Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C4) '96

The Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (C4) '96 is a sports road car produced by Chevrolet. It only appears in the original Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2, with the Grand Sport model overshadowing it in later games.

Colors[]

There are seven colors available for this vehicle:

Arctic White
Black
Torch Red
Competition Yellow
Polo Green II Metallic
Bright Aqua Metallic
Dark Purple Metallic

In-game description[]

This description is taken from the PAL version of Gran Turismo 2:

Chevrolet's legendary Corvette changed little for over a decade between the mid-1980s and 1990s. Sure it was refined and improved over the years, but put a 1984 'Vette next to a 1996 and it'd be a job to tell them apart.

The C4 Corvettes chassis is a birdcage structure integrated with a backbone frame to which the drivetrain was mounted. Suspension is courtesy of fibreglass transverse monoleaf springs and beefy disc brakes are fitted all round.

Body styles for the two-seater are closed coupe or convertible, although the coupe's roof panel removes for that open air feeling.

At launch the 'Vette came with a 205 bhp 5.7-litre Cross Fire V8 engine but pretty soon the power brokers got their way. By 1987 ace tuning firm Callaway^[1] had done a deal with Chevrolet to produce the Twin Turbo - a 345 bhp road rocket that could top 170 mph. Back in the standard production world Chevrolet celebrated the 'Vette's 35th anniversary in 1988 with a white-only limited edition. The mighty ZR-1 (see separate description) appeared in 1990 and was the ultimate road-going Corvette. But by 1992 the gap between the standard car and the supercar had narrowed with the introduction of the LT1. 300 bhp was up for grabs from its 5.7-litre V8 motor and the LT1 could race to 60 mph in less than six seconds and top out at 160 mph. Plus thanks to a widened rear track it even looked like the wild ZR-1.

The 40th anniversary of 1993 saw another limited run, but the next major change would be in 1996 with the installation of the LT4 engine - same 5.7-litre capacity but with power up to 330 bhp and with the option of a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the standard four-speed automatic.

This description is taken from the NTSC-U version of Gran Turismo 2:

The wedge-shaped fourth-generation Corvette had classic sports car styling and design. No "cab-forward" here - the long nose hid a large-displacement V8 engine and the driver and passenger sat well to the rear. The C4 'Vette was progressively refined from its introduction in 1983, both in ride and handling and in power output. By 1996, the last year of C4 production, its 5.7-liter (350 cubic inch) cast-iron, pushrod overhead-valve V8 made 300 horsepower in standard LT1 trim.

Although the ZR-1 was gone, introduction of the high-performance LT4 engine was welcome. Use of technology and tuning tricks developed during the ZR-1 program enabled the trusty iron beast to make 330 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 340 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm, in a much more affordable package. If not quite as quick and fast as the ZR-1, the LT4 was hardly slow.

Since 1996 was the last year for the C4, Chevy had a present for Corvette lovers, reviving the "Grand Sport" name for a special edition. The name was first used for a special racing version in 1963, with five built. One thousand coupes and convertibles got the name for 1996. They also got the LT4 and a special paint scheme featuring a blue body color with a white central stripe. Grand Sport coupes had the wheels and 275/40ZR-17 front, 315/35ZR-17 rear tires used on the ZR-1. In any trim, the C4 was and is an American classic, and a very fast, capable sports car.

This description is taken from the PAL version of the original Gran Turismo:

This Corvette was introduced in 1983. Its main feature is the unmistakably sporty styling, with its distinctive long nose. Another distinctive feature is the FRP body. Its front houses a cast iron 5.7-litre V8 OHV LT1 engine with a maximum power of 300 PS and 47.0 kgm. Suspension is double-wishbone at the front and S-link fully independent behind. The brakes are ventilated discs on all four wheels.

In 1989 GM brought out the ZR-1 powered by the barnstorming LT5 engine, the first V8 4-cam 32-valve engine in an American car. This powerhouse of an engine generated 375 PS in 1989 and after improvements in 1993, 405 PS. This engine was in production until 1995. The dynamics capability produced by the huge 5.7-litre engine is staggering, and its acceleration truly stirring. Its cornering is not brilliant, but it would not look out of place in drift-racing.

Acquisition[]

Game	Purchase location	Credits	Other methods
Gran Turismo	Chevrolet Dealership	45,350	---
Gran Turismo 2	Chevrolet Dealership	36,840	---

Pictures[]

Notes[]

↑ Misspelt as Calloway in the game

[1] Misspelt as Calloway in the game

[1]