In profile, the CS is low in front and a little heavy in the rump, as if it were mid-engined. To many eyes, however, there are a few styling genes from the Mazda RX-7 and Pontiac Firebird evident in its low, rounded, twin-nostriled front end. This combination of speed, utility, and solidity is clothed in completely new bodywork-still fiberglass, of course-that is both sleek and reminiscent of past Corvettes. Despite its newfound comfort and practicality, the CS is, without question, one of the fastest Corvettes ever. In fact, we've tested relatively slow ZR-ls that could barely keep up with the new CS. Even the hotted-up LT4-engined car we tested last year could only run 13.7 at 104 and top out at 168. The quickest LTl-engined C4 we've ever tested needed 13.6 seconds at 104 mph to cover the quarter. Jim Ingle, a Corvette development engineer and known straight shooter, assured us that he's seen 175 mph at the 7.5-mile Transportation Research Center's oval in Ohio. We were only able to reach 130 mph within the short confines of the drag strip, and that figure came up in 20.5 seconds, but Chevrolet claims a top speed of 172 mph. We're happy to report that in the pursuit of their kinder and gentler priorities, Dave Hill and his team have not forgotten that speed is central to the Corvette experience.ĭespite a softer launch at Atlanta Dragway than we normally achieve at our sticky test track in Michigan, the preproduction 1997 Corvette hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and 100 mph in 11.4 seconds and swallowed up the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 108 mph. The new model seems glued to the road, without transmitting all surface imperfections to its occupants.Īs valuable as these improvements are, however, they would be worthless had they been achieved at the expense of performance. Meanwhile, luggage space has doubled to 25 cubic feet, more than a Saab 900's.Ĭompletely new suspension geometry at both ends has greatly reduced the C4's tendency to be pummeled by potholes, deflected by crowned roads, and upset by truck grooves on the road. The pop-out roof panel is now attached with three hand levers rather than four bolts and a ratchet wrench. In addition to offering more room for large people, a lower sill and a taller roofline make it easier to enter and exit. By using fewer, larger parts, the C5 is inherently more solid.ĭespite the reduction in the number of parts, the C5 has grown: slightly on the outside, substantially inside. Among the items eliminated were 34 percent of the total number of parts in the C4. From day one, he assigned an engineer to do nothing but optimize the design and assembly of every part to eliminate unwanted noise. The stiffer structure does much to reduce the squeaks and rattles that have always plagued Corvettes, but chief engineer Dave Hill didn't stop there. Furthermore, this stiffness only drops to 21 hertz when the roof panel is removed. Its natural frequency measures 23 hertz, close to the Mercedes E320's and the Oldsmobile Aurora's, which are among the stiffest cars in the world. From the February 1997 issue of Car and Driver.Ĭhevrolet has presented new Corvettes that have stimulated our cranial synapses with exotic new technology, elevated our pulses with bump-and-grind styling, and sent our adrenal glands into overload with tire-scorching performance, but this new 1997 model is the first Corvette that presses all of our livable and useful buttons with its relentless attention to detail and meticulous engineering.ĭubbed the C5 because it is the fifth-generation Corvette, the new model uses a structure that is four times as stiff as the C4 chassis.
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