10 Times the Corvette Revolutionized the Sports Car
Over the course of 70 years, the Corvette has brought innovation after innovation to the sports car world. These are the ten best.
Intro
The Corvette turns 70 this year. This septuagenarian sports car has contributed a lot over the years to the automobile industry. It is America’s sports car, and it has earned that reputation by bringing some revolutionary technology and features to the market. Sometimes it wasn’t always the first car to do so, but it was often the Corvette that made it popular with the masses. We put together a list of the top ten times that our favorite sports car revolutionized the automotive world.
1. Fiberglass Body (1953)
It may not seem like such a big deal today but in 1953 using an all-fiberglass body was considered quite exotic. The material is not only lightweight but also rust-proof. But it was originally selected because it was more economical to build a low volume sports car this way rather than create large sheet metal stamping dies. Every Corvette since has featured a composite-material body as do many other exotic sports cars.
2. GM Small Block V8 (1955)
To say the GM small block was revolutionary would be the understatement of the year. It debuted in the 1955 Corvette and Bel Air. All these years later the GM small block V8 still shares the same basic architectural features. The LT2 found in the 2023 C8 Corvette uses the same 4.4-inch bore-center spacing with one camshaft in the block and two pushrod-operated valves per cylinder. The GM small block is one of the most versatile engines ever developed. This engine changed the automotive industry.
3. Fuel Injection (1957)
In 1957 the Corvette was offered with a Rochester fuel injection system. The exotic Mercedes-Benz 300SL is widely considered to be the first car to offer fuel injection. However, it was the Corvette that really brought this technology to the masses. The early Rochester Ramjet used a continuous-flow injection system with atomized fuel squirted toward the back of each intake valve. It was a $538 option back in 1957 and it helped the Corvette to deliver exactly one horsepower per cubic inch. The 283 ci V8 with fuel injection made 283 horsepower. It was the beginning of the end for carburetors.
4. Independent Rear Suspension (1963)
Like fuel injection, the Corvette was not the very first car to have an independent rear suspension (IRS). But it was the car that made it famous. Starting with the beautiful 1963 split window Chevy put an IRS suspension in the car. The main advantage of this setup is the ability to let the rear wheels move independently of one another. This greatly improved handling as well as the ability to fine tune the suspension. It was a game changer.
5. T-Tops (1968)
The 1968 Corvette was the first production car to come with T-Tops. The T-Top configuration offered open air driving when desired and a closed coupe when not with the ability to remove or install two roof panels. This configuration was so popular that many believe it led to Chevy discontinuing the convertible option in 1976 and not offering it again until a decade later. Many vehicles used the T-Top design with perhaps the most famous being the Trans Am featured in the film Smokey and The Bandit.
6. C4 Digital Dash (1984)
When the C4 generation finally came out in 1984 it was met with much fanfare. One of the most intriguing features was the new digital dash layout. It was extremely futuristic at the time, and for many that remains their favorite part of the early C4 Corvettes. They went out of style for a while but today it is tough to buy a new car that does not have at least one digital gauge.
7. LS1 V8 (1997)
Another legendary engine that was born in the Corvette. The LS1 V8 first appeared in the new C5 Corvette in 1997. The 5.7L unit produced 345 horsepower. The aluminum block LS1 weighed significantly less than the previous generation iron block V8. The LS engine series immediately rose to stardom. They went on to power not just Corvettes but everything from Honda to Porsche has benefitted from an LS swap at some point.
8. Magnetic Ride Control (2003)
While Delphi Corp.'s MagneRide suspension control system first debuted on the 2002 Cadillac Seville STS it became standard equipment on the 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette. And it was the Corvette that made this technology popular. The system uses Magneto-Rheological (MR) fluids and valve-less dampers to provide a wide range of damping force control along with enhanced responsiveness. This same system was eventually used by Ferrari in 2007 for their $300K and up 599 GTB Fiorano.
9. LT6 (2023)
The most powerful normally aspirated V8 engine in a production car is the LT6 that can be found behind the driver in the new C8 Z06. This 5.5L cross-plane crank work of art makes a screaming 670 horsepower. GM might be new to the cross-plane crank game, but they hit a homerun in their first at bat. 50 years from now people will look back at the LT6 as one of the most incredible internal combustion engines ever developed.
10. 70 Years of Corvette (1953 – 2023)
The last one on our list is not a single innovation but a collection of them that has allowed the Corvette to thrive for seventy years. The Corvette is the world’s longest-running, continuously produced passenger car. That just doesn’t happen without some major advancements along the way. The Corvette itself has revolutionized the automobile industry. The Corvette is of course a great car. But its mere presence has inspired other automakers to improve their sports cars in order to compete. The Corvette has made all cars better. And it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.