C5 Corvette History
The C5 Corvette was a Class Unto Itself
The styling of the C5 was a departure from the previous generation Corvette with the more rounded and graceful appearance of the C1, 2 and 3.
With the C5 came other radical changes from the C4 model. The transmission now in the rear of the car formed an integrated rear-mounted transaxle assembly. And even though the new platform was designed to be a convertible, that first year, the C5 was only available as a coupe with a removable roof panel. The car's chassis used what was then a new technology, hydroforming, to create a light and stiff steel frame for the car. The 345 hp Corvette also used a novel floor pan consisting of balsa wood sandwiched between two layers of plastic. The wood improved both stiffness and noise insulation. Continue with C6 Corvette History