The C5 Corvette was designed, from the ground up, as the C5. Never in the history of the Corvette, did a car not have carry over parts from a previous Corvette, until the C5. Wait, what about the first generation car? Well, that car borrowed most of its components from other cars in the GM lineup. The C5 is all Corvette. According to the Corvette Black Book, “virtually all interior, exterior, and suspension components were redesigned for this vehicle.”

Notable about the C5 are its transaxle and the LS1 engine. The transaxle combined the transmission with the rear axle. By moving the transmission to the rear of the vehicle, GM was able to achieve perfect weight balance between the front and rear of the vehicle. The new six-speed transmission was inspired by the one found on the z/28 Camaro, but included an updated CAGS system in order to beat the EPA gas guzzler tax.

The LS1, built in Romulus, MI, was crafted entirely out of aluminum alloys, and was 44 lbs lighter than 1996’s LT4. Instead of the DOHC design of the previous engines, the LS1 utilized a pushrod architecture, and produced a better-than-LT4 345 hp. 9,752 coupes were built, and each one retailed for $37,495.