C5 was great and each subsequent gen were all big improvements, but all have their roots in the C4 design.

 

After listening to everyone i tend to agree that the C4 was most changed over the previous year. If you saw a new Corvette in 1984 and were not told you might not even know it was a Corvette. I guess part of the big change may have to do with fact that 16 years had gone bye since the last change and the automotive industry was vastly different than it was in 1968.

 

Only the body was changed completely for C2 to C3.
The chassis remained virtually the same for C2 (1963-'67 until the last C-3 (1982). Even the engines were pretty much either dervived from the original small block (actually 1955) and the big blocks of 65 and up. Yeah, in '65 they went to 4 wheel disk brakes, and they went to a fiberglass rear spring in the 80's.

The c-3 to c-4 was likely the biggest transition, as virtually no part were interchangeable for one to the other, The same was true for c-4 to c-5 transition, and c-6 to C7.

 

Not to mention that there was virtually ZERO to look forward to in the early 80s other than Ferrari and other European exotics. It was truly a dreadful time to be an enthusiast.

Have a good one,
Mike

 

You are acting like the C8 will replace the C7. I'll see that to believe it. I feel totally certain it will be a separate model and not a C anything.

 

I believe the 68 C3 was far more different than the C2 mid years than any other generation change.

 

In what ways? The suspension and brakes were the same design; the engines were the same design (although executed fabulously). Interior didn't have anything remarkably different. Am I missing something?

Don't get me wrong, the early sharks made/make me drool! But from a design POV?

Have a good one,
Mike

 

Clearly, especially in the looks department. It was a complete change in looks. The mid-years were incremental, and often boring. The C5 to C6 represented real change, but the C6 to C7 is just incremental. Now if you want to talk interior, maybe we ought to talk C7 because that was a major change in quality and looks.

 

i agree with Shakinrock i also had a c5 c6 now c7 also drove a 66 alot back in 67-68

 

You're very wrong.
Virtually nothing but the body and interior changed from 67-68.
Drive train, brakes, engine,were not re-engineered until the 84 (C-4) came out.

 

The C-5 and C-6 are of virtually the same design too.

 

All these "experts" with hardly any real knowledge of early Vettes.

 

I think the C7 was biggest change

 

IMHO, the biggest change between generations was between the C4 and C5. For example, the C5 was a much simpler car and had about 1500 less parts. The C5 also featured the introduction of the LS1 engine, which proved to be a reliable and durable engine.

 

Didn't the '84 C4 have the same engine as the '82 C3?

 

Yes, but only one year. L98 engine (port injection) came out in '85. IMO a big game-changer; carbs/TBI never to be seen again.

Have a good one,
Mike

 

They did both had the crossfire injection small block, that is pretty much the end of it . In '85 the crossfire was replaced with the tuned port.

 

The C4 incorporated the biggest changes in my opinion. It was the first to have electronic port fuel injection, first to have anti-lock brakes, traction control, first digital dash, first production Corvette to achieve 1G on the skid pad, and many other firsts, I'm sure.

And lets not forget the famous C4 version ZR1 with its Lotus designed engine featuring 4 overhead cam shafts and 32 valves producing 375 horses. Lotus also designed the suspension. That car was a beast.

It seems the C4 came along about the time computer based engineering was hitting its stride and improvements escalated with the power of computers, both on-board in the car and on the desks of engineers.

I've had an '89 coupe for 17 years and its been a fun car.

 

Here’s my take on it:

The C2 was huge, new chassis, coupe body, disc brakes, big block engine, major advances in almost every area and legendary radical styling changes.

C3 was a rebody of the C2, not much going on here.

C4 was an under preformer for the first half of its run and suffered from a limber chassis and so-so brakes for many of its years not to mention that it lasted at least five years past its sell-by date. None the less it was an advancement over the C3.

The C5 was the Corvette’s leap into relevance. A modern high strength chassis, major advances in quality and performance across the board. Oh, and the introduction of the modern small block engine. Read the book “All Corvettes are Red”, the C5 saved the Corvette.

C6 is an improved and refined C5, what’s not to like? A great car but not revolutionary.

The C7 is a great car (I hope to get a C7 GS in about 20 months or so) and a major advancement over the C6 but it’s not revolutionary. It’s an awesome car but not revolutionary.

To me it always comes down to the C2 and the C5 with the winner determined more by your own subjective criteria than some objective metric. The C2 was a huge advancement and absolutely fundamental to establishing the Corvette as America’s preeminent performance vehicle. But here’s the thing, GM was, by most measures, going to pull the plug on the Corvette. Money was tight in the early 90’s and the Corvette nearly died. If it wasn’t for back door support from the Chevrolet Division and a lot of rule bending by Team Corvette there would have been no C5 or C6 or C7 or C8. The C5 had to be good for Corvette to survive, fortunately it was better than good it was exceptional. Thanks to the “beyond the call of duty” commitment of the C5 Corvette Team we still have a Corvette.

The C5 wins. Just read the book “All Corvettes are Red” it’s a must have for any Corvette true believer.

 

I am going with the C7!