While it was not the rarest Corvette Pace Car Replica ever manufactured by GM, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Replica was – and remains – one of the most desirable pace car replicas ever made. This is primarily due to the fact that this replica is nearly identical to the actual pace cars that were used during the 1998 Indianapolis 500.
Before 1998, Corvette had served as the official pace car of the Indianapolis 500 a total of 3 times – in 1978, 1986 and 1995. Each time the Corvette made an appearance, Chevrolet would commemorate the occasion by building a limited-edition replica. It seemed only fitting therefore that, when it was announced that the 1998 Corvette would once more lead the field at the Indianapolis 500, that GM would inevitably build a replica to commemorate the event. It was all the more fitting given that 1998 also marked the brand’s 20th anniversary as “Official Pace Car” of this momentous race.
The 1998 C5 Corvette Pace Car was a spectacular addition to the race. The car – a convertible – was finished in Radar Blue exterior paint, and featured bright yellow wheels and a yellow graphics package with a checkered flag motif that stretched from the front grill to the rear of the car. The car’s interior was similarly appointed with black and yellow leather.
Interestingly, the 1998 Corvette that served as the official pace-car from the race was virtually identical to the production model variants that were built to commemorate the event. Unlike most other pace cars, which require mechanical modifications to bolster the car’s performance to meet the rigors of pacing the massive racetrack, the Corvette came equipped with enough horsepower to handle the demands of leading the pack with ease. The official pace car’s LS1 engine did receive a freer-flowing intake manifold and modified exhaust system designed to boost the car’s horsepower from 345 to 370hp, but this was done as a means of differentiating the “official” car from the “replicas.”
Photo Source: Bring A Trailer
