It had 205 horsepower, ran 0-60 mph in 7 seconds, and topped out at 140 mph, but cleared a track for the 1,064 horsepower 2025 Corvette ZR1. The fourth-generation “C4” Corvette that debuted for 1984 was the model’s first new design since 1968 and first complete re-engineering since 1963. Like today’s mid-engine Vette, it was a revolution.

“The C4 gave Chevrolet’s engineers an opportunity to redesign the Corvette,” said Bryan Gable, curator at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. “The car got new electronic instruments that made it more modern. There was also a new emphasis on improving the Corvette’s handling and agility. Many of the advancements during the C4 era allowed Corvette to become a competitive car on the world stage.”

Motor Trend’s cover proclaimed, “A Star is Born.” Car and Driver called it the “most advanced production car on the street”. Road and Track said it’s “the best-looking automobile on the market today.”

Still rendered in fiberglass, its long voluptuous forward-opening hood exposed the entire engine bay, broad Goodyear tires and aluminum suspension. Its concave rear fascia and rotating headlamps are iconic. Pop-up glass allowed easy entry to the cargo area…and a place to stow the one-piece roof panel. It looked exotic.

Inside, drivers were confronted by a video arcade of liquid-crystal digital displays. Deeply bolstered sport seats left passengers in a comfy semi-reclining position, snugged deep between the frame rails. Bose amped the sound. The transmission tunnel cramped legroom, but all the glass provided a canopy of visibility.

“I really believe we’ve designed a car without compromises,” said chief designer Jerry Palmer at the C4’s introduction. “It has a Corvette ‘face.’ The first time that people see this car, they’re going to know what it is.”

Though mid-engine designs had been considered, the C4 adopted a “front-mid-engine” lay-out with the 5.7-liter V-8 shoved rearward. Rack-and-pinion steering and five-link rear suspension further improved handling. It pulled 0.9g on the skidpad — the highest achieved by Car and Driver for a production vehicle.

From the its launch until its final model year in 1996, the C4 evolved. Bone-crunching suspension calibration was gradually softened. From 1989, Chevrolet offered an adjustable suspension with track and touring modes plus an optional six-speed manual transmission. A simpler wrap-around dash came in 1990; smoother fascias augmented the aero look in 1991.

Engines advanced from the 205 horsepower Crossfire V-8 in 1984 to the 230 horsepower L98 in 1985, 300 horsepower LT1 in 1992 and 330 horsepower LT4 in 1996. Of course, there was the LT5 V-8 in the 1990-1995 ZR1 that eventually produced 405 horsepower!

Joining the club

One night when I was in high school, my best friend’s dad backed a new 1989 Corvette into their garage. I stared at it, glassy-eyed. “You’d buy one if you could, wouldn’t you?” my friend asked. You bet I would, and I did in 2000: A white coupe with red leather seats and a six-speed manual transmission. I still own it, too.

For me, it’s the wide-opening hood, Knight Rider dash and targa top. I love pulling the switch and watching the headlamps rotate into place. There’s plenty of cargo space for a weekend away. Tucked down between the frame rails, it’s a race car with only curved fenders straight ahead.

For all they offer, C4s are stupid cheap. You can buy a nice one for under $10,000. Even the mighty ZR1 goes for under $35,000 — a pittance for a classic supercar. They’re relatively inexpensive to own, with plentiful parts and knowledgeable repair shops.

The 1989 is my favorite C4, but others differ.

“I love the museum’s inaugural Brickyard 400 Corvette from 1994,” Gable said. “If money is no object, I would get a ZR1. So much work went into the C4 version to make it a great performer. I’ll take a 1995 ZR1 from the final year in Competition Yellow.”

ZR1 roars forward

From the moment the “King of the Hill” ZR1 debuted at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, it served notice with a widened rear track and 32-valve V-8 that it was here to slay European exotics. Which, it did, going 0-60 mph under 5 seconds and hitting a top speed of 180 mph.

The ZR1 was possible because the base car was so good. You can almost steer with your right foot. Even without stability control, it had stability beyond the nerve of most drivers. Tires seemed to dig deeper the faster you cornered. C4s paced the Indianapolis 500 in 1986 and 1995 without modifications.

Roar forward to the 2025 ZR1. The current C8’s mid-engine layout lends impeccable balance in getting the 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8’s 1,064 horsepower to the road. GM claims a top speed over 215 mph and a sub-3-second 0-60 run. Magnetic Ride Control continuously adjusts suspension calibration.

“It is so exciting to see the 2025 ZR1 become a reality,” Gable said. “Everyone in the Corvette community knew that this was going to be a powerful car, but I don’t think many people were expecting over a thousand horsepower. This latest Corvette supercar is a worthy successor to the other Corvettes that carry the ZR1 name.”

An underappreciated legacy

GM produced more than 358,000 C4s between 1984 and 1996. It celebrated Corvette’s 35th Anniversary in 1988, 40th anniversary in 1993 and the One Millionth Vette in 1992, a car restored at the GM Technical Center after falling into the National Corvette Museum’s sinkhole. Airbags, anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability programming all debuted on the C4.

Yet these accomplishments never seem enough.

“Sometimes it feels like the C4 is caught between the classic designs of the Corvette’s early years and the high-tech performance cars that followed,” Gable said. “It is not where the Corvette started, but it’s not what it became either. I think that causes the C4 to be more overlooked than it should be.”

About once a year, I look at my ’89 Coupe and think about selling it. Then I wash it, unbolt the top, rev the engine and admire that video arcade. It wears its 40 years well. My daughter jumps in and cranks up Prince, and we go for a drive.

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