1989

Corvette's handling capabilities made appreciable progress in 1989.

Perhaps the most significant innovation was a new, no-cost option --a six-speed manual transmission, designed jointly with a German manufacturer, to replace the sometime temperamental "4+3 Overdrive" system. A Computer-Aided Gear Selection (CAGS) system bypassed second and third gears, and locked out fifth and sixth gears to improve fuel economy under non-performance conditions, such as street driving, while at the same time maximizing Corvette's power range.

Additionally, a new option permitted three adjustable variations of suspension control initiated by a console switch. By adjusting shock absorber firmness, the "Selective Ride Control" feature allowed a driver to choose either "Touring," "Sport" or "Performance" operating modes. The six-slot, 16-inch wheels, introduced the year before, were discontinued but 1988's 12-slot, 17-inch wheel and tires became standard.

An optional tire pressure monitoring system, first introduced in 1987, was finally perfected. Convertible enthusiasts were given the option of a bolt-on, fiberglass-reinforced factory hard-top.

Although the Corvette Challenge race series at Phoenix International Raceway would be terminated in 1989, 60 Challenge cars with standard engines were built at Bowling Green, of which 30 were shipped out for conversion to racing capability. Meanwhile, 69 Callaway twin-turbos were sold.

Production for 1989 inched ahead with 16,663 coupes and 9,749 convertibles manufactured. Sticker prices for both body styles also inched above the $30,000 level with the base coupe retailing for $31,545 and the convertible pegged at $36,785. 

Two other watershed developments took place in 1989. The heralded ZR-1 special performance package, hinted at three years earlier and expected to be released late in the 1989 production cycle, was held off until 1990 because of "insufficient availability of engines caused by additional development." In the same time frame, planning began on the C-5, the next generation of Corvette that eventually would be introduced in 1997.