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Illustrated Corvette Series No. 79 - 1989 Corvette
"Better Still"

Rumors were flying around Detroit about a new super-Corvette that Dave McLellan and his team were working on. But that didn’t mean that the production Corvette was being ignored. Far from it. The ‘89 Corvette saw a host of interesting upgrades and new features that made it a solid performer.

The 1989 Corvette was the last of the digital-dash Corvettes and considered by some to be the best of the “digital” Corvettes. Except for one new option, all improvements were under the skin. Sales were up 3,623 units to 26,412 for 1989, and the base price was up $2,056 to $31,545. The roadster had a $5,240 premium listing for $36,785. A loaded convertible cost over $43,000.

For roadster buyers who lived in colder areas, there was a new hardtop option. A hardtop hadn’t been seen on a Corvette since 1975. Of the 9,749 convertibles ordered in 1989, 1,573 had the ASC-produced $1,995 option. Weighing only 64 pounds, the urethane and fiberglass top included heated rear glass and a finished roof liner. The new top could be used on ‘86 to ‘88 roadsters. Under the hood, the fuel injection system had improved injector calibration for better fuel atomization. Horsepower stayed at 245.

The Doug Nash 4+3 transmission was replaced with the all-new ZF six-speed gearbox. The new unit was fully synchronized and used an internal rail shift mechanism. Engineers called it the “tiger-pussycat” because it was docile at low speeds, yet tough at highway speed. Option FX3, the Selective Ride and Handling Package, cost $1,695 but gave drivers three distinctive suspension settings for cushy cruising, or Corvette Challenge racer-like setting. This was the first mass-produced car to ever offer this kind of technology.

A much improved anti-theft system initiated a four-minute shutdown of the fuel pump and started if the standard starting procedure wasn’t used. It was so effective that insurance companies actually lowered Corvette rates.

The new $325 Low Tire Pressure Warning option informed the driver of tire underinflation. Expensive low-profile tires can look normal, yet be up to 40 percent low.

The’89 Corvette didn’t set any new records, but small improvements made the car an even better performance value. Car magazines gushed all over the car, calling it the “best Vette Yet!” Ah, but they didn’t really know what was ahead. - K. Scott Teeters

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Illustrated Corvette Series No. 80 - 1989 GTP Corvette Racer - "Unrealized Potential"

Race car development has always moved at a steady and swift pace. The best race cars become outdated, even though they might look like 200 mph machines while still sitting in the pits. Such was the case with the GTP Corvette. During the mid-to-late '80s. it was the hottest-looking, and often the best qualifying, car in the GTP series. But under its swoopy skin was an outdated chassis.

In the early '80s, Chevrolet wanted to promote their V-6 engine, so they installed one in a Lola T-600 car raced by the Interscope team of Ted Fields. The turbocharged Lola was a real rocket and showed serious promise. Chevrolet wanted some of this action, but the Lola didn't look anything like a Chevy. Needing brand identity, the Chevrolet styling group had Randy Wittine come up with a new front end that looked like the new C4 Corvette, but kept the rest of the Lola's aerodynamics. A full-size rolling car was shown in mid 1983 and got a lot of interest. Two Lola- commissioned cars were completed in March of 1984, but sat dormant for a year until Hendricks Motorsports and GM's Goodwrench signed on as sponsors in 1985. All told, the cars won two races and took seven pole positions. They were extremely fast, but very fragile.

The cars were originally designed in the late '70s for engines producing around 600 hp. The turbocharged V-6 Chevy engine made 1,200 hp! Consequently, everything was constantly being updated.

Aside from the brutish engine that the drivers loved, there was nothing extraordinary about the car. The rear suspension used a standard Indy-type pushrod shock system attached to the gearbox, and the front suspension was mounted to the monocoque Kevlar and aluminum honeycomb chassis. Cooling was always a problem and contributed to one of the cars completely burning to the ground in 1988.

In 1987, one of the cars was fitted with an active suspension setup from a Lotus Grand Prix car. The GTP Corvette was awesomely fast, and very expensive. But there was a problem with a hydraulic pump that Lotus knew about and didn't fix. The pump was replaced, but the car never raced again.

The Corvette GTP story was not unlike the SS Corvette and the Grand Sport. It should have been a solid winner, but it lacked the support and development time to really shine. - K. Scott Teeters