My Red Corvette
It is a 1999 Corvette coupe - also known as a C5 because it is the fifth generation design!
Vital statistics:
- Ordered June 10, 1998
- Built November 3, 1998
- Took Delivery on November 24, 1998
- Magnetic Red exterior
- Light Gray (also called Pewter ) interior
- 6-speed manual transmission
- Sport seats
- Performance suspension
- Active handling
- Heads Up Display
About my car:
The C5 with its 5.7 L V8 is rated at 345 horsepower with a top speed of about 170 MPH. It accelerates from 0-60 MPH in just under 5 seconds. Because of changes for 1999 (smaller fuel injectors and new computer algorithms) it is supposed to be closer to 355 horsepower.
For such a powerful car it also gets good gas mileage. It is rated at 18 MPG city (about what I get) and 28 MPG highway (I get over 30 MPG). With a 19.1 gal gas tank that means it will go over 500 miles between gas stations on the highway.
It is a very high-tech automobile. Some of the features are:
- The floor pan is made of balsa wood sandwiched inside composite metals as part of a light weight, ultra rigid body.
- The transmission is integrated into the rear axle rather than being just behind the engine to provide almost 50/50 weight distribution (front to back) and lots of leg room.
- The throttle is "drive-by-wire" which means the gas pedal sends an electrical signal to the engine for instantaneous response (instead of pulling a cable as with most cars) .
- The Digital Information Center displays a large number of items from average and instantaneous mileage to tire pressure.
- A really large cargo area (large enough for two golf bags which was a design criteria for the car).
- Extended mobility (run-flat) tires that can be driven for 200 miles after they go flat. There is no spare tire which is why there is so much cargo space.
- Visors, a day/night rear view mirror and a heater that works (ok, those things just seem high-tech compared to my MGB)
Magnetic Red was a new color for 1999. In the sun it has a bright metallic finish. In the shade (or night) it is almost maroon. Either way it is beautiful. It got its name because it is a 'babe magnet'. At least I hope it is. (More likely it will be a 'cop magnet'.) I ordered this color based on a color sample in a local dealership and it turned out to be exactly what I wanted. Sometimes things work out really well. Chevrolet is not making many Corvettes with this color which delayed my delivery by a couple of months. According to a local dealer my car was the first magnetic red Corvette in the greater San Francisco area.
The 6-speed manual transmission not only adds to the fun of this car but to its uniqueness. Of the approximately 30,000 Corvettes built in 1999 less than 10,000 had the 6-speed. Of these 2,000-5,000 were allocated to the new hardtop model.
Sport seats offer greater support than the standard seat - including side wings and lumbar and back supports.
The performance suspension provides even better handling than the standard suspension. It is the suspension that was designed for the Corvette before management decided they should offer a softer suspension as standard equipment. It is harsher than the standard equipment version but I don't find it objectionable at all. Besides, this is a sports car! This car goes where you point it whether you feel like you're going to break the laws of physics or not.
Active Handling was also new for 1999. It is an addition to traction control that senses when the car starts to slide sideways and selectively applies breaks to the appropriate wheel to keep the car moving in the direction of the front wheels. The only time I've had this activate on a sharp corner when I hit rough pavement but it is nice to know it is there in an emergency.
The Heads Up Display (or HUD), new in 1999, displays selected information on the inside of the windshield - like on the canopy of a jet fighter. It looks like it's floating just above the front of the car. It sounds gimmickry but it is really nice. With the option to display speed, tachometer, engine temperature, etc., I don't have to take my eyes off the road to see them. And it will come in real handy when I want to fire missiles up the tail pipes of slower drivers on the freeway. ;-)
In the picture:
- The large numbers show current speed
- The numbers arching from lower left to upper right is the tachometer . The dark area just below the line shows the current reading.
- The vertical line to the right is the engine temperature. The dark line just to the left of it is the current reading. Oil pressure and gas level can be shown instead of or in addition to engine temperature.
It is a beautiful car with a great deal of power and unbelievable handling. It is a real pleasure to drive. Because the magnetic red color and manual transmissions are so hard to get my car is somewhat unique. I like that.
Miscellaneous Corvette facts:
- When a Corvette enters the freeway it seems to accelerate hard all on its own. ;-)
- Third gear goes up to over 100 MPH. Boy, does it pull!
- Sixth gear isn't usable until about 70 MPH. But that means on trips I get over 30 MPG.
- Red-line in reverse is almost 80 MPH (don't think I'll try that one).
More:
The *Long* Purchase and Break-in Process
For more Corvette information try the following:
One of the best sources of information on Corvettes is The Corvette Forum. It's also a great way to find out about local events.
Another is the C5Registry. Here you'll find hot news items, options and prices, and lots of other information.
Here are some interesting pictures of Corvettes, real and imagined.