When did the Corvette switch to a transaxle design? – Jalopnik

Let’s get a few things out of the way from the start: The first Corvette with a traditional rear transaxle design was the fifth-generation model that debuted in 1997. Some people point to the C5’s predecessor, the C4, as the Corvette’s first use of a transaxle. The fourth-generation Corvettes certainly had complicated drivetrain setups, but they didn’t meet the generally accepted definition of a transaxle. The basic difference is that in the C4 the transmission is connected to the differential via a C-beam, which provides structural support to the car. The C5’s true transaxle eliminated the C-beam, putting the transmission and differential in the same compact package.

A question that might be more important regarding the use of a transaxle might be, “Why?” instead of “when?” After all, the setup is most commonly found today in fuel-efficient front-engine, front-wheel drive cars, which take advantage of the smaller size of the transaxle to reduce packaging issues and overall costs.

However, it is worth noting that the same factors come into play when the engine is located near the drive wheels. This specifically includes RWD and RWD cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle and RWD, and mid-engine cars such as the Porsche 550. In fact, the transaxle of the Porsche 550 Spyder in which James Dean died has become a collector’s item in its own right.

The C5 Corvette welcomed a transaxle setup for much the same reason the C8 Corvette switched from a front-engine to a mid-engine: better performance. The C8 models achieved better performance by concentrating weight in the center of the car, but the C5 version shifted the weight from the transaxle to the rear of the car, achieving optimal balance. Corvettes are powered by big, heavy V8 engines, but the C5 still achieved a near-perfect front-to-rear weight distribution of 51/49.

However, the idea to use a transaxle for better performance did not come from Chevrolet. The Bowtie brigade apparently picked up on the concept after noticing how well it worked in the likes of the Ferrari Daytona and Porsche 944. The Corvette has also stuck with its transaxle design, as has been the case in all Corvette generations since the launch of the C5.

Speaking of Corvette transaxles, a manual C8 may finally be within reach thanks to a new transaxle produced by Tremec. The experts at Tremec have designed a transaxle that incorporates a six-speed manual transmission, and they’ve managed to fit the entire package into the same space as the current one: an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. The new Tremec manual transmission indeed has exactly the same mounting points. Keep in mind that this new manual transmission is intended for the aftermarket, at least for now. Many Internet commentators have rightly pointed out that there is relatively little retail demand for a Corvette manual. And Chevy probably won’t take the time and effort to put it in production cars.

The C5 Corvette represented – in some people’s eyes – a giant leap forward for the platform, bringing the car much closer to its current status. It was at that point in the Corvette’s history that it became a true all-around competitor to some of the best sports cars in the world. Of course, some versions of the C5 Corvette are as boomer as they come. Part of this glow was the 1997 Vette’s debut engine: the 5.7-liter LS1 V8 that delivered 345 horsepower and took the car from 0 to 60 mph in a brisk 4.6 seconds.

The C5’s zero-to-60 time was just one-tenth of a second behind the previous-generation range-topping Corvette ZR1, as tested by Car and Driver, but the base C5 was about half the price. The compact dimensions of the transaxle allowed the transmission tunnel to take up less space in the C4’s cabin, creating more room to spread out inside. It was part of an extensive interior makeover, implemented to improve driver comfort and control.

Two years after its debut, Chevrolet set out to prove that the fifth-generation Corvette could compete with its rivals just as well on the track as on the street. The motorsports version, the C5.R, became the first factory-backed Le Mans race car built and campaigned by GM and Chevrolet. Before being replaced by the next generation C6.R in 2005, the C5.R had achieved three class wins at Le Mans, 31 class wins in the American Le Mans Series and an overall victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona.