Daily Slideshow: C5 Corvette Styling Changes over the Years
Chevy brought along many welcome changes when it introduced the 5th generation Corvette. Here's how to tell them all apart!
1997: Brave New Corvette World
As revolutionary as the C4 was, the C5 proved to be a quantum leap forward. This was an entirely new car, from the chassis to the body to the drivetrain. But despite all this newness, the C5 was immediately recognizable as a Corvette. There were still four round taillights out back, along with the familiar Coke bottle shape first introduced on the C3. Heck, Chevy even brought back the C1's "coves," though they weren't exactly the same!
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1998: Drop That Top!
With only one year of production under its belt, the 1998 Corvette obviously didn't see many visual changes. But it did mark the return of the convertible, something Chevy neglected to offer in 1997. That new drop-top featured another nod to Corvette past - a "waterfall" interior treatment behind the seats that's designed to look like the C1. And for the fourth time, the Corvette was chosen to pace the Indy 500, resulting in another limited edition run of cars sporting a black/yellow color scheme and special graphics.
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1999: Corvette Hat Trick
Not resting on its laurels, Chevrolet introduced a third Corvette body style in 1999 to complement the coupe and convertible - a hardtop! The hardtop Corvette was actually lighter than the coupe, though slightly less aerodynamic. Since it wasn't a completely open car, it was quite rigid, too. And since it was cheaper to build, it was cheaper to buy, too! But perhaps more significantly, the new hardtop was the first Corvette since 1967 that wasn't an open car.
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2000: Taking a Break
After three straight years of bombshells, Corvette designers and engineers took a break in 2000. Essentially everything related to styling carried over, save for newly optional polished aluminum wheels (option code RPO QF5).
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2001-2002: Return of a Legend
The biggest news for 2001, of course, was the much-anticipated return of the Z06. Aside from its many performance mods, the Z06 isn't difficult to spot when compared to its more normal Corvette brethren. Aside from specially designed Goodyear F1 Supercar tires, the Z06 came with a mesh wire screen used for rear brake cooling and in the front to aid air intake, star-shaped aluminum wheels, and red brake calipers. 2002 Z06 Corvettes proudly announced their power increase with front fender badges, making them easily distinguishable from 2001 models.
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2003: 50 Years of Excellence
2003 was a milestone year for the Corvette, marking 50 years of production. Which, of course, meant that customers could opt for option code RPO 1SC, the 50th Anniversary Edition Corvette. Spending that extra $5,000 netted you a special Anniversary Red paint color with a Shale interior and convertible top. All 2003 Corvettes came with 50th Anniversary emblems on the nose and front fender. And for the 5th time, the Corvette was chosen to pace the Indy 500. But this time no pace car replicas were offered, though customers could purchase a decal package for $495.
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2004: Retirement Celebration
From 2000-2003, the C5-R Corvette had racked up impressive finishes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To celebrate that success, Chevrolet offered a Commemorative Edition Corvette in 2004. This special 'Vette featured a Le Mans blue paint job with silver and red center stripes, special badges on the rear deck and front bumper, embroidered seats, a Shale interior and convertible top, and a convertible-only waterfall-mounted emblem. If you opted for the Z06 Commemorative Edition, you also got a set of polished aluminum wheels.
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