View Photos of the 1997 Chevrolet C5 Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette exterior and interior photos.
The C5 Corvette arrived for the 1997 model year and brought a sea of change in refinement over the long-serving C4.
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Corvette
Foreign-Language Warnings: In preparation for foreign sales, the messages on the driver's information center can be displayed in English, French, Spanish, or German, at the driver's option.
Turn-Stalk Signal: The C5's windshield-wiper control stalk comes from the Oldsmobile Aurora, with one major modification: On an early test drive, former Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins inadvertently pulled the stalk and activated the windshield washers. Knowing how Corvette owners would feel if they accidentally sprayed washer fluid on a car they had spent hours polishing, he mandated that the washer switch be moved to a button on the end of the stalk.
Windshield Structure: The framework that forms the windshield surround, dashboard mounting, and front rollover structure is fabricated from welded aluminum extrusions and castings for light weight, which is particularly beneficial so high in the car.
Flat Bottom: It's easy to forget that the underside of a car is aerodynamically as important as the top side. The Corvette engineers didn't, as you can see by examining the C5's nearly flat bottom. By carefully shaping these hidden parts and tucking the exhaust system into the bottom of the central tunnel, they made sure air would be almost as happy flowing under the car as it is over it.
Rear Suspension, Rear View: On the C4, the rear shock absorbers bolted to the upper trailing link that was attached to the suspension using soft bushings. On the C5, the shocks attach to the lower control arm near the upright. As a result, small wheel movements that were lost in the bushings before reaching the shock absorbers on the C4 are fully damped on the C5.
Front Chassis Subframe: A large, well-braced aluminum subframe spans the underside of the C5 at each end. The front subframe, shown here, provides a rigid mounting for the suspension's lower control arms and anti-roll bar, as well as the steering rack.
Tunnel Cutaway: This cutaway shows that, in addition to housing the torque tube, the C5's structural backbone also provides a conduit for brake and fuel lines, the shift linkage, the wiring harness, and on the other side, the parking-brake cable. A flat panel closes off these components in the upper two-thirds of the tunnel, providing room for the exhaust system underneath.
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