The Classic 1999 Corvette Hardtop
Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 4 min read
Chevrolet
is one of the most famous brands in the American auto industry, and the Corvette is possibly the most famous car the company makes. Plus, due to the long history of the Corvette, there are many popular and collectible versions to choose from. Here's a look at the 1999 Corvette Hardtop, how fast it is, and why it's still a very popular Chevy Corvette option.
Features of the 1999 Corvette
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Car and Driver
indicates, the hardtop version of the Corvette was actually very different from the standard trim. For example, the hardtop was significantly cheaper than the regular Corvette. The standard Corvette, at the time, started at about $40,000, while the hardtop version started at just $37,500. That said, it was still a muscle car, and it had quite a bit of power. The 1999 Corvette had a 5.7-liter V-8 engine, and it got about 345 horsepower. But, while the hardtop version was cheaper than the regular Corvette, it gained a few features and lost a few features, too.
Car and Driver said that Chevy gave the hardtop Corvette a manual transmission and a firmer suspension as standard. On the other hand, features like a dual-zone air conditioning system and a head-up instrument display were not available on this trim.
And obviously, since it's a hardtop, owners couldn't remove or retract the roof. However, one of the other big changes happened to the Corvette's weight, as the hardtop weighed 79 pounds lighter due to changes to the windows. As one might guess, this allowed this classic Chevy to be a little faster than usual.
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How fast is the 1999 Corvette?
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One of the more obvious changes to the Corvette's windows happened to the rear. Simply said, the hardtop version has a much smaller rear window than before. However, this change was not all good news for the Corvette.
On one hand, the Corvette hardtop could go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. Not only is this quick, but it's 0.1 seconds faster than the regular 1999 Corvette, according to Car and Driver. Similarly, the hardtop version did a quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds. Once again, this was 0.1 seconds faster than the regular Corvette.
On the other hand, the Corvette hardtop's smaller rear window is actually not as aerodynamic as the regular Corvette's rear window. As a result, while it is faster in terms of acceleration, it has a slower top speed. The hardtop can get up to 169 mph, while the regular Corvette can hit 171 mph.
Why this classic Chevy is still so popular today
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Obviously, one of the main reasons folks buy muscle cars is because of how cool they are. Not everybody is going to feel that way about the 1999 Corvette hardtop, but many do.
For example, like Car and Driver wrote, the hardtop only came with a manual transmission. Hardcore car enthusiasts love manual transmissions, so this was a good choice by Chevy.
On top of that, it's a rather affordable car. It wasn't too expensive back in the day, and it's still pretty cheap nowadays. That being said, prices will vary a lot depending on the condition of the Corvette.
While the 1999 Chevy Corvette is a pretty quick car, folks who are thinking of owning a Corvette may want to change their car insurance quickly, too.
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