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It was only fitting that the Corvette design team honor the outgoing C5 by saluting its finest racing accomplishments with a special Le Mans Commemorative Edition package for all 2004 Corvette models. The Coupe and Convertible packages included special Le Mans Blue metallic paint, unique badging noting the Le Mans victories, polished wheels, and a special shale-colored interior featuring embroidered Le Mans emblems on the headrests.
1998 Corvette Pace Car LS1 Engine
When the C5 Corvette was finally unveiled critics were quick to notice a thundering new powerplant. It carried the LS1 designation, serving as the C5 Corvette’s base engine for the duration of the production run. Ironically, the C5 Corvette would only ever leave the factory with one of two individual engines. This included the aforementioned 5.7L LS1, as well as the all-powerful 5.7L LS6, which powered the C5 Z06.
2004 Corvette Sales Brochures
A special Commemorative Edition, recognizing the Le Mans successes, was available for 2004. It consisted of a LeMans blue paint with silver / red center striping, Commemorative badges on the front bumper and rear deck, a shale interior with seat embroidery, an emblem on the interior...
Corvette LS6 engine closeup
The LS6, which served as the motivating force behind the 2001-2004 Corvette Z06, bested the prior LS1 in virtually every facet of performance and proved formidable, both on the track and street. Perhaps more importantly, this engine provided a glimpse into the LS platform’s future, and its ability to constantly evolve.
A successor to the ZR-1 made its debut in 2001 as the Z06, giving a nod to the high-performance Z06 version of the C2 Corvette of the 1960s. The Z06 uses a tuned version of the standard LS1 engine (designated the LS6), with a higher power output of 385 hp (390 PS; 287 kW), later bumped to 405 hp (411 PS; 302 kW) starting in 2002.
LS1 Crate Engine
The LS1 is the spiritual successor to the “small block V8” that GM uses in rear-wheel-drive cars, trucks, and vans. It was introduced in 1995 as the “GEN III” engine and it only shared rod bearings, lifters, and bore spacing with its predecessors (which was in production 1955 until 2003). Little did GM expect for the LS1 has become a legend.