|
The Chevrolet Corvette C4 is a sports car introduced at
the close of 1982 production as a 1984 model and ended in 1996. This
means that there are no 1983 model year Corvettes (though 44 prototype
or pre-production 1983s were built, of which #23 survives today and is
housed at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green). It is the
fourth generation of Chevrolet Corvettes built and marketed by the
Chevrolet division of American automaker General Motors.
The C4 Corvette is known for its sleek look. Instead of fiberglass, it
was made from reaction injected molding plastics, a sheet molding
compound. The C4 coupe also is the first Corvette to have a glass
hatchback (except for the 1982 Collector Edition) for better storage
access. It also had all new brakes with aluminum calipers. The Corvette
C4 came standard with an electronic dashboard with digital liquid
crystal displays for speed and RPM. The C4 was a complete redesign of
the previous generation, and the emphasis was on handling. This handling
came at the cost of a solid, uncompromising ride, especially with the
Z51 performance handling package. The unit-body frame used in the C4 was
prone to rattles and squeaks due to minimal sound deadening. Also due to
the external unit-body frame, the door sills were quite deep and entry
and exit have been likened to a "fall in and climb out" experience. The
emergency brake, located between the door sill and the drivers seat, was
moved lower and toward the rear of the car in 1988 for easier entry and
exit.
From 1984 through 1988, the Corvette was available with a Doug Nash
"4+3" transmission - a 4-speed manual coupled to an automatic overdrive
on the top three gears. This unusual transmission was a synergy that
allowed corvette to keep a stout 4 speed, but add an overdrive. As
technology progressed, it was replaced by a modern ZF 6-speed manual.
However, the C4 performance was hampered by its L98 250 hp (186 kW)
engine until 1992, when the second-generation LT1 was installed,
markedly improving the C4s performance. 1996 was a high point of small
block Chevrolet development and the 330 hp (246 kW) LT4 was installed in
all manual transmission cars.
The 1986 Corvette is notable for being the first car with an electronic
anti-theft system. GM had created the Pass Key I, where each key
contained a special pellet that could be detected and identified by the
car's computer system by detecting electrical resistance. Being early in
the rollout of this new technology, there were only 15 different
resistance values available.
|
