LS1 engine via a

torque tube A torque tube system is a power transmission and braking technology that involves a stationary housing around the drive shaft, often used in automobiles with a front engine and rear drive. The torque tube consists of a large diameter stationary ...

, the engine/transmission arrangement enabled a 50-50% front-rear weight distribution. The LS1 engine initially produced , subsequently increased in 2001 to . The 4L60-E

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions. The 1904 ...

carried over from previous models, but the manual was replaced by a Borg-Warner T-56 6-speed capable of a top speed. Relative to the C4, the new platform and structural design substantially reduced squeaks and rattles. In the inaugural model year (1997), only the fastback coupé (more like a hatchback coupé) was offered, with the convertible – the first to offer a trunk since 1962 – following later in August 1997 for MY 1998. In the summer of 1998, a third bodystyle, the

hardtop A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, typically metal, and integral to the vehicle's design, strength, and style. The term typically applies to a pillarless hardtop, a car body style without a B-pillar. The term "pillared hardtop" was ...

(also referred to as the "fixed-roof coupé" or "FRC"), was added to the 1999 MY lineup. This bodystyle, as its name suggests, featured a fixed top (no removable

targa top Targa top, or targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full-width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Pors ...

panel as with the fastback coupé) with a roofline shape and trunk space similar to that of the convertible, as well as a distinctive

notchback A notchback is a car design with the rear section distinct from the passenger compartment and where the back of the passenger compartment is at an angle to the top of what is typically the rear baggage compartment. Notchback cars have "a trunk w ...

-style rear window. Aside from cosmetic differences (new wheel styles, paint colors, pace car/commemorative editions in 1998, 2003, and 2004, etc.), engine power increase, and new offerings for optional equipment, there were few fundamental changes from one model year to the next within the production run of the C5. One of the more popular "high-tech" options introduced in the Corvette line was a

head-up display A head-up display, or heads-up display, also known as a HUD () or head-up guidance system (HGS), is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. The origin of the name stems from a ...

or HUD, while another innovation was the Active Handling System (first available as an option for 1998, then standard on all 2001 models). The C5 was also the first Corvette to incorporate a

drive-by-wire Drive by wire or DbW in the automotive industry is the technology that uses electronics or electro-mechanical systems in place of mechanical linkages to control driving functions. The concept is similar to fly-by-wire in the aviation industry. ...

throttle; and variable-effort steering, whereby the assist level of the power steering is varied according to vehicle speed (more at lower speeds, less at higher speeds). Also notable, though rarely discussed, the C5 generation was the first model to adopt the parallel or 'tandem' windshield wiper configuration, abandoning the opposed configuration that was used on every previous Corvette model since the first in 1953. In contrast to the reputation of high-performance vehicles for poor fuel economy, the C5 achieves comparatively high EPA ratings of / mpg (city/highway) with the automatic transmission and / with the manual transmission,Both manual and automatic figures are the original ratings given on stickers at the time, before the EPA's rating changes in 2008. Se
"2008 Fuel Economy Tests" at fueleconomy.gov
for details. allowing it to avoid the "

gas guzzler The fuel economy of an automobile relates to the distance traveled by a vehicle and the amount of fuel consumed. Consumption can be expressed in terms of the volume of fuel to travel a distance, or the distance traveled per unit volume of fue ...

" tax that is levied against most other vehicles in the Corvette's class. A number of factors are responsible for this: the relatively light weight of the C5 (a curb weight under ; Chevrolet went so far as to omit the spare tire as a weight-saving measure, relying upon

run-flat tire A run-flat tire is a pneumatic vehicle tire designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, allowing the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds for limited distances. First developed by tire manufacturer Michelin in the 1930 ...

s instead); the C5's low drag coefficient; and the vehicle's tendency to upshift into the higher gears as soon as possible. The manual transmission's Computer-Aided Gear Shifting results in an obligatory shift from 1st gear directly into 4th gear under certain driving conditions; the system can be deactivated through PCM tuning or the use of an aftermarket device. Suspension choices for the base model C5 were limited to the standard suspension ( RPO FE1), with options for either the

autocross Autocross is a form of motorsport in which competitors are timed to complete a short course using automobiles on a dirt or grass surface, excepting where sealed surfaces are used in United States. Rules vary according to the governing or sanctioni ...

-inspired FE3 Sport Suspension (included with the Z51 Performance & Handling Package and standard on the 1999–2000 FRC) or the F45 Selective Ride Control Suspension, which permitted "on-the-fly" driver selection of different ride characteristics (Tour, Sport, and Performance). Late in the production run (starting with the 2003 model year), the F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Suspension replaced the F45 as the third suspension choice. The racing-inspired FE4 suspension used for the Z06 is stiffer than any offered on the base model C5, and is unique to that model with no optional suspension offered. The C5's suspension consisted of independent unequal-length double wishbones with transverse fiberglass mono-leaf springs and optional

magnetorheological damper A magnetorheological damper or magnetorheological shock absorber is a shock absorber, damper filled with magnetorheological fluid, which is controlled by a magnetic field, usually using an electromagnet.Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and the Ferrari 355. A composite of published performance numbers for the base-model coupé and convertible gives a 0–60 mph time of around 4.5 seconds, and a standing quarter-mile time of around 13.3 seconds at 108 mph (both times for a vehicle equipped with the 6-speed manual transmission). The C5's modular body panels use a lightweight composite material known in the automotive industry as SMC or Sheet Molded Composite, a type of fiberglass that is blended and bonded with resins. SMC provides better protection against direct blows because it is very stiff and will not dent. The floor boards on the C5 are a composite consisting of SMC with balsa wood in the middle. Balsa wood was chosen for its stiffness, light weight, and sound absorption qualities. The all aluminium LS1 overhead valve engine is much lighter than its bi-metal (cast iron block, aluminum heads) predecessor, the LT1, and provides for a much lower hoodline when compared to an overhead cam design of relative displacement. The composite leaf springs are much lighter and sit much lower than typical coil springs and help provide the C5 with its smooth ride characteristics and low ride height. Ending production on July 2, 2004, the C5 became both the last generation of Corvette, and alongside the

Lotus Esprit The Lotus Esprit is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at their Hethel, England factory. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Together with the Lotus Elise / Exige, it is one of Lotus' most long-lived models. Th ...

(the last Esprit rolled off the production line on February 20, 2004), the last car overall to use

pop-up headlamps Hidden headlamps, also commonly known as pop-up headlamps, pop-up headlights, flip-eye headlamps, or hideaway headlights, are a form of automotive lighting and an automotive styling feature that conceals an automobile's headlamps when they are n ...

Z06

A successor to the ZR-1 made its debut in 2001 as the Z06, giving a nod to the high-performance Z06 version of the C2 Corvette of the 1960s. The Z06 uses a tuned version of the standard LS1 engine (designated the LS6), with a higher power output of , later bumped to starting in 2002. Although its total output was less than that of the previous late model ZR-1, the Z06 was much lighter, and could out-perform the ZR-1 in every category except top speed. It also cost substantially less than the ZR-1. The Z06 had a total curb weight of . The Z06 model was only available with the six-speed manual transmission. 2025-02-24 at 11

Chevrolet engineered several modifications for the Z06 to put the increased power to its best use, starting with the most structurally rigid bodystyle — the hardtop or FRC ( Fixed Roof Coupé). The new components added to the Z06 included: uprated FE4 suspension, larger wheels and tires, revised gearing ratios, and functional brake cooling ducts. The Z06 is lighter than a standard C5 hatchback coupe due to weight-saving measures such as a titanium exhaust system, thinner glass, lighter wheels, non-EMT tires, reduced sound proofing, fixed rear radio aerial, and a lighter battery. Starting with the 2002 model year, power was increased to at 6,000 rpm and of torque at 4,800 rpm, due to a larger air intake, stiffer valve springs, lighter sodium filled valves, more aggressive camshaft lift and timing, and a less restricted exhaust that eschewed the use of pre-catalytic converters. The 2004 Z06 Commemorative Edition was equipped with a carbon fiber hood, saving an additional of weight. Other unique characteristics of the Z16 (Commemorative Edition Z06) are the polished aluminum wheels, special paint color and striping, commemorative-edition badging and wheel center caps. The Z16 also received revised shock damping tuning for improved handling. The Z16 option accounted for the majority of Z06 Corvettes in 2004, totaling 2,025 units, with 325 units shipped overseas. The performance figures for the version of the Z06 include an acceleration time from 0– in 3.9 seconds and 11.9 seconds in the as tested by GM High-Tech Performance magazine in October 2004. The top speed of the Z06 has been recorded to be .

Known issues

Common failure points on all C5 Corvettes include the hazard switch, fuel tank level sensors (requires cleaning due to dirty gas sulfur deposits), and steering column lock message (an aftermarket fix exists). Other issues are tied to some parts that are no longer produced, and not necessarily reliability of parts. The Electronic Braking Control Module (EBCM) for example, is a part no longer produced by GM. On C5 Corvettes made before 2001, a failing ECBM module must be replaced outright. Model year 2001 and newer C5 Corvettes can have their EBCMs serviced in some, but not all, cases. Some 2004 Corvettes have a redesigned fuel tank system which makes repair very labor intensive and expensive. Valve spring failures are known to affect late production 2002-mid 2003 Z06s. The permanent fix is replacing the original yellow valve springs with inexpensive redesigned OEM GM valve springs, or with aftermarket valve springs.

Special editions

Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Replica

In 1998, the newly introduced convertible version of the C5 was chosen as the Pace Car for the Indianapolis 500 race, and a Pace Car Replica (RPO Z4Z) was offered to the public. Aside from lacking the equipment necessary for actual pace car duties (

light bar Emergency vehicle lighting, also known as simply emergency lighting or emergency lights, is a type of Automotive lighting, vehicle lighting used to visually announce a vehicle's presence to other road users. A sub-type of emergency vehicle equipme ...

, special racing harnesses, etc.), there was little difference between the Pace Car Replica C5 and the vehicle that actually saw duty during the race. The Pace Car Replica package consisted of a special paint color ("Radar Blue"), unique interior colors (black and yellow), painted yellow wheels, and special pace car decals. The Pace Car Replica package also included other optional equipment: the newly introduced Active Handling System (RPO JL4); an electronically tuned AM/FM radio with CD player and a

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speaker system; an electronic dual-zone heating & air conditioning system; and leather adjustable sport bucket seats. While regarded by many as the most garish Corvette appearance package offered to date, the 1998 Pace Car Replicas nevertheless enjoy a strong and loyal following of owners and collectors.

50th Anniversary Edition

A 50th Anniversary Edition (RPO Z25) was offered during the 2003 model year to commemorate a half-century of Corvette production. Available in convertible and coupé models, the 50th Anniversary Edition came with a special shade of red paint ("Anniversary Red Metallic") and shale two-tone leather interior; Anniversary Edition convertibles were adorned with a shale-colored soft top as well. A new option for Corvette in 2003, the F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Suspension was standard on the 1SC-equipped Anniversary Edition vehicles. Special ("Warm Nickel Metallic") painted aluminum wheels, embroidered upholstery trim, and badges completed the Anniversary Edition package. Also included were all of the convenience options offered on the upscale Corvette models such as the head-up display. Indy500pacecar2002

A slightly modified 50th Anniversary Edition Corvette was chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500 race in May 2002; then the production vehicle became a centerpiece of the subsequent 50th Anniversary Celebration, sponsored by Chevrolet. Festivities included gatherings in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...

, and

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

. Thousands of Corvettes and their owners arrived from all over the country to participate in the events marking the vehicle's 50th year of production.

Chevrolet Corvette Moray concept (2003)

The Corvette Moray is a concept car based on the Corvette coupe and designed by Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro of

Italdesign Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. () is a design and engineering company and brand based in Moncalieri, Italy, that traces its roots to the 1968 foundation of Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A. by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani. Best ...

, commemorating 50 years of the Chevrolet Corvette. It included a 6.0 litre V8 engine, door window half dome, and

gull-wing door In the automotive industry, a gull-wing door, also known as a falcon-wing door, McLaren anhedral door, or an up-door, is a car door that is hinged at the roof rather than the side, as pioneered by Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, first as a race car in ...

s hinged at the rear pillar. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show.

24 Hours of Le Mans Commemorative Edition

2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Commemorative Edition

During the 2004 model year, a 24 Hours of Le Mans Commemorative Edition package (RPO's Z15 & Z16) were offered as an option for all three C5 models (fastback coupé, convertible, Z06) in celebration of the C5-R "1–2" in-class finishes at

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

. The package consisted of a special paint color ("Le Mans Blue Metallic"); shale two-tone leather interior (coupés and convertibles only); and wide, silver-and-red stripes optionally applied down the center of the car (Z06 only). Commemorative Edition convertibles received a shale-colored soft top, and the Z06 version (dubbed the "Z16" after its RPO for the Le Mans Commemorative Edition) received a carbon fiber hood as a further weight-reduction measure. Special commemorative badging, headrest embroidery, and brightly polished wheel (a first on the Z06) with unique center caps completed the package. There were 2,025 Commemorative Edition (RPO Z16) Z06's built in 2004. The VIN's were sequenced numbers ranging from the first 100013, to the last 132518.

C5-R

The C5-R was a racecar built by

Pratt & Miller Pratt Miller Engineering, formerly known as Pratt & Miller, is an American company involved in the automotive and arms industries. It was founded by Gary Pratt and Jim Miller in 1989. A defense division was added in 2013 and the company was ...

for GM Racing. It was based on the C5 road car but had a longer wheelbase, wider track, an enlarged 7.0 L V8 and different bodywork with exposed headlamps. It was raced in the

American Le Mans Series The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) was a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consisted of a series of Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le M ...

in the GTS (later GT1) class, the

Rolex Sports Car Series The Rolex Sports Car Series was the premier series run by the Grand American Road Racing Association. It was a North American-based sports car series founded in 2000 under the name Grand American Road Racing Championship to replace the failed ...

in the GTS (later GTO) class, land has been to four

races. * 2001 The car's 2001 racing season produced eight victories in ten races, including an overall win in the

and a one-two finish in the GTS class at Le Mans. * 2002 In 2002 the C5-R repeated its one-two victory at Le Mans and also dominated the GTS class in the American Le Mans Series. A new transaxle unit replaced the previous year's separate transmission and differential. Corvette faced stiff competition from the new

Prodrive Prodrive is an England, English motorsport and advanced engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. History Prodrive was founded in 1984 by Ian Parry and David Richards (motorsport executive), David Richards. Prodrive sold its 51% s ...

Ferrari 550 The Ferrari 550 Maranello (''tipo'' F133) is a front-engine V12 2-seat grand tourer built by Ferrari from 1996 to 2002. The 550 Maranello marked Ferrari's return to a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout for its 2-seater 12-cylinder model, 23 y ...

, which led for most of race but had problems late, leaving the victory to Corvette. * 2003 In 2003, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest placed additional restrictions on all 24 Hours of Le Mans competitors, reducing power by 10% in an attempt to slow the cars. At the 2003 season-opening

12 Hours of Sebring The 12 Hours of Sebring is an annual motorsport Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance race for Sports car racing, sports cars held at Sebring International Raceway, on the site of the former Hendricks Army Airfield World War II air base in S ...

race, the C5-Rs remained in winning form, with one of them finishing first in class and eighth overall. Also in 2003 the yellow paint was dropped in favor of a special red, white, and blue color scheme to commemorate the Corvette's 50th anniversary. However, at Le Mans the Prodrive Ferraris spoiled the anniversary and hopes for a three-in-a-row victory in the GTS class. * 2004 Corvette C5-R came back in 2004 and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in their class. The Prodrive Ferrari led most of the race, but with under 12 hours to go both the Prodrive cars had problems causing them to pit and lose laps. The Corvettes went on to finish 1–2, with the No. 64 car finishing 16 laps ahead of the lead Ferrari. * 2005 Although in the process of becoming superseded by the C6-R, the Corvette C5-R was not finished with its racing successes. In

FIA GT The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout ...

, the new Corvette Europe team won races at Imola and Zhuhai. The Euro team also managed a number of podium finishes. In the ALMS, the Pacific Coast Racing team achieved some podiums behind the factory C6-R. * 2006 The C5-R returned to Le Mans (France) for the first time as a non-factory entry, run by Le Mans regular Luc Alphand. It finished third in the GT1 class behind the C6-R and Prodrive

Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings PLC () is a British manufacturer of Luxury car, luxury sports cars and grand tourers. Its predecessor was founded in 1913 by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Headed from 1947 by David Brown (entrepreneur ...

. * 2007 Alphand's squad again ran the C5-R at the Le Mans 24 Hour race, in pairing with a C6-R acquired from Corvette Racing.

Production notes

References

External links

1997–2004 Chevrolet Corvette: Overview

Chevrolet Corvette at the Open Directory Project
{{Corvette timeline C5 Cars introduced in 1997 Cars discontinued in 2004 2000s cars Rear-wheel-drive vehicles