2004 C5 Corvette Forum

The Chevrolet Corvette maintains its well-earned status as the automotive and cultural icon that has been admired and sought after for a generation. For the 2004 model year, commemorative editions for each Corvette model are available so enthusiasts can celebrate the racing success of the Chevy flagship.

Also, the top-of-the-line Corvette Z06 - already hailed by enthusiast magazines as the best combination of performance, comfort and value in the automotive world - gets even better for 2004 with revised shock valving based on testing at the legendary Nürburgring race track in Germany.

Special C5 Corvette race cars, with the designation of C5-R had seen consistent success in the most demanding race, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This was a factory effort which had resulted in podium finishes (third place or better) in the last 29 races and victories in the last 20 races.

A special Commemorative Edition, recognizing the Le Mans successes, was available for 2004. It consisted of a LeMans blue paint with silver / red center striping, Commemorative badges on the front bumper and rear deck, a shale interior with seat embroidery, an emblem on the interior waterfall area of the convertibles and a shale convertible top. The Z06 Commemorative Edition came with polished aluminum wheels.

Suspension tweaks improved handling of the Chevy Corvette Z06 without a sacrifice in ride quality.

The hood for the Z06 Commemorative Edition was carbon fiber. It was the first use of the exotic material for a painted exterior panel on a car built in North America and was an experiment of sorts for GM. The carbon fiber advantage of high strength with less weight was realized with a 10.6 pounds weight saving. The inside hood panel is a hybrid of carbon fiber and Sheet Molded Compound (SMC).

 Specifically developed for the Corvette, the Commemorative Edition Z06 hood achieves a higher level of exterior finish quality than previous automotive applications of carbon fiber. On most carbon fiber parts, the woven pattern of the material is easily seen beneath the exterior finish. To diminish that effect and preserve the rich LeMans Blue paint finish, on the Commemorative Edition Z06 the carbon fibers are aligned in a single direction. The only visual cue that the hood is made from carbon fiber is in the red border surrounding the silver graphic on the car, which is arranged in a woven pattern signifying the material that lies underneath. The overall result is a finish consistent with the rest of the car that gives just a slight hint at the carbon fiber construction.

For the sixth time a Corvette was chosen to pace the Indy 500, with actor Morgan Freeman assigned the driving honors.  The C5 would be a tough act to follow. The technology advances, such as the Magnetic Selective Ride Control and the "drive by wire" throttle, had been extraordinary. New ground was also broken with the Z06, a high performance model that effectively revived the dual purpose race track / street sports car concept. But the competition had also been making progress, and it had never been part of the Corvette's DNA to back away from a challenge. Things were getting interesting.

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