The Right Idea

Author : David Atkin
For a long time Chevrolet has had the right idea when it comes to cars, and as such the remain the best selling cars in this country, it doesn't matter what you preference is, the facts will let you know that I am telling the truth, now for a while even I wondered what they were doing to themselves, in the 1980's they built that horrible excuse for a Corvette, and I thought, good lord Chevrolet is starting to lose it.And then in the 1992 they took the Camaro out of production, and I thought, what is Chevrolet thinking, the Camaro is their last muscle car to speak of, are they going to go down in flames, and then I begun to think about it, this could be a huge stunt to promote the latest ideas, thousands of people complained to them, and they started to listen to their customers, a rarity in the automotive industry.In 1992 Chevrolet released the all new Corvette, and I knew that some big things had taken place at Chevrolet, the Corvette was a real player in the style department, and it wasn't going to stop there, they would again in 1997 update the body style of that famous car known as the Corvette, and this time they would nail it, it had that fancy European look about it, and it had a good amount of power for the normal performance car enthusiast.In 1997 you only had the choice of a coupe, there was no convertible, a little odd for the Corvette, but it seemed to work out quite well for Chevrolet, it came with a 5.7 liter 90 degree V8 engine boasting 340 HP @ 5600 rpm and 350 FTLB of torque @ 4400 rpm, it was not quite what a Corvette should be in the power department, but Chevrolet was to make some changes in that area.The Corvette was a whole new breed, with the mods made to the wheel base and width of the car, it look completely different from the model before it, and this was a very good thing for Chevrolet when it came to sales of the new car, the all aluminum LS1 engine would of course lighten up the car a lot, and make it a better handling car all around.Year To Year Changes
For more info on the Corvette please visit Corvette this is where this info came from.1998 Chevrolet Corvette: Big news for Corvette fans was the arrival of a convertible to join the initial fifth-generation coupe. Chevrolet's designers had engineered the latest Corvette to accommodate a convertible body with no additional structural bracing. Convertibles were expected to account for about 45 percent of sales. They were equipped with a manual folding top, containing a glass rear window and defroster.
Not since 1962 had a convertible Corvette been sold with a traditional trunk. Magnesium wheels joined the option list, and the engine was revised to quiet the fuel pump. This year's Corvette also got a provision for the automatic transmission to start in second gear, for cleaner getaways on slippery surfaces.
1999 Chevrolet Corvette: A new hardtop body style joined the removable-roof coupe and the convertible. Not available with some of the new options, the hardtop weighed about 90 pounds less than its mates and shared the convertible's trunk. Hardtops came only with 6-speed manual shift and the sport-tuned Z51 suspension. Other models could have the standard suspension or an optional driver-adjustable setup with soft, medium, and firm settings. Among the options unavailable on the hardtop were a head-up display that projected instrument-panel readouts into the windshield, and a power-telescoping steering wheel. All models could have an optional Active Handling chassis control, which used the brakes to keep the car on line during severe cornering maneuvers.
2000 Chevrolet Corvette: The base-model fixed-roof hardtop gained some standard equipment for 2000, including visor mirrors and a remote trunk release. Hardtops could now be equipped with the optional head-up instrument display, as well as dual-zone climate control, fog lamps, and magnesium wheels.
2001 Chevrolet Corvette: Corvette gained an extreme-performance variant for 2001, and all models got standard antiskid control. The coupe was renamed Z06 and given special performance tuning including additional horsepower, upgraded suspension, and larger brakes.
2002 Chevrolet Corvette: The Z06 model got 405 horsepower for 2002--up 20 hp from '01. It now came with the head-up instrument display that was optional on other 'Vettes, plus revisions to its unique chassis tuning. Other models were no longer available with magnesium wheels, and a CD player replaced the cassette deck as standard equipment.
2003 Chevrolet Corvette: All '03 Corvettes wear 50th anniversary insignia. The convertible and hatchback offered a 50th Anniversary Special Edition Package (1SC) with red paint, champagne-colored wheels, and unique trim and badging. Available for the convertible and hatchback and included in the Anniversary package was new Magnetic Selective Ride Control.
2004 Chevrolet Corvette: Trim packages commemorating racing Corvette's are the main additions to the '04 Corvette.Enter that 2006 Corvette, a new revolution in the Corvette line, this would be the most powerful production Corvette ever, well if you opted for the ZO6 option, it comes form the factory with an all aluminum 7.0 liter, or 427 CID engine, yes I said 427, the most famous Chevrolet big block ever built, but the twist here ism this is not a big block, it's a small block, that that has the power of a big block, but still retains the revability of a small block.This engine is called the LS7, and it's a serious competitor, with a whopping 505 HP from the factory, it no wimp, it will get down to business with the best of them on the track, it has taken 1ST and 2ND place at the 24 hours of Lemans, against competitors like Ferrari, Porsche and a lot of other top European companies, gaining respect the world over.I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and have been in the automotive business for about 25 years, and during that time I have worked in all facets of the industry, plus owned my own shops, like I do now.


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Keyword : chevrolet corvette, corvette history, muscle cars, sports cars, the automotive industry