1997 Corvette Part Four
The wheelbase for the C5 increased from 96.2" to 104.5" - more than eight inches. Yet the overall length of the car only increased about an inch, from 178.5" to 179.7". Pushing the wheels out further allowed the designers to come up with a more roomy passenger area. Weight was down by approximately 80 lbs.
The new chassis was much more rigid than the C4, despite the fact that the door sill was almost four inches lower. A more rigid chassis makes for a more precise handling car with less potential for rattles and squeaks. This took care of two major complaints customers had with the previous generation 'vette.
Also improved was the aerodynamics. The coefficient of drag (Cd) was a mere .29, the best of any car sold at the time except for GMs own EV1, which could hardly be called a production car.
Front, center: C5 Corvette; back row, left to right: C1, C2, C3 and C4 generations.