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by Russell Purcell
It is hard to believe that 2003 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Chevrolet Corvette, America’s performance icon and boulevard cruiser of our dreams. What better way to mark the golden anniversary than to cloak the Chevy flagship in a limited edition paint scheme and emblazon it with commemorative logos and badges demarking it as something a little special?
Available in either coupe or roadster form, the 50th Anniversary Edition features all of the style and performance features of the standard Corvette coupe, as well as GM’s Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, a unique exterior colour, crossed-flag badges and exclusive aluminum wheels. Inside distinctive shale leather interior with embroidered head restraints, 50th Anniversary emblems, and embroidered floor mats complete the look.
The 50th Anniversary Red colour is somewhat understated, but I must admit, it still manages to turn heads. This particular hue is almost burgundy and features subtle flecks of gold, and will be limited in production and specific to the anniversary cars. Buyers will still be able to purchase the other 2003 Corvette models in a myriad of colours, and all will feature a special 50th anniversary emblem on the front and rear. The emblem is silver and features the number “50″ with the signature cross-flag design – but these cars will be branded as standard Corvettes, if such a thing exists!
The 50th Anniversary Corvette comes with two roof panels if you choose the coupe model over the convertible, one glass and one painted to match the body. Having this choice allows the owner to quickly transform the look and feel of the car, as well as providing the benefit of an open-air driving experience.
Behind the Wheel
The cockpit of a C5 Corvette is surprisingly tight, as my 6′2″ frame found it a little confining. The twin sport buckets are very supportive and feature classic vertical ribbing as well as beautifully embroidered 50th Anniversary badges on the integrated headrests. Automatic adjustment is handled by side-mounted switches, although the seat back is controlled by a manual hand lever. Reclining isn’t possible due to the car’s design as the vehicle is so low that the rear bulkhead separates the passengers from the rear wheels which sit immediately behind the seats.
I also found that headroom may be a problem for taller individuals as the lock mechanism for the roof panel needed to be accommodated. When I finally managed to get comfortable in the seat, I found that the simple addition of a baseball cap had my head brushing the headliner Legroom on the other hand is quite bountiful, as your legs disappear down a narrow tunnel bordered by a huge console that separates the occupants. .
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This layout definitely adds to the driving experience, making you feel like you are strapping the car on. I did find myself occasionally hitting my knee on the door speaker, which is mounted very low on the inside panel and protrudes into the compartment, but once again, smaller drivers will have little to complain about.
Ingress and egress is what should be expected for such a low slung vehicle, but is much improved over the previous Corvette design, the C4, as the sill width was reduced when the C5 design was penned. The long door opens wide, but makes it tough if someone parks too close or you have a tight garage.
Pluses and Minuses
Chevrolet designers didn’t unleash the C5 on the streets as a luxury cruiser; it was designed as a driving machine. As a result, controls are laid out in true cockpit fashion. The four-spoke steering wheel is just that, a steering wheel, unencumbered by extra controls for the audio system, transmission or cruise control. Taking the cockpit idea a little further, my tester was equipped with a very slick heads-up display, available as an option on all Corvette models. This unique device unobtrusively projects the speed of travel onto the lower edge of the windshield, as well as a selection of other information, including fuel level and oil temperature. The angle of the projected image is adjustable so that changes to both the seat and wheel height don’t hinder its view. This is a feature that would benefit all drivers, as keeping your attention focused out the window and on the road ahead is the ultimate safety goal. After spending a week with the system I soon realized how much easier it was to keep my speed in check, as I was constantly aware of my momentum. In a car with the performance potential of a Corvette, staying focused takes on even greater importance. Hopefully this technology will trickle down the automotive food chain, as it is this writer’s humble opinion that anything that enhances safety is worth a few extra bucks.
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Rear visibility is okay, but performing a shoulder check is a nerve-wracking proposition due to the combination of a low seat height and wide pillars. Parking and maneuvering this beast is also a challenge as judging the car’s length and perimeter is almost impossible, as the wide body and low seating position rob occupants of most of the view.
Limited storage space is one of the few drawbacks of purchasing a sports car, but cars like this are not designed for hauling cargo. The huge rear hatch on my coupe tester popped up and out of the way to reveal a flat floor shelf which was large enough for a golf bag, but not much more. It also features a trio of storage bins to house small items and gear, as well as the rear-mounted 12-disc CD stacker. Unfortunately objects tended to slide around, as there weren’t any hooks for grocery bags and parcel size was severely restricted by the angle of the hatch glass. A pair of floor-mounted brackets offer a secure place to stow either of the removable roof panels, but you will require a safe place to keep the other one when not in use. Unfortunately, when placed in the rear cargo area, the panel uses up most of the car’s precious cargo room.
The centre console acts as an armrest and houses a shallow storage bin for wallets, maps and CDs. Unfortunately, the hinged door is encumbered by the emergency-brake handle, permitting it to open only a sliver. The fuel-door release switch is also housed in this tray, much to my surprise.
A Bose engineered multi-speaker audio system with both a dash-mounted 6-disc CD changer and the 12-disc trunk mounted unit offers up booming bass and mellifluous melodies, but none as sweet as the rumble of the 5.7-litre V8 engine when prodded with each blip of the gas pedal.
Popup headlamps are effective and can be set to automatically deploy when the going gets dark – but they do block part of the view when in use. They are partnered with high-intensity projection driving/fog lamps that are integrated into the front spoiler. I love the aggressive look and sexy lines of the Corvette, but have always felt that the headlamps tend to ruin the design, much like a pair of thick reading glasses on a super model. Most of its competitors, such as the Acura NSX, have reverted to recessed lighting. Maybe we will see this evolution when the C6 emerges from the shadows in the next decade.
Best of the Breed?
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The C5 is an amazing car on which to base a limited edition commemorative model, but I am surprised that the decision makers at Chevrolet didn’t base the 50th Anniversary car on the more potent Z06, or at least fit the car with the ZO6’s LS7 power plant. Some of the most famous Corvette models were ’special editions’ and almost every one of them offered a major performance boost over the regular cars. Don’t get me wrong, the C5 is definitely a driver’s car, as years of road racing experience is beginning to trickle into the production cars, but it would be a little more special if the anniversary edition incorporated all the go-fast goodies that make the Z06 the best of the breed.
When the C5 hit the streets in 1997 it looked a little lower, wider and meaner than previous generations of the car, but the new design’s purpose was to finally bring world-class handling to the Corvette family. Early Corvettes evolved from six-cylinder cruisers into straight-line marvels, more attune to finding glory at the drag strip than through the esses of a windy road course. The much-lauded C4 cars brought sporty handling to the package, but still fell short of European and Japanese offerings, something GM wanted to challenge.
Secret Weapons
For 2003 General Motors is drawing a line in the sand by offering Magnetic Selective Ride Control on Corvettes, effectively the first semi-active suspension fitted to a mass produced automobile. Standard on the Anniversary model, this innovative system uses a driver adjustable two-position rotary control to select between a softer “Tour” mode, and a firmer riding “Sport” designation. At the flick of a switch the car seamlessly transformed itself from weekend athlete to handling superstar.
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Magnetic Selective Ride Control uses a revolutionary damper design that controls both wheel and body motion through the use of Magneto-Rheological fluid in the shocks and struts. By controlling the current to an electromagnetic coil inside the piston of the damper, the consistency of the fluid can be changed, resulting in continuously variable real time damping. During everyday driving the effect is unnoticeable, but find an open stretch of twisty asphalt and the system will do its best to keep you in control. The car immediately seems to track better, corner flatter and go exactly where you want it to. Add to this the fact that the system acts in near perfect harmony with an advanced traction control system and superb ABS brakes, and the 2003 edition of the Corvette feels very surefooted.
No jack, tools or spare tire is offered, as the car comes equipped with the latest in run-flat tire technology from longtime supplier Goodyear. Individual monitors attached to each wheel keep the driver abreast of tire pressures via the driver information display. The mammoth Eagle GS tires grab instantly and proved to be competent performers in the rain, but if slippage did occur, the traction control system quickly stepped in. At the touch of a button it could be deactivated, but in a car with this performance potential that may not be wise, unless you are a very competent driver. Five-spoke champagne-coloured wheels add to the performance image, although a flashy set of highly-polished chrome wheels would have made the car stand out a little more from the crowd, and are available as an option.
What makes it so special?
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The 2003 C5 seems to be a logical evolution of the Corvette design, offering advanced technology in a basic package that holds true to its beginnings as a two-passenger grand touring car. With five decades in the books and a dedicated following, it is very likely we will be seeing Corvettes in dealer showrooms for many years to come. During this period, fuel shortages, out-of-control gas prices, restrictive emission regulations and rising insurance rates have been unable to derail the Corvette assembly line, and the latest offering only proves that the foundation is strong enough to support another 50 years of automotive leadership.
Technical Data: 2003 Chevrolet 50th Anniversary Corvette
| Base price | $75,425 Coupe, $81,425 Convertible |
| Type | 2-door, 2-passenger, mid-size sports car |
| Layout | longitudinal front-engine, rear-wheel-drive |
| Engine | 5.7 litre V8, OHV, 90-degree (LS1) |
| Horsepower | 350 @ 5,600 rpm |
| Torque | 360 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm (Automatic); 375 lb.-ft. @ 4,400 rpm (Manual) |
| Transmission | 4-Speed Automatic with Overdrive or 6-Speed Manual with Overdrive. |
| Curb weight | 1,458.7 kg (3,216 lb.) Coupe; 1,460.1 kg (3,219 lb.) Convertible |
| Wheelbase | 2656 mm (104.5 in.) |
| Length | 4,566 mm (179.7 in.) |
| Width | 1,869 mm (73.6 in.) |
| Height | 1,212 mm (47.7 in.) |
| Cargo capacity | 702 litres (24.8 cu. ft.) (coupe); 394 litres (13.9 cu. ft.) (convertible) |
| Fuel consumption | City: 13.2 l/100 km (21 mpg); Hwy: 8.9 l/100 km (32 mpg) (automatic) |
| City: 12.3 l/100 km (23 mpg); Hwy: 7.7 l/100 km (37 mpg) (manual) | |
| Warranty | 3 years/60,000 km |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 year/100,000 km |