Motorweek; 1625

The. This time on Motor Week it's Corvettes galore as we test our hot new 97 plastic fantastic dragon panel look at how Corvettes evolved to have all that's new from the Chicago Auto Show. So come drive with us next. Because original automotive magazine.

Your host for the week. Hello and welcome again to motor week. We're glad to have you with us. We're in Bowling Green Kentucky at the National Corvette Museum where this week we take a special look at the long awaited fifth generation of Chevrolet's all-American sports car. The 1997 Corvette throughout its development Chevrolet has been on the usually tight lipped offering nary a peek of the new Corvette until it was officially unveiled at Detroit's auto show in January. Well now the wraps are off and they reveal a car that's revolutionary in both form and substance. So the only question that remains is Will traditional loyal Corvette fans take up this new call to arms. It was way back in 1988 that the first rumors began circulating that a new Chevrolet Corvette was in the works and they were true but internal strife and

financial upheavals kept the C-5 project in development limbo for nearly eight years before ever seeing the light of day. But for all that time Corvette lovers within GM labored in back rooms and basement studios knowing that a project like that for a vet happens maybe once in a career and this one was going to be done right no matter what. From the beginning chief designer John to far out kind of vision of how the fifth generation Corvette should look. And by sticking to his guns that vision is on the street today. The bold sweeping curves seemingly rise right from the ground and an arc up to the aircraft inspired canopy from their single dominant lining compas is the windshield roof and rear hatch on a sharp downward angle and forward reaching curve marks the rear designed almost willing the car into action taken over all the shake appears clean and uncluttered. But look closer and many nuances in the design appear. The Double Bubble roof line. The other

side did for treatment and the high fenders and inward slope of the hood the stretch styling doesn't appeal to everyone from all angles but it says for that loud and clear and no one can fault that once the shape was decided upon attention was focused on the chassis and no GM car ever placed it. Hopper set of criteria this format was expected to be the bionic man of sports cars lighter faster stronger and by the way cheaper to accomplish that Corvette engineers used a lightweight steel space frame with a central backbone like tunnel. The single piece side rails are set low for easier access to the cockpit. And making that cockpit floor from a sandwich of fiberglass and balsa wood added tremendous stiffness and made the car like your at night or get. Back to the simple business. Solid and rattle and one street car on the market from the first turn of the wheel we were amazed at the smooth quiet performance. No longer must work

that driver's brain gender poaching potholes or be distracted by annoying buzzes and shakes. It must simply be driven to be believed. And facing that lucky driver is a handsome set of analogue not digital gauges smaller dials are set on different planes for striking visual statement. All controls fall easily to hand even at night and all surfaces have a soft inexpensive feel. Great care was taken in the details of this layout and it shows the driver and passenger will appreciate the increased leg and hip room and the more comfortable seats stretching the wheel base by over eight inches and widening the track by three has freed up a lot of space and space is what you'll find under the rear hatch. Also space for two doff bags or real load of luggage left over is still high by necessity. The access is easier through the wide uncluttered opening using up power plants the ultimate American icon is no easy task.

The one thing the engineers knew for sure. That had to be a light compact Ph. There's just no mistaking the Bush run lusty exhaust rumble and nose. Run. So we have all the LS one engine. It's still a small block 350 it's hard but an all new aluminum design capable of 345 horsepower and 350 pound feet of torque best of all it does this Ros still delivering up to 28 mpg on the highway. The Corvette delivers on the bottom line to the base price of thirty eight thousand sixty eight dollars. It's practically unchanged from the model it replaces. Expect a new convertible soon while rumors persist about a lower cost through coupe. A 1997 Chevrolet Corvette is indeed here at last and stands as a proud testament to the passion and persistence of the engineers that coaxed it into being so well enthusiastic embrace the new bat. Well as far as we're concerned the line starts right here.

The very first Corvettes debuted in 1953 and were a sports car in name only. Their quasi European styling delight their humble six cylinder power and two speed automatic transmission as the 50s progressed. Styling assumed the character of its own with a new body style to match its now standard in 1956 and quad headlights for the 1958 model. In 1961 the now famous twin clusters debuted on the well-received boat tailed bats which proved to be a harbinger of things to come. Certainly the image car for Chevrolet but it's also much more the Corvette platform has always been used as a test bed for engineering and manufacturing techniques that might trickle down to other General Motors cars. So the Corvette has seen a lot of evolution over four decades. Well our resident Corvette aficionados Pat Dawson crags. I've been studying what's under the skin of the C-5 and the path they've got in there. Five point seven leaders 345 horsepower three hundred fifty

pound feet of torque. Yeah and over one hundred seventy miles an hour. This car is a far cry from the humble beginnings of the original Corvette. And home is the right word I mean this engine was originally used in their trucks right. That's right and even by 1953 standards the first year for the Corvette you had only 140 net horsepower even with carburetors which you got a year you'll slip and slide with Powerglide it has like two speed automatic transmission right which is not exactly a sports car set up course and each corner you've got drum brakes which even compared to like an Xscape 120 Jaguar. This car did not slow down very well for the corners didn't make any difference though it didn't go around corners that well you know it had an antiquated truck derived suspension system using kingpins of all things. Really made about 300 of them. They sold a little over half. Well that probably would have been the end of it right there if it hadn't been for rumors of the Thunderbird coming on the same. Well I guess what the Corvette needed was a

V-8. Well what they really needed was the input of the artist on top of. The Corvette got a 28 in 1955. Thank you Mr. Dunn and in addition to that I got a manual transmission but only a 360 only on 360. Pads by the late 50s early 60s you really start to see some new stuff all of that. Oh yeah the styling becomes more radical the cars more sophisticated everything and I was thinking more in terms of like 327 engines. Rochester fuel injection for the war with the horse and all that's great but the chassis was still pretty much the same. It had King here is right it's right. But all of that it didn't prevent you from getting your kicks on Route 66. You know Pat whenever I think of the 1963 Corvette I always think of Larry just classic war vets sting ray styling. Well that's certainly a classic but I think the true story is underneath that styling. Because this is generation two and now we have four wheel independent

suspension. We have a transversely mounted leaf spring in the back that really makes these cars handle you know up front it's modern too I mean you've got a double A R in front suspension with ball joints and cooling fans it's right and it didn't take long in generation two before they had four wheel disk brakes to harness all of this handling capability. But let's don't forget some of the most awesome engines anybody has ever made and how could I forget big blocks I love big blocks. Well that's a nice look at 68. Yeah it sure is growing of course here in the generation three. And although these kinds look radically different than the generation two cars anything the same thing it's hard to believe that that basic chassis and the styling will last until 1982. Hey Pat here's an 82. You know it's funny that the very first Corvettes had trunks but by sea to the second generation car you had to kind of slip the luggage in from behind the seat and that was typical of early third generation cars too. But in 78 they came out with a fastback design like this. And then by

82 we have a hatchback Michaelmas collector's edition. And that became a Corvette trademark. Pat do you remember the excitement when the generation for a Corvette came out in 1983. Oh I sure do but remember there were no 83 Corvettes right there were 80 4s. The thing is that there was so much technology built into this basic chassis things like our suspension components attached to some frames plastic composite transverse leaf spring in the front and the rear. Oh yeah and you had to then things like the fine chassis and then the explosion of electronics on these cars just absolutely of these if you have things like ABS brakes traction control electronics suspension. These are tremendous cars. Yes but it's ironic as far as cars this is and I really do like them. There's the technology nowadays to create an even better handling car better riding car and a car got better at the nominations. Oh absolutely and that's what brought us from this. To see fun.

OK Pat I know you've owned over what 50 different Corvettes and you think there's one word that sums up what the new generation Corvette is always about one word. Yes progress each generation of Corvette is far better than the one that precedes it and this one is fantastic. Chevrolet celebrated Corvettes first all new chassis design with a dramatic new body style based on a previous Larry Shinoda show car design called the sting ray Corvette featured fold away headlights and for 1963 a split window designed for the coupe. Convertible and Coupe bodies were separate for the first time. While the split window disappeared by 1964 this basic body style plus or minus some trim remained unchanged to the 1967 model year. As early as nine hundred sixty five Chevrolet styling had been playing with a highly customized Corvette known as the Maaco shark. Too.

Many of the design themes were featured in the C3 generation where it had when it debuted as a 1968 model although a year behind its original schedule the introduction date the sixty eight that with its power bulging fenders and coke bottle waste was well received so well that the basic design continued for the next 14 years acquiring body colored bumpers in the mid 1970s as well as the best back design by 1978. As they say in the aircraft industry it looks good on paper. Well now that we've seen the new Corvette and have a look at some of the engineering behind it it's time to get serious. The real test for a car like this is how it performs under pressure to find out. We headed south to Savannah and our winter playground Roebling road Raceway. And it was here on the track that the new that surprised and delighted us. Now we've always enjoyed things in the road especially when I was in the sea for certainly entertained us with its tremendous grip great throttle response and

predictability at the limit. But often dirt low marks for very good steering spongy brakes and a heavy wheel driving the same familiar corners now the C-5. Really different character bigger and longer stance belies a nimbleness and import like response not built on earlier events. Initial turn in pokes less understeer than before the Reverend Ronald foot is all that's needed to coax the rear into play. Learn to use the gas wisely in the C-5 will be your willing accomplice urging you to push harder during those efforts. The thrill ride of a lifetime. The drive by wire tunnel system surpasses the traditional faster response time it retains the familiar tension in feel. Our cars were melted six feet transmission allowed 0 to 60 sprints of five point one seconds. One mile. To the Mir thirteen point six and. Ending up 106 miles per hour. Corvette engineers made every effort to

deliver a part of their response to every wish and twitch of the wheel. So exciting boarders at speed will likely undo some progressive tail swing which is corrected by just the slightest modulation of the throttle. We also wonder if the ultra stiff sidewalls of the skinnier one flat tires might not limit rollover and reduce breakaway limits in a small way. But on balance there has never been a Corvette that has been more of a driver's car. Our car was equipped with the optional three way suspension but the step is performance calibration is actually equal to that of the standard Corvette suspension. So buyers of the base core are not really losing out on cornering ability club racers and other masochists will want to opt for the steppers EPO. The one suspension set up for extended track work the Corvettes new found handling prowess comes directly from an all new short long arm suspension coupled to an improved version of the transverse composite leaf spring and since the basic structure of the car is so stiff the suspension no longer has to compensate for flex

in the car resulting in a more purposeful set up the payoff and precision steering that is light on the street. How often translates to big on the track but not in this case using a variation of GM. Luxury car magnets steer the steering wheel now connects the driver to the road like never before. The back is almost telepathic damping of the normal shutters and thoughts as well about form and the same can be said for the brakes. Keeping our guns safely in check was an advanced Vosh abs by Will this system. Will not work. What stopped you from 61 us now and slowing from triple digit speeds was accomplished without fade or wander over hundreds of lands finding the right balance between road comfort and track performance is a tricky proposition for any car and we must admit that knowing what a remarkable road car the 97 poor that is to some of our drivers we're prepared for a letdown on the race track. Happily for us those predictions were wrong.

The C-5 truly is a world class 3 and track star and should have drivers of more expensive hardware checking their mirrors very carefully. Veteran auto writer James shifters top secret Odyssey inside General Motors. It's quite a story in itself and his chronicle of the often on 8 year development of the C-5 Corvette is serious reading for any enthusiasm his book. All Corvettes are red gives us a driver's eye view of every meeting argument obstacle and triumph along the new beds bumpy road to reality. From the first wild sketch using play mock ups to the proving grounds and the factory floor. No other book has described the genesis of a new car with this much startling detail. No matter what all of us car writer say in the long run is the car buying public whose opinions matter most. So to gauge their reaction to the new Corvette and to the rest of the 97 bumper crop Here's Lisa barrow with all that's new from the Chicago

Auto Show this is the Ford power force concept drug it's just one of the offerings here at the 89 Daniel Chicago Auto Show. Setting off explosions if you would. Actor Jack Palance and our boys who are running next year's F-350. The concept features a rotating running board that transforms into a stamp and a tailgate that lowers for boys doing heavy cargo board special vehicle to tweak the contour from a functional family car into a 195 horsepower street fighter. The 98 Ranger gets a new front end a roomier interior and a new standard 2.5 liter engine gel. 98 El-Arish G-20 take a look at. The new America gets an aggressive facelift with a new hood front and front fenders horsepower is punched up to three hundred five thanks to a modified version of the new Corvette LS one plan. And look for this new pace car at this year's Brickyard 400 something sizzling over at Bob's Dodge truck amid root beer

floats and they continue. Chrysler president Bob blood the 98 Dodge Ram Quad Cab the first full sized pickup to offer dual access doors are also on the menu. The Dodge Dakota RTA spiced up with a B here motor a 250 horsepower Magnum. Or how about a side dish of the Dodge Sidewinder concept truck. This 600 horsepower bad boy strutted stuff thanks to its Viber GTX RV 10 and it rides on some of the hottest tires around. More truck news comes from GMC with the introduction of the envoy a luxury version of its Jimmy Stewart utility. And get the sunscreen ready as hot convertible concepts melt the Chicago snow Mitsubishi fired up a 300 horsepower eclipse Miter speedster a demonstration of just how far they could go with the eclipse miters 2 liter turbocharged engine using up performance products. And Toyota unveiled this week Solara hinted what its new Camry based goop will look like when it arrives in 98. Lexus designers have been hard at work creating a vehicle that combines the

characteristics of a luxury sports a man with a sport utility vehicle. The result is the snazzy SLB concept and according to Lexus a version of the SL date will be produced in the near future in their bid to keep the throne the king of utilities Landrover is fending off the competition with the autobiography concept as the name implies you can write your own story when it comes to customizing a vehicle. This Range Rover 4.6 was composed with AGP s navigation system and TV screens for rear seat passengers who want to watch videos or play games. Luke Skywalker would feel right at home behind the wheel of his Toyota crawler tires and wheels are replaced with tank tracks and it goes up to 50 miles per hour across your favorite planet and climbs forty six degree crater walls brawler system is available as an aftermarket accessory enhancing the success of their sport utility wagon thing. Subaru gives the Legacy Outback grooves and they officially named this vehicle the forester NFL Hall of Famer was General Motors number one draft pick to kick off

his new world ride that features GM visitors will get a look at how the general's cars are designed and tested before they reach the floors on the longest impasses ride that Disney has offered today. And while Mercedes lifted the cover on the joystick operated at 200 concept for the first time on U.S. shores. Our own John Davis. And if you do read strivers choice and with the best convertible to the Mercedes SLK roadster. This be your next ride it's the trans to electric vehicle with all these miles together and it's a real foot saver and the 89 Daniel Chicago Auto Show. That's it for this week's Motor News. While there are no 900 three quarter vets the wait was well worth it when a totally new nine thousand eighty four Corvette debuted in the spring of 83. Gone were the bulges and bumps of the Corvette had acquired over the years replaced by a sleek and clean style to match its new found performance prowess. In 1986 the convertible returned after a 10 year

sabbatical from the Corvette lineup minor facial changes were all that prevailed for the next 12 model years except for the subtle widening of the body for the 1989 to 1995 Z-R one. It's long been said in automotive circles that racing improves the breed. That's certainly true of high performance cars and fuel production cars have more performance than these but this next Corvette is not a purebred Chevrolet but racing definitely improved it. One thing's for sure the Callaway supernatural Corvette Allem is unlike any war that we've ever driven our day glo test car is actually the first street legal elif. It was custom made for its owner B.F. Goodrich to use on its national promotional tour. Unlike every poster dream Elam has it for just a body. Tell him zero work continues on the theme first conceived by stylist old Bushman with a legendary sledge hammer the street legal Callaway which ran

250 Broward back in 1982. New Carbon Fiber panels for the hood rockers doors and tail don't attempt to disguise the Elam's Corvette roots. Rather they accentuate the Chevy's muscular lines and give some hint as to the beast that lurks within. The front and appears overly rounded due to the oversized head like they're a huge power balls and road sucking lower air intake. Horizontal front air dam creates downforce by splitting the airflow over and under the car vertical slats in the rear channel the air out cleanly while the huge wing pushes the car into the pavement. As speeds increase. And increasing speed is what the L M does best. As we noticed around 9 turns of Savannah's globally road Raceway. We also saw a remarkable decrease in higher lap times. TLM was a full three seconds faster than any other car we. Tested the roadway. Providing the power for that amazing feat as a three hundred eighty three cube against pushrod be eight

amongst the Callaway parts and engine modifications combined of reduced 435 horsepower and an equally impressive 130 pound feet of torque off the line 0 in a single. Line. Point one seconds and a single shift of the stubby gear lever quarter mile runs required a few more gears will result in an awesome twelve point three seconds at 180 mph. Racing Rimbaud disk brakes with ABS allow the driver to 90 min to mourners while the sticky Goodridge Conti a rubber and Penske adjustable coil over shocks keep the car firmly on line. The l am demands the driver's attention at all times especially to the ultralight steering boards in my lane when you know I'm going to track manner and take the performance to the car slingshots out of corners and hurdles down the straights Lycoming Lawrence Rice who you calling up any time this week his rumble of the exhaust this side of wrong along race or inside we expected more of the Spartan race car for the street thing.

So we were pleasantly surprised to be surrounded not by carbon fiber and exposed wiring but by Wilton wool carpeting and hand-stitched embroidered leather such as civilized interior is almost out of place in a car capable of such on really behavior and fuel economy is almost too respectable. At 23 highway and 17 around town the price tag demands respect to adding nearly eighty nine thousand dollars to the price of a Corvette coupe for a final tally of one hundred twenty six thousand four hundred seven dollars. While that's hardly pocket change remember this is not a mass market sports car it is a don't like go wrong through automotive service. And a prime example of how racing improves the brain Roebling road may be a long way from the behind the wheel of the always supernatural world of A.M. and it's as close as you're. We hope you enjoyed our ride down memory lane and we hope you'll join us next week for more motorways. Or we take on Ferrari fabulous at their super car.

I'm John Davis. We'll see that. To order a videotape with additional segments not seen in the broadcast version of this motor we Corvette special call 1 800 4 2 2 0 0 6 4 1995 495 shipping and handling to this address. Voter from the voter week home video collection or cover the best episodes of the motor week

television series. 1 800 4 2 2 0 6 4 0 to order a catalog send a self-addressed stamped envelope with his address. Hello I'm John date on the next edition of Motor Week all drive Ferrari's fabulous at 50 super car and monsters 40 people mover the MPV all 4 3 7 0 0 0 shows us the latest technology to make driving safer and Pat Goss lose us in on Fido. Break me tonight. Plus we'll

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