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"     1999 Chevrolet Corvette Hardtop       MANUFACTURER: Chevrolet Motor Division 30007 Van Dyke Road Warren, Mich. 48090       List price     est $37,560       Price as tested     est $38,487       Price as tested includes std equip. (dual airbags, air cond, cruise control, ABS, traction control, limited-slip diff, leather seats, AM/FM stereo/cassette, pwr windows &amp;amp;amp; mirrors, Z51 Performance Handling Pkg), 6-way power driver seat ($305), CD player ($100), floormats ($25), luxury tax ($97), dest charge (est $400).      TEST CONDITIONS      Temperature      72\u00B0 F       Wind     calm       Humidity      53%       Elevation      1010 ft      ENGINE      Type     aluminum block and head, V-8       Valvetrain     ohv 2 valve/cyl       Displacement     346 cu in./5666 cc       Bore x stroke     3.90 x 3.62 in./99.0 x 92.0 mm       Compression ratio     10.1:1       Horsepower (SAE)     345 bhp @ 5600 rpm       Bhp/liter     60.9       Torque     350 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm       Maximum engine speed     6000 rpm       Fuel injection      elect. sequential port       Fuel     prem unleaded, 91 pump oct      CHASSIS &amp;amp;amp; BODY      Layout     front engine/rear drive       Body/frame     fiberglass/unit steel       Brakes     Front 12.6-in. vented discs Rear 11.8-in. vented discs       Assist type     vacuum; ABS       Total swept area     432 sq in.       Swept area/ton     277 sq in.       Wheels     cast aluminum; 17 x 8-1/2 f, 18 x 9-1/2 r       Tires     Goodyear Eagle F1; P245/45ZR-17 f, P275/40ZR-18 r       Steering     rack &amp;amp;amp; pinion, vari power assist       Overall ratio     16.1:1       Turns, lock to lock     2.3       Turning circle     40.0 ft       Suspension F     upper &amp;amp;amp; lower A-arms, transverse composite monoleaf spring, tube shocks, anti-roll bar       Suspension R     upper &amp;amp;amp; lower A-arms, toe links, transverse composite monoleaf spring, tube shocks, anti-roll bar      DRIVETRAIN      Transmission     6-speed manual       Gear Ratio Overall ratio (Rpm) Mph: 1st 2.66:1 9.10:1 (6000) 52 2nd 1.78:1 6.09:1 (6000) 77 3rd 1.30:1 4.45:1 (6000) 105 4th 1.00:1 3.42:1 (6000) 137 5th 0.74:1 2.53:1 est (5540) 170 6th 0.50:1 1.71:1 est (3740) 170 Final drive ratio 3.42:1 Engine rpm @ 60 mph in 6th 1320      GENERAL DATA      Curb weight     3120 lb       Test weight     3300 lb       Weight dist (with driver), f/r, %     52/48       Wheelbase     104.5 in.       Track, f/r     62.0 in./62.1 in.       Length     179.1 in.       Width     73.6 in.       Height     47.9 in.       Ground clearance     3.7 in.       Trunk space     13.5 cu ft      MAINTENANCE      Oil/filter change     7500 mi/7500 mi       Tuneup     100,000 mi       Basic warranty      36 mo/36,000 mi      ACCOMMODATIONS      Seating capacity     2       Head room     37.0 in.       Seat width     2 x 18.0 in.       Leg room     43.0 in.       Seatback adjustment     35 deg       Seat travel     8.0 in.      INTERIOR NOISE      Idle in neutral     59 dBA       Maximum in 1st gear     81 dBA       Constant 50 mph     74 dBA       70 mph     77 dBA      INSTRUMENTATION      200-mph speedometer, 7500-rpm tach, coolant temp, fuel level, volts, oil press.      ACCELERATION      Time to speed Seconds: 0-30 mph 2.3 0-40 mph 3.2 0-50 mph 4.4 0-60 mph 5.3 0-70 mph 6.5 0-80 mph 8.3 0-90 mph 9.9 0-100 mph 11.7       Time to distance: 0-100 ft 3.1 0-500 ft 7.6 0-1320 ft (1/4 mi): 13.6 @ 107.3 mph      FUEL ECONOMY      Normal driving     18.5 mpg       EPA city/highway     18/28 mpg       Cruise range     335 miles       Fuel capacity     19.1 gal.      BRAKING      Minimum stopping distance: From 60 mph: 125 ft From 80 mph: 217 ft       Control      excellent       Pedal effort for 0.5g stop     na       Fade, effort after six 0.5g stops from 60 mph     na       Brake feel     excellent       Overall brake rating     excellent      HANDLING      Lateral accel (200-ft skidpad); Balance     0.91g; moderate understeer       Speed thru 700-ft slalom; Balance     62.3 mph; moderate understeer       Lateral seat support     very good       Subjective ratings consist of excellent, very good, good, average, poor; na means information is not available.       &amp;quot;This is the stiffest, lightest, quickest Corvette you can find,&amp;quot; says Dave Hill, chief engineer for the Corvette. Well, Dave, two out of three ain&amp;#039;t bad.   When the fifth-generation was conceived, the idea was to have a family of sports cars -- a coupe (really a hatchback with removable roof panel), a convertible and a hardtop.   The fixed-head coupe was envisioned as a &amp;quot;stripper&amp;quot; or entry-level Corvette. It would be made lighter by dispensing with all the power-actuated options seemingly required of any car regardless of price. Without all the electronic geegaws, it would be simpler -- crank-open windows only; manually adjustable cloth-covered seats; and a single, nonadjustable suspension package. Without the weight and complexity, this new Corvette would be quicker. But best of all, it would be less expensive; some whispered the price might be around $30,000. A Solo II competitor&amp;#039;s dream.   But a funny thing happened on the way to the slalom course. While the hardtop looked good on paper, getting there was much more difficult.   Keeping it simple wasn&amp;#039;t so simple.   First of all, the need to develop an entry-level Corvette isn&amp;#039;t pressing. Currently, is building all the coupes and convertibles it can. A stripper would take the place on the line of a much more profitable car, not a smart business move when the Corvette is essentially sold out. Someday, a cheaper Vette may be needed, but that day isn&amp;#039;t now.   Secondly, deleting things like power windows and power seats turned out not to provide the big cost or weight savings initially imagined. Despite the smaller fixed rear window versus a large glass hatch, the hardtop ended up weighing only 70 lb. less than the coupe. So, Hill is correct: It is the lightest, but just barely.   Simplicity comes in the form of fewer choices on the option sheet. You can&amp;#039;t get dual-zone air conditioning, nor is there a memory package for the power seats, outside mirrors, radio and a/c settings. While the seats are leather-covered, and the driver&amp;#039;s side offers as an option power for the fore/aft adjustments (rake is still manual), the all-singing, all-dancing sport seats with wings and inflatable lumbar are not available. Also, the passenger must make do with a manually adjustable seat. The three-mode F45 electronic suspension is not available, nor is an automatic transmission. And new features for 1999 Corvettes (see sidebar) such as the telescoping steering column, headup display and Twilight Sentinel are not part of the hardtop spec sheet.   But according to Hill, &amp;quot;This is not a stripper.&amp;quot; And he&amp;#039;s right. The 6-speed manual transmission is standard here; an $800 option on other models. In addition to the power driver&amp;#039;s seat, you get power windows, tilt steering, air conditioning, extended-mobility tires (run-flats) with a tire-pressure warning system, power door locks, cruise control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. Which also means the hardtop is nowhere near $30,000.   Yes, it is the least expensive Corvette you can buy, but only by $500. With the Z28 on life support, those visions of being able to step up into an entry-level Corvette have vanished. You&amp;#039;re looking at $38,000 to get into a hardtop, or about what the coupe cost when it was introduced two years ago. Pricing is perhaps the biggest disappointment on this car.   Finally, there&amp;#039;s the looks. The smaller greenhouse of the hardtop accentuates the Corvette&amp;#039;s rather large and blunt rear end. This large piece of sheet-molded-compound is in need of some serious plastic surgery; either a tuck or a trim. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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