2004 C5 Corvette Illustrated Series No.118

2004 was the end of the line for the C5 Corvette, and the '04 model was arguably the finest Vette offered to that point. After all, aside from offering an optional supercharger or turbocharger, there wasn't much else that Corvette designers could do with the C5 platform. The car was as good as it would ever be and that was pretty darned good.

One could argue that the C5 had its roots in a little-talked-about 1957 Duntov engineering proposal called the "Q-Corvette." Duntov's wish list included an all-aluminum, fuel-injected small-block engine; a dry-sump oiling system; a fully independent suspension; and a transaxle for perfect 50/50 weight distribution. The project never made it past a full-size clay styling study, as Chevrolet deemed the requisite tooling too expensive for a car that had yet to prove a sales success. The Q-Corvette's unique styling and independent suspension did, however, make it into production in the '63 Sting Ray, while the rest of the elements (save for the dry-sump oiling) came together in the '97 C5. In the 30 years since the Q-Corvette proposal, Duntov, McLellan, and Hill got everything they wanted and more.

The '04 Vette was the fourth-best-selling C5, with total sales of 34,064 units. Chevrolet kept the cost increase for '04 to just $640, bringing the coupe's sticker to $44,535. The roadster model jumped by $1,165, to $51,535, while the Z06 climbed by $1,230, to $52,385.

The hot option for the '04 Vette was the Commemorative Edition, which saluted Corvette Racing's class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2001 and 2002. Unlike the '03 50th Anniversary option, this one was available on all Corvettes, including the Z06. This homage to the C5-R was not inexpensive, costing $3,700 on the coupe and roadster and $4,335 on the Z06. Although there were no performance enhancements, the Commemorative Edition cars were stylish and distinctive.

In 2004 the Corvette made its sixth appearance pacing the Indy 500, this time with actor Morgan Freeman behind the wheel. A basically stock C5 Vette had also paced the legendary race in 1998 and 2002. Obviously, the Brickyard likes Corvettes.

2004 also marked the first time the Corvette's platform was shared with another GM vehicle. The Cadillac XLR began production on the Bowling Green assembly line that year and was soon garnering the same kind of critical acclaim previously heaped on its platform mate. This marriage of convenience gave GM two world-class performance cars based on the same underpinnings.

By '04, equipment that was once optional had become standard. All models included active suspension, traction control, leather seats, a six-way power driver's seat, a Delco stereo CD player, dual-zone electronic air conditioning, tilt steering, cruise control, fog lights, and floor mats. The Preferred Equipment Group was a $1,200 option that included heads-up display, power-telescoping steering wheel, auto-dimming mirrors, a memory package, and the Twilight Sentinel feature. Almost two-thirds of all '04 Vettes had the PEG option.

Since there was no power increase, the performance of the '04 Corvette was much the same as that of the '01-'03 models. Top speeds were 175 mph for the coupe and 162 mph for the roadster. Sprints from 0-60 took less than five seconds for the manual-transmission cars and were in the mid-five-second range for the automatics. Quarter-mile times were in the 13.20 range. The Z06 posted 0-60 times in the low-four-second range, with quarter-mile times in the mid-12s. Suspension settings for the Z06 were reworked at the famous Nerburgring race track by refining the shock-absorber valving and using softer rear anti-roll-bar bushings. The modifications enabled the '04 Z06 to break the eight-minute-lap barrier, the unofficial benchmark for supercars. Commemorative Edition Z06s also sported a carbon-fiber hood, which cut just over 10 pounds from the car's curb weight.

The C5 Corvette was so well rounded that the only things road testers had to complain about were the seatback latches and door handles. Pretty lame complaints, but that's how good the car had become. Chevrolet might have been able to continue on with the C5 platform, but the time was right for a new Vette. Just over the horizon, things were about to get even better.