The question of C5 or C6 is common in places like Google searches and forums. You should know that both the C5 and C6 engines are impeccable. Both are very well built and designed with care for excellent quality. Moreover, the Corvette is the most reliable vehicle made by GM Motors.

However, we are not defending GM Motors here because they have already messed up tons of vehicles. Moreover, their Corvette lineup has never been at fault. Every Corvette has had the best engineering of General Motors since the 1970s.

Further, people who build Corvettes have never been more proud of making their best car for America and assembling it in the USA. You should know that the Corvette is a sports car made by General Motors.
However, we should look at all the changes to the C5 engine built in 2004. Further, this engine was taken to another level with the C6 in 2005.

Differences Between C5 vs. C6 Corvette Engines

There are many differences between the C5 vs. C6 engines. Some major differences are in the engines and transmissions, suspension, dimensions, and interior design.

Transmissions and Engines

The LS1 V8 engine with 5.7 liters of displacement was found in the C5 Corvette. This engine was outstanding and had an impeccable performance.

Chevrolet introduced the C6 engine, the second generation of LS1 engines, the LS2. This engine was a V8 with 400 braking horsepower and an outstanding 400-pound-foot of torque.

Further, it was available with a four-speed or six-speed gearbox. The four-speed gearbox was paired with an automatic system, and the six-speed was made up of a manual gearbox. However, a six-speed automatic gearbox came out in 2006.

The C6 engine was further developed in 2008 with the introduction of the LS3 6.2-liter V8 engine. This engine could produce 430 horsepower and 424 lb-ft of torque. However, there was an option to get a massive 7-liter engine. This engine option was called the Z06 and ZR1. The ZR1 had an LS9 engine, which could give 638 horsepower.

Suspension

The C6 Corvette was redesigned with a better suspension and an advanced steering system. This system was much more redefined than the previous one. The engineers at General Motors redesigned the steering calipers and gears to make them smoother and more responsive.

The C6 engine, along with some other parts, improved the suspension tuning. Moreover, the LS V8 engine found in the C5 was developed further. This new formula gave the ultimate boost in horsepower, making the engine very reliable.

Furthermore, the overhauled model had significantly improved shocks and better stabilizers. The new redesign also had a better horsepower level and torque.

The suspension system remained the same. It had a four-wheel independent suspension, which was much more comfortable than the multi-linked suspension. The suspensions were supported by fiberglass mono leaf springs. Moreover, the C6 engine had an FE1 suspension, too.

Dimensions

The Corvette C6 engine was much smaller than the C5 engine. This is due to advancements in technology, which lead to better horsepower and engine efficiency by reducing the overall volume of the engine itself. Further, the engine was 5 inches shorter than the C5 engine.

The wheelbases were also changed identically. The C5 offered a 112.2-inch wheelbase, and the C6 engine offered a 105.7-inch wheelbase. Moreover, the curb weight was also reduced dramatically, all thanks to the advancement in engineering.

Exterior and Interior Design

The design of the C5 and C6 Corvettes is subjective. Furthermore, the C6 engine was designed with exposed headlights, which were first seen on the C1 Corvette. However, the exposed headlight design on the C6 Corvette was initially controversial.

The design became famous as C5 Corvette owners used conversion kits to make the headlights of their cars look like those of the C6.

However, the headlight design was not a complete overhaul. Further, it was an evolution of the C5 headlight design. Besides, the overall design of the C6 Corvette showed a clear heading to the future. Note that Corvette has completely overhauled its design from C6 to C7. This doesn’t mean C5 to C6 had minor upgrades.

Premium interiors and some refreshments were included in the look. Further, the drive-focus cockpit was much more appreciated on the C6 Corvette, which the C5 lacked.

This doesn’t mean the C5 was a bad Corvette. It had a solid design but looked much more dated. The design seemed to have inspired the Chevy Lumina from the 1990s.

Some More Considerations of C5 Vs C6 Corvette

Now you have some basic ideas about Corvette C5 vs C6. Further, you have ideas about the differences in the transmission tunnel, the exterior and interior design, the dimensions, and the suspension system. Which one suits your personality best? Do you prefer the interior and exterior of the C5 Corvette or the C6 Corvette?

Undoubtedly, the C6 Corvette had a much more contemporary design than the C6 Corvette. This means the C5 Corvette had a sleeker, low-tone, low-profile design. Further, the C5 had a classic old-styled pop-up system headlight.

Some people indicated that the C5 Corvette’s lighter design looked much sportier than the C6 Corvette’s.

However, looks are subject to people. Some prefer the look of the C5, and others prefer the C6. Therefore, which corvette drove your attention the most? Is it the C5 Corvette or the C6 Corvette?

We should also consider the comfort option of the C5 vs. C6 Corvette. By saying about comfort, we are not indicating any design. Further, we are talking about the seat design and interior dimensions.

The interior design of the C6 Corvette provided much better comfort than that of the C5. This is obvious, as the C6 was much more refined than the C5.

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Maintenance of C5 Vs C6 Corvette

People buy the Corvette due to its reliable engine and low maintenance cost. A sports car needs high maintenance and costs a lot. However, this is not the case for a Corvette. This means the Corvette engine has a low maintenance cost along with better engine reliability.

You can spend much more money modifying the C5 and C6 engines. You can bump up the horsepower and so much more. However, for most of the parts, the C5 and C6 Corvette engine parts were reasonably priced compared to all other sports car engines.

There is another benefit of the C5 and C6 Corvette. As you know, the C6 Corvette had the same foundation engine as the C5 Corvette. This means the parts were relatively cheap and cost almost the same for C5 and C6 corvettes. However, there is an exception to the huge 7-liter ZR1 engine.

The most expensive part of the Corvette is the tires themselves. This is where you need to calculate your budget and keep an amount fixed. Further, your Corvette needs a tire change every 20000 miles or so. The high-performance tire gets decayed due to heat and friction on the road. Therefore, you need to change the tires every 20000 miles.

The maintenance and parts costs for both the C5 and C6 Corvette are the same and cheap. However, we are not in charge of deciding whether you should put a $20,000 supercharger in the Corvette engine or even an alcohol engine kit. Further, there is also the E85 kit, which is much more expensive. Therefore, whether you want to spend more or keep it reasonably priced depends on you.

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So C5 or C6 Corvette?

Now you know which Corvette meets your needs. Do you want the retro vibes of the C5 Corvette with its excellent engine? Or do you need the C6 Corvette, which has a much more modern look and an excellent engine, too?

The C4 Corvette is the predecessor of the C5 Corvette, which was a very significant departure in engine design. Moreover, the C5 Corvette introduced the use of the rear-mounted transaxle design system, which was very advanced and still is advanced today.

Further, the C6 engine is the evolution of the C5 engine. The C6 Corvette has a better engine than the C5 Corvette engine. C6 offers a higher horsepower count and a better suspension system with independent shock absorbers. Moreover, the interior of the C6 Corvette is much more comfortable than the C5 Corvette. Therefore, the decision is yours now. This was all about the C5 Vc C6 Corvette.