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To some, 45 years represents middle age. At Chevrolet’s Bowling Green, Ky., plant, it’s the start of new life.

Chevy is producing an all-new 1998 Corvette coupe and convertible at Bowling Green that is so advanced, the automobile has won the prestigious Motor Trend Car of the Year award for 1998.

Further honors await it, since the convertible model of the two-seater will be the pace car for the 1998 Indianapolis 500-Mile Race.

Code-named the C5 for Corvette fifth generation, the ‘Vette is a clean computer-screen approach to sports car design, and it lightyears over anything Chevy ever did with any of its predecessors, only it is different. There are the familiar styling cues of long hood/short rear deck, sculpted side coves, and quad tail lamps. The wheelbase, however has been stretched a whopping 8.3 inches to 104.5 inches.

This dictated a minor increase in overall length, an increase of 1.2 inches to a length of 179.7. A major benefit here is the incorporation of luggage space.

Prior Corvettes offer space good for about a toothbrush and a comb. The new one offers space for a number of traveling bags.

It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in the case of the ‘Vette, much of it is in what you can’t see.

Gone are the annoying squeaks and rattles of predecessor ‘Vettes. The chassis of the ’98 is about as stiff as a bridge, thanks to a platform composite floor that incorporates a lightweight balsa-wood filler.

The Balsa wood filters out noise and vibration, as well as stiffening the chassis.

The next chassis area given attention was the suspension. Past Corvettes have had a ride almost equivalent to the covered wagon. The new one if much more compliant, courtesy of new, tuned aluminum four-wheel independent-suspension componentry.

The ride is made much easier without sacrificing the car’s handling characteristics.

Just as well, because beneath the long, sloping hood is a new aluminum 5.7-liter V-8. That sounds a lot like Chevy’s storied small-block V-8, but it is not.

The new motor, labeled the LS1, has a smaller bore and longer stroke than the small-block, and displaces 347 cubic inches rather than the fabled V-8’s 350 cubic inches.

No sharing

The LS1 is completely new and shares no parts with the previous V-8. A push rod/rocker arm valve train was retained in the interest of making the engine smaller and lighter.

Power output is 345-horsepower, a figure that is right at the benchmark performance number of 1-horsepower per cubic inch. Torque is 350 foot-pounds, more than enough urge to make full-throttle, off-the-line acceleration runs a wheel-spinning proposition.

The LS1 represents push-rod, high-tech gear, and features throttle-by-wire (electronic throttle control) technology. The new V-8 enables the ‘Vette to achieve 0-60 miles per hour runs in under 5 seconds. Motor Trend rates the top speed for the coupe models with a six-speed manual transmission at 169 miles per hour. The convertible with a four-speed automatic 167 mph.

Improved balance

With the coupe having a base price of $37,495, and the convertible $44,425, you are into megabucks sticker prices to find a sports car with better performance than this.

By moving the transmission back to the rear end, not only is the front/rear weight balance improved, but the driver/passenger compartment becomes more user-friendly. There is an increase in foot space, and with a lower doorsill level that is 3.7 inches below that of previous ‘Vettes, you don’t have to be an acrobat to get in and out of the thing.

Once inside, there is comfortable seating, abundant body room, and a plethora of power accessories and comfort and convenience features that are standard equipment.

Obviously, the ‘Vette is a specialty vehicle. For those whose tastes run to two-seater sports cars with a heavy emphasis on performance, the 1998 Corvette isworth more than just a casual look.