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Chevrolet Corvette convertible creates Indy Pace Car replica
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- That racy convertible pacing the pack for a 1998 running of the Indianapolis 500 looks unlike any other swift car on the Brickyard's track.
At a glance the slinky low prow and wide stance with muscular shoulders and that big butt supported by way-fat tires tells even a casual observer that this year's Indy pacer is nothing less than Chevrolet's speedy Corvette.
It's a new convertible issue based on the stunning sixth generational revolution of Corvette from 1997.
But there's more to Indy's Corvette pace car than sleek skin concealing all of that muscle, a lot of high-tech hardware plus the airy new pop-top operation: There are those crazy colors.
The body of this Corvette has been coated in a vivid purple hue -- call it "Radar Blue" to be precise -- and as it flashes past on the Indy oval you can see four wheels spinning in a blur of blatant yellow, then through the open top of the cockpit two tall leather seatbacks, also emblazoned in yellow, shining in springtime sunlight.
What's going on with such bold automotive colors?
Well, it seems that designers at Corvette have cast the new convertible edition in a combination of shades designed to sock it to you.
Street replicas of Corvette's 1998 Indy Pace Car, in a special package limited to only 1,158 issues, also get the distinct purple-and-yellow paint job as well as popular interior features. Also, a new chassis control system with lateral accelerometer aboard can correct bad pavement behavior like a skid and pull the car safely back in line without direct throttle or brake input from driver.
For those not enamored by purple paint, however, more conventional colors for Corvette's new convertible are also available this year and these too can carry the new chassis controller, dubbed Active Handling System.
One of the Pace Car replicas of Corvette rolled into a tester's driveway for a week of play, and it immediately prompted neighbors to gather and beg for a quick spin on those blatant yellow seats.
First, I had to pop the new convertible top, which amounts to an easy manual operation.
Unlock the top's front edge, which also releases the trailing edge so you can raise it slightly. Then punch a body button concealed behind driver's seat to undo the metal rear-hinged tonneau cover, which you lift by hand. Now fold the top back into the cavity below tonneau, and simply close the tonneau lid.
Release-fold-punch-flip-and-lock and you're done, with Corvette converted in seconds from weatherproof ragtop coupe to too-cool convertible 2-seater.
The bonus of this particular design comes at the rear, where a back decklid conceals a genuine trunk, the item sorely absent in some previous Corvette convertibles. This one's broad and long, with enough space inside to house luggage or two golf bags.
Now slip into a form-fitting driver's seat, which adjusts with power controls in uncountable directions, set a pair of electric mirrors the way you want and attach hands on a sporty leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Crank up Chevy's mighty short-block V8 to awaken 345 horses hidden beneath that extended hood, and Corvette's muscular snorts echo through the neighborhood.
Slap a short console stick into first of six forward gears and when you're ready stomp that throttle to release 18-inch rear rubber and smoke it down the street.
The needle of a tachometer clustered among analog gauges on the instrument panel swings toward red and all of that low-end torque propels Corvette to illicit speed before you realize it. Expect to pin shoulders to seat in each of the first three gears, but by then you'd better rein it to avoid an encounter with Officer Friendly.
Vette's LS1 aluminum V8 is a pushrod piece of work that musters massive power and torque.
The 5.7-L engine connects either to Chevy's electronically-controlled Hydra-matic automatic 4-speed transmission or a Borg-Warner 6-speed manual which becomes an optional item.
Add big brake rotors with 4-channel Bosch anti-lock action and traction control, plus Magnasteer variable effort rack and pinion steering, and it dances on pavement.
Superior handling traits of this latest Corvette begin at a rigid platform with full-length perimeter frame composed of seamless tubular steel. Each a single piece of steel stretched from tip to tail, the unique side rails curve downward at mid-section to make room for an expansive cockpit. Due to inherent strength of the rails, designers were able to make significant organizational changes between rails, revamping the cockpit with more space and efficiency.
Also, because the rails are lower and thinner than composite frames, riders don't have to crawl across a thick barrier and fall into Corvette's low-pitched seats because there's a lower step-in height with easy access.
A closed driveline tunnel also improves cockpit space, particularly since the transmission goes to the rear, thus balancing weight distribution fore to aft.
Then comes the magic: A suspension system mounted to the ultra-stiff chassis that permits superb handling control yet also delivers a smooth ride quality on the road.
The independent 4-wheel short- and long-arm suspension, with forged aluminum front upper control arms and cast aluminum front and rear lower arms, weighs less and reduces mass. Like race cars, Corvette can accommodate an optional suspension damping system with three settings -- touring, sport, performance.
The active stability system is a complex computer-aided device integrating the variable road-sensing suspension with throttle response, traction control, anti-lock brakes, steering and other elements. In effect, the system thinks for an inattentive driver.
When detecting vehicle yaw, or lateral slippage, smart controls figure out what to do to correct the potentially dangerous pavement movement. For instance, a computer adds braking only to the inside front wheel, which not only slows the 'Vette but turns it gently toward the braking wheel so it corrects itself without needing a driver's skill to turn into the skid and work manually to prevent a spin.
Pricing for the new Corvette convertible begins at $44,990, with the special Indy 500 Pace Car replica package -- including Active Handling controls -- adding $5,039.
1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 CHEVROLET CORVETTE CONVERTIBLE Specs |
| Description: |
2-seat roadster convertible |
| Model Options: |
2-seat roadster convertible |
| Wheelbase: |
104.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
180.7 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 5.7-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Manual/6, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
M/6: 18/27 mpg
A/4: 17/25 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 45,000 to $ 52,000 |
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