Chevrolet Corvette C-5 1997-2004

The C5 was a radical change from the previous generation. The car now had a hydroformed box frame, the transmission was moved to the rear of the car to form an integrated rear-mounted transaxle assembly and is connected to the engine via a torque tube.

Production of the C5 Corvette began in 1997 and ended with the 2004 model year. The 4L60E automatic transmission carried on, but the manual was replaced by the Borg-Warner T-56. Gone were the squeaks and rattles of the C4, and in replacement was an incredibly strong frame that would last for at least two more generations. The new C5 was better in every aspect than the C4 it replaced.

The new C5 had a top speed of 186 mph and was judged by the automotive press as improved in nearly every area over the previous Corvette design. Also introduced with the C5 was GM's new LS1 small block.

This third-generation small block was a completely new design, including a distributor-less ignition and a new cylinder firing order. It was initially rated at 345 horsepower (257 kW) and 350 ft.lb (470 Nm) torque, but was increased to 350 horsepower (260 kW) in 2001.

Corvette Z06 Hardtop

For its first year, the C5 was available only as a coupe, even though the new platform was designed from the ground up to be a convertible. The convertible returned to the lineup in 1998, followed by the predecessor to the Z06, the fixed-roof coupe (FRC), in 1999.

Originally, the 1999 FRC was considered to be a stripped-down model with a possible V6 engine (nicknamed in-house as the "Billy Bob"). The powers to be eventually overturned the idea and opted to keep the FRC up to par with both the coupe and convertible. It would later pay off, as the FRC laid the groundwork for the return of the Z06, an RPO option not seen since Zora's 1963 race-ready Corvette.

A successor to the FRC C5 made its debut in 2001 as the Z06, a nod to the high performance Z06 version of the C2 Corvette of the 1960s. The Z06 models replace the 1999–2000 FRC (Fixed Roof Coupe) models as the highest performance C5 Corvette. Instead of a heavier double-overhead cam engine like the ZR-1, the Z06 used an LS6, a high-output version of the standard LS1 Corvette engine producing 385 hp (287kW).

Although the Z06's total power output was less than that of the last ZR-1's, the Z06 was lighter and therefore quicker than the ZR-1.