C5 Corvette Technical Specifications Technical Specifications

Engine: LS1

90-degree pushrod V8, OHV, aluminum block, aluminum heads with hydraulic lifters

Displacement:                        350 cubic inches (5.7 liters)

Compression ratio:            10.1:1

Induction system:              Sequential fuel injection

Horsepower (SAE net):        345 @ 5600 rpm

Torque (SAE net):                  350 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm

Emission control system:       3-way catalyst, air injection reaction (AIR), positive crankcase ventilation (PCV)

Cam drive:                      Chain

Recommended fuel:             Premium unleaded

Valves per cylinder:              Two

Redline:                                 6000 rpm

Performance Data

Drag Coefficient:              0.29

Specific output (hp/liter):   60.53:1

0-60 mph, manual:        4.72 seconds

0-60 mph automatic:      5.05 seconds

Top speed:                    175 mph

1/4 mile (sec./mph):       13.36/109.4

Lateral acceleration:     0.93 g

60-0 braking:                 125 feet

Manual transmission:        Borg-Warner rear-mounted 6-speed manual

Axle ratios:                         2.73 (3.08 optional) auto, 3.42 manual

Final drive ratio:              1.91 auto, 1.71 manual

Wheelbase:        104.5 inches

Track, front/rear: 62.0/62.1 inches

Minimum ground clearance:              3.7 inches

Head room:            37.8 inches

Bolt circle:  

Tires and Wheels

Bolt circle:  

Manual transmission EPA mileage (city/hwy):     18/28 mpg

Maximum cruising range, manual/automatic:     471.8/437.4 miles

"Corvette ride" and "Corvette handling" have long been contradictory concepts. Providing a proper balance between the two was a priority of the engineers who refined the C4 suspension. Even so, Corvette die-hards know all too well how accelerating around a bumpy freeway cloverleaf still produced a ride like a race car (along with tenacious cornering grip). Later models showed improvements in ride quality, but Corvette engineers felt a new car was needed to achieve the grace and poise they knew today's customers want. The C5 team found that Corvette owners loved the predictable cornering they got when the car was pushed to the limit. And they appreciated the suspension's ruggedness when subjected to the rigors of club racing. Meanwhile, owners of other high performance cars said they expected ride comfort with superb road holding. Once again, customer opinion was heard, and remained a powerful influence throughout C5's development. Thus, the 1997 model is the first Corvette to offer purebred sports-car handling with equally impressive ride comfort. This combination comes from a stiff new structure, a wheelbase that is 8.3 in. longer, a wider track, revised suspension geometry and a unique new tire combination. The foundation of the C5 is its structure, which is 450 percent torsionally stiffer than the C4. It consists of two hydro formed perimeter frame rails, with a closed structural backbone. Hydro forming makes the outer rails rigid and light and allows for more precise manufacturing tolerances. Structural rigidity is the key to the suspension's capabilities, because rather than being forced to compensate for chassis flex, the suspension can concentrate on road inputs. The C5 uses SLA (short- and long-arm) suspension with aluminum wishbones and knuckles at each comer This is the most significant change in the C5's suspension geometry and helps dramatically reduce unpredictable handling characteristics during cornering or braking, particularly over rough road surfaces. On the C4, the half shafts played a dual role, transferring power to the rear wheels and serving as part of the upper control arms. For '97, A-shaped upper control arms have been used for a smoother, quieter ride and for better control of rear suspension geometry. This also results in better handling, because the suspension is attached directly to the structure and allows the power train to be mounted "softly," for reduced noise and vibration. Part of the overall suspension design included special bushing applications. Because of the control arms' design and positioning, different bushing compounds are used for the front and rear attachment points. Front bushings take the brunt of cornering loads that are transferred to the chassis via the forward-located link of the lower wishbone. For maximum performance, these bushings are hard in order to provide stability and predictability when cornering. Conversely, the rear leg of the arm transfers the most energy to the chassis when traversing bumps and potholes. To provide a smooth ride, rear arm bushings are soft. The C4 contained one of the world's most extensive applications of aluminum suspension pieces. The C5 goes even further with aluminum components manufactured through a hybrid process that combines the best properties of casting and forging, offering strength, precision and light weight. The C5 also features an improved, patented version of the C4's familiar transverse-composite springs. C4 veterans will delight in the new car's smoothness over tar strips and expansion joints. C4 owners will also recall that cars came from the factory with varying ride heights. This problem was solved with an adjustable suspension. A screw-type adjuster, located at each corner, acts on the springs and lower control arms. This allows each vehicle's suspension to be adjusted according to its specific option. Consequently, ride and handling is more consistent in each car produced. The C5 offers three distinct suspension choices: the FE I, F45 and Z51. The base FEI gives a fine balance of ride and handling. It features gas-pressurized Sachs Monotube shock absorbers, a front antiroll bar that is 23 mm in diameter and a bar in the rear that is 19.1 mm in diameter. The F45 package is based on "fast shock" technology, formally known as Real-Time Damping (RID). With F45, sensors (including wheel position and steering wheel angle), shock absorber solenoids and computer controls read road and driver input data and automatically adjust damping forces through a wide range of values, controlling movement at each wheel. The result is a more composed ride on all surfaces, reduced body motion and wheel hop, and flatter cornering and improved high-speed stability. While the fundamental hardware is the same as the FEI package, a cockpit-mounted switch allows the driver to adjust the car's "feel." There are three distinct settings: Tour, Sport and Performance. The package controls both damping rates and duration. In the Tour mode, the minimum damping rate will be lower than when in the Sport mode. Likewise, in the Performance mode, the minimum damping rate will be higher than when in the Sport mode. In all three, maximum damping rates will be commanded in order to control body motions. For ultimate performance, the Z51 package includes larger gas-pressurized Sachs Monotube shocks with a 25.4-mm front antiroll bar. The rear antiroll bar measures 21.7 mm. Auto crossers will appreciate that the Z51-equipped C5 out handles both the 1996 C4/ZR1 and the 1995 ZR1. For the first time in history, the C5 has 17-in. front and 18-in. rear aluminum-alloy road wheels, which wear Goodyear Extended Mobility tires - P245/45ZR-17 fronts and P275/ 40ZR-18 rears. The specially developed tires feature a new version of Goodyear's all weather design and can run without air for up to 200 miles. Quick steering is as fundamental to the Corvette's persona as high-g cornering and V8 power. The C5 builds on the heritage with an innovative rack-and-pinion system with variable-effort boost, called Magnasteer II. It uses a combination of hydraulics, electronics and magnetics to provide continuous speed-sensitive, variable-effort steering. The system calculates lateral acceleration using wheel speed and adjusts the steering accordingly. The result is direct, accurate steering with excellent feedback and the perfect level of assist for every driving situation. Like quick steering, quick stops have also been a part of the Corvette's performance ability. The C5 uses a four-channel, four wheel antilock braking system that monitors and modulates each wheel's braking performance individually. It has an advantage over other vehicles' more common three-channel systems that control individual front wheels, but treat the rears as a pair The C4 has some of the largest four-wheel disc brakes of any production car. But the team wanted even more powerful brakes with greater durability and less fade under severe use on both road and track. The '97 Corvette boasts 325-mm front rotors, and biting into those discs are new 40-mm dual-piston calipers. In the rear, you'll find 305-mm diameter rotors, as well as 45-mm single piston calipers. The brakes are also more resistant to fade, thanks to the presence of cooling ducts from the front fascia directed toward the front brakes. The C5 features a lightweight, cast-aluminum brake pedal with a racing-type metal foot pad. The traction control system on the new Corvette is integrated with the braking system. The throttle relaxer feature has been discontinued, and the inclusion of Electronic Throttle Control allows for quieter, smoother control of wheel slip when accelerating. Overall, with the debut of the C5, "Corvette ride" and "Corvette handling" now actually complement each other And sports cars as we know them may never be the same.

One common thread throughout most of the Corvette's 44-year life has been Ed Cole's fabled small-block V8. Not only has it powered the Corvette since 1955, but it was largely responsible for Chevrolet's resurgence in the 1950s and 1960s. The small block, one of the most versatile high-performance engines of all time, has more race wins than any other production-based V8. In light of all this history, the General Motors Power Train Group had a difficult decision to make when it came time to develop an engine for the new car: keep the legend, or go with the increasingly popular multivalve, overhead-cam technology? The latter was used with the 32-valve LT5 powering the ZR-1, which went out of production in 1995. The engineers were under no orders to retain pushrod technology, nor were they pressured to turn to overhead-cam designs. They weighed performance, packaging, weight and cost. The target was a traditional 350 cu. in. with 345 hp and 350 lb.-ft. of torque. However, for packaging reasons, the engine needed to be shorter than its predecessor. The team decided a lighter engine would be nice too. With these goals in mind, the engineering team developed a completely new small-block. Enter the LS1, an all-aluminum, more mature 350-cu.-in. small-block V8; one that is lighter and runs cleaner than any small-block yet. The LS1 also produces the targeted 345 hp at 5600 rpm (compared to the LTI's 300 hp and the LT4's 330 hp) and 350 lb.-ft. of torque at 4400 rpm. That's good enough for a 4.7-second 0-to-60 time and a 175-mph top speed. "The small-block's simplicity helped make its case, as did its compact and efficient size - a major benefit of pushrod designs," said project manager John Juriga. "We felt we could do the best job overall with a pushrod design rather than an overhead cam, because more power could be squeezed from a more compact unit. It wasn't an easy decision. It took a long, long time to decide." Corvette enthusiasts will no doubt applaud the power increase, but the key, as Juriga pointed out, is the power's usefulness. "In the upper rpm ranges," he said, "this engine just wants to keep revving. By about 4000 rpm, the LTI's power and torque flatten out. This engine's higher torque curve allows it to keep right on pulling beyond 5000 rpm." Better breathing is one of the main reasons the LS1 can rev beyond previous Corvette engines, thanks to the LS1's well-designed cylinder heads (cylinder-head design is one of the most important aspects of a pushrod engine's performance). The LS1's aluminum cylinder heads and intake manifold were designed as a single system to optimize airflow and fuel-flow efficiency. All of the LS1's 15-inch intake manifold runners are identical, resulting in a constant airflow. The intake runners also help the air flow more smoothly into the engine and help the engine idle better. The fuel injectors have been placed for the most direct fuel spray possible. Bosch's sequential fuel-injection system has been modified to perform with the manifold's fuel runners. The glass-filled nylon (plastic) intake manifold is easier to make and weighs less, as GM learned while developing plastic manifolds for its 3800 V6 and Northstar V8. The cylinder-head geometry has been completely reworked for the best airflow and fuel flow, thus producing the most potent fuel-burning possible. Engineers knew that the LT4 valve train experienced side load because the cylinder-head geometry wasn't in plane. To compensate for the side loading, larger components were needed, which limited the valvetrain's speed and efficiency. So the engineers designed the LS1 valve train to be in plane to reduce component stress. Once this had been achieved, developers were able to use lighter components. As a result, the valvetrain is quieter because it's easier to control valve opening and closing speed. Engineers also chose cast-steel, roller rocker arms (replacing the LT4's crane rocker arm) because they are more rigid. "This engine feels anxious," said assistant chief vehicle engineer John Heinricy. "It has what we call 'race to redline', meaning it likes to be reseed - to run at the high rpm ranges." Heinricy added that maintenance is easier with the LSI's 100,000-mile platinum-tipped plugs and 10,000 mile oil change intervals. Beyond better performance, C5 owners will also notice a big reduction in engine noise and vibration entering the cockpit because the block has been completely redesigned, with stiffness, strength and low weight in mind. The block, now made of aluminum (which cut its weight from the cast-iron LT4's 195 pounds to 107 pounds), has deep skirts extending approximately 40 mm beneath the crankshaft centerline. This "deep-skirt" design adds strength to the block. The lower skirt makes the flat oil pan rather shallow, but two oil reservoirs on each side of the pan eliminate oil starvation during hard cornering. The six-quart pan is cast aluminum, and it does double duty as an engine structural member. The LS1 has no oil cooler, so engineers recommend Mobil 1 oil. Corvette engines have been filled with Mobil 1 from the factory since 1992. Conventional oil is good to temperatures of about 280 degrees, but Mobil 1 can take 300 to 325 degrees. The block has a four-bolt cylinder head pattern instead of the historically common five-bolt. Engineers said the four-bolt pattern allows the tops of the bores to stay rounder longer because the block deck is not being spread unequally. Additionally, the cylinder-head bolts are more than 50 mm longer than before. With the longer fasteners, bolts can take the relaxation of the gasket and still have enough energy stored to maintain clamp load. GM power train engineers said the bolts will not need retorquing. Each LS1 piston is 6 mm shorter than the LT1's and weighs just 15.38 oz., which helps the engine rev more freely. The crankshaft, made of nodular iron (which contains graphite), has drilled mains for lightness. The oil pump is mounted on the front of the crankshaft. This crank-driven pump is more efficient, using less energy to move the oil, particularly at low speeds and cold starts. The new camshaft is again made of steel, but it is a shorter, stronger unit. Larger journals reduce unit loading, allowing for more aggressive cam profiles. The cam's center has been drilled to reduce weight. The exhaust manifold (made of stainless steel) is a dual wall design. A gap between the walls contains air and acts like a thermos. This retains exhaust gas heat on the way to the catalyst. Perhaps technical illustrator David Yimble summed up the LS1 best. "This is a very well-thought-out engine in the same way a Rolex watch is well thought-out," he said. He should know. He's not only a pushrod enthusiast; he's been studying the LS1, part by part, for a number of years. "It's amazing what GM has done. This is one of the highest-output two-valve engines I've ever seen in a production car."

The six-speed manual transmission supplier is new to the Corvette. Borg-Warner Automotive is supplying it's T56, which is simular to the transmission used successfully in Camaros and Firebirds since 1993. The gearboxes are made in Muncie, Ind., and shipped to Getrag Gears of North America, Newton, N.C., where they are bolted to their differential dance partner. Corvette engineers kept the clutch assembly in it's normal location at the front of the car (mated to the engine's flywheel) to avoid conflict with the shift linkage. The downside is a tougher life for synchronizers inside the transmission, because they have extra rotating inertia and friction to manage during each shift. To increase synchronizer capacity and assure smooth shifting, a special three-cone design is used in both first and second gears. Third through sixth gears, and reverse, use double-cone synchros. These upgrades provide adequate surface area to properly synchronize both up and down shifts, while also reducing effort at the shift lever. The rear transaxle location means that the shift lever no longer emerges directly from the gear box into the driver's right hand. Most of the linkage is still contained internally, for a precise, well lubricated feel and long life. A shift mechanism, mounted to the torque tube, is linked to the transmission's shift lever by means of one long rod with couplings on each end. LuK Incorporated of Wooster, Ohio, supplies the Corvette's clutch assembly. Normal wear in the clutch disk's friction surface is automatically compensated for by permitting the pressure plate's diaphram spring to move forward in sync with the disk. This keeps the effort needed to disengage the clutch constant throughout the car's life. Durability test results suggest that the clutch should last more than 100,000 miles. A hydraulic slave cylinder mounted concentrically within the bell housing eliminates the need for a conventional throw-out bearing.

The Hydra-matic 4L60E four speed, electronically controlled automatic is similar to the transmission that has served Corvette customers well since the 1994 model year. There are a few changes necessary to accommodate it's new assignment at the rear of the car. The torque converter is no longer bolted to the engines crankshaft. It spins within a housing at the forward end of the automatic. Additionally, the tail housing assembly has been eliminated to trim overall length. GM Power Train Group builds the automatic in Toledo, Ohio, and ships it to North Carolina for mating to a differential assembly manufactured by Getrag.

The C5's differential assembly is a new, and in some respects unusual, design. Inside, there's a ring and pinion similar to the final gear drive set that Corvettes have used since 1953. The differential mechanism is also conventional. Three ratios are offered - 2.73:1 and 3.15:1 with automatic transmission, and 3.42:1 with the six-speed, all of which are fitted with multiplate-clutch-type limited-slip devices. But the pinion shaft arrangement is all new. It normally pokes out the front with it's axis below the axle centerline. (Positioning the pinion below the axle plane is called a hyphoid design. Packard was the first to adopt this innovation in 1927, to minimize the drive shaft tunnel's intrusion on passenger space.) To suit the new car's needs, things are rearranged a bit. A hyphoid design is still employed, but the pinion shaft is now above (instead of below) the axle centerline, to match the height of the transmission's output shaft. To permit the most compact coupling between the transmission and the differential, the pinion shaft's support bearings have been relocated from the front end of the shaft to the rear. Repositioning these these bearings saved package length. Using conventionally located bearings would have stretched the wheelbase an additional 3 inches. Torque is passed from the transmission to the new Getrag differential by means of a simple and direct spline connection. Half shafts (the left- and right-side drive shafts) link the differential to the wheel hubs, as was the case in the second-, third-, and fourth-generation Corvettes. A significant change in the C5 blueprint is that the halfshafts are now single-purpose designs, relieved of wheel locating duties.

Corvette interiors have always been bold and entertaining. From the arching symmetry of the '50s and '60s instrument panels to the colorful digital instrumentation of 1984, a vivid interior is an essential part of the Corvette experience. The C5 cockpit, while still visually striking, takes Corvette interiors in a new direction -- more comfortable and spacious, with a no-nonsense sports-car feel that is more user-friendly. The leather is softer, the carpeting more plush, the fits much tighter. The dash displays a hint of the twin pods that were characteristic of the mid-'60s Corvettes. The primary instrument cluster is analog. It is illuminated by ultraviolet, or black light, providing outstanding definition and clarity at night. A styling cue of past Corvettes returns to the passenger side: The grab handle is back. It's not there just for retro purposes, however; it has a safety benefit as well: The handle, which is positioned over the air bag door, helps direct a deploying air bag towards the passenger. The contoured seats, which have soft, natural-grain Nuance leather seating surfaces, have a rich look. The door panels, window pillars, console surfaces, and instrument panel surfaces are all designed for a softer feel. Driver and passenger have a lot more room -- an extra 3.1 inches on the driver's side and 6.3 inches on the passenger's side -- thanks to the relocation of the transmission at the rear of the car. There's also about a half-inch extra seat travel and about a half-inch more headroom. Remarkably, the interior contains 70 percent more storage room (20 cubic feet). This is due to a number of changes in the car's architecture. The spare tire has been eliminated, and centrally located twin fuel tanks inside the frame rails replace the car's old tank at the car's rear. It is also much easier to gain access to the rear hatch area, since the hatch glass and the rear deck bodywork have been molded into a single piece opening to the rear corners of the car. No more stretching your back for items in the hatch area -- reach over into the rear cargo space from the back bumper has been reduced to 10.6 inches from 24.4 inches. Equally noteworthy is the step over height of the door sills, reduced almost 4 inches, making it much easier to get in and out of the car.

Goodyear and Corvette have a long and impressive performance partnership. This relationship comes out of years of developing tires together on both the test track and the race track. Take, for example, the 1984 introduction of the Goodyear Gatorback that came with the debut of the fourth-generation Corvette. That tread design came straight out of Goodyear's Formula One gatorback rain tire. Then there's the 1994 introduction of the Eagle GS-C EMT (run-flat). Both tires introduced benchmark-raising technologies and performance. The 1997 Corvette's second-generation Goodyear Extended Mobility Tires (EMTS) continue the trend. Engineers wanted to continue to provide customers with all the benefits of carrying a spare tire, without any of the drawbacks - the weight of the tire, the amount of space it occupies and the fact that it needs to be installed in case of a flat. And, in the Corvette tradition, this new tire had to help the C5 set new performance standards. So the new Goodyear EMT eliminates the negatives - and the spare itself - while providing superior performance in emergency situations, as well as improved performance compared to the Corvette's original Goodyear EMT. One person (among many) to thank is Larry Jansen, Goodyear's liaison with the C5 development team. Jansen helped oversee and coordinate the cooperative effort between Goodyear and the C5 team that yielded the all-new EMT. Jansen said the C5's all-new design gave Goodyear and the Corvette development team another opportunity to develop a ground-breaking vehicle/tire package, this time incorporating standard EMTs. For the new car, the team looked to take advantage of the reduced weight, reduced build complexity, increased storage space and increased convenience that come from adopting an EMT and therefore eliminating a spare tire, jack, lug wrench and mounting hardware to secure it all. Commenting on expanding the new tire's performance limits, Jansen said the chassis and suspension group asked for a tire with very linear response and forgiving breakaway characteristics. "That's what they got," he said. According to Jansen, the new tires will also run more quietly, roll with less resistance and provide improved handling limits in both wet and dry conditions. Performance results from development testing show the effectiveness of the new C5 tire, as well as the dramatically improved chassis and suspension. At Road Atlanta, road course times dropped by two seconds compared to a 1996 Corvette Grand Sport, and on an autocross course, lap times fell 2.5 seconds. Stopping distances from 60 mph dropped seven feet from the C4's 127 feet. Maximum lateral acceleration improved 0.03g, and estimated fuel economy increased more than one mile per gallon. The tire that accomplished all this is officially known as the Eagle Fl GS EMT Goodyear's most advanced Formula One racing tires were the starting point for its development. The Fl GS EMT features a symmetrical, directional tread with prominent dual aqua channels. The front tires are P245/45ZR-17s, and the rears are P275/40ZR-18s. The narrower 245-mm width of the front tires provides the lateral grip the team wanted, without the hunting and darting often exhibited by wider front tires. The rear tires have an 18-in. diameter, requested by the exterior styling studio, to complement the car's high rear deck. Their wide 275-mm stance promises, quick launches and excellent grip at cornering limits. Jansen summed up the benefits of the Eagle Fl GS EMT by saying, "Performance drove every aspect of this tire's design. Nothing else. What we have here is a tire specifically designed for the C5. It's not an off-the-shelf design, but one that is made to match the suspension characteristics and overall performance of the C5." One drive proves what Jansen said and exhibits the thoroughness of the C5 chassis team's work.  

© "C5" is a registered trademark of the Chevrolet Motor Division, General Motors