Corvette -- 1984-96 C4 is One of Today's Best Performance-Car
Values
Chevrolet's brawny plastic-bodied two-seater has long been a
dream machine for countless enthusiasts. Today, that dream is
more in reach than ever. The fourth generation or "C4" version
of these cars are absolute steals on used-car lots.
These potent performers made their debut for 1984, replacing the
soft, boulevardier 1968-82 "Shark" design. With vastly improved
aerodynamics and extensive use of aluminum in its construction,
the C4 was enormously more capable than its predecessor.
Throughout the C4's long production run, practically every model
year brought significant improvements, including revised
suspension, higher-quality interiors, and new electronic
performance aids. Horsepower for 1984 was a somewhat tame 205,
but it went up by 25 hp the next year and continued to steadily
climb. A convertible was introduced for 1986, and the following
year horsepower reached 240.
For 1990, the C4 got a redesigned dashboard, followed a year
later with an exterior facelift that included more rounded
front- and rear-fascia styling. For 1992, horsepower jumped to
300. From 1990 to 1995, Chevrolet offered the limited-production
ZR-1, which was powered by a 375-405hp Lotus-designed V8. Output
of the regular small-block-V8 C4 peaked in 1996, at an optional
330hp.
With strong V8 power and exceptional handling, any C4 is a
tremendously potent machine, even against some of today's
pricier new performance cars. Best of all, you can find loads of
good C4s practically anywhere in the U.S. for less than $10,000.
When shopping for a C4, it's best to look for as late a model as
you can, to take advantage of the many refinements the design
received over the years. The most desirable cars are the 1992
and later ones. Besides having considerably more power, their
softer styling is less 1980s "high-tech" and thus doesn't look
as dated at this point.
Early C4 coupes (1984-91) show up by the truckload for less than
eight grand, with a fair number of them listing for under $5000.
But realistically, you should expect to pay $6000 or more for a
decent one. Scrounge up at least another thousand or two on top
of that if you have your heart set on a good 1992-96. As for
ZR-1s, forget about 'em -- they currently sell for about
$25-$40k.
Convertibles command about a 30-percent premium over equivalent
coupes, which basically puts the 1992-96 ragtops out of our $10k
Budget-Speed cap. Earlier convertibles, however, are still
within range.
So while the performance-car world is drooling over new C6s or
shopping for used C5s, these cars' fine predecessor is going for
clearance-sale prices. And that's great for you -- a good used
C4 can offer more thrills per dollar than most performance cars,
making them well worth a look.
For more about affordable performance cars, along with
drive-test articles on today's hottest sports cars, sport
compacts, and muscle cars, go to http://www.autiv.com/