First total redesign since 1963, the undertaking proved so difficult that no Corvette is offered in 1983 – a first since the car’s inception. Chevy started fresh in ’84 with a slick, wedge-style shape atop a smaller frame, modern cockpit, and the drivetrains (including the ingenious Doug Nash 4+3 gearbox) were tweaked for the next few years resulting in rave reviews from industry critics. For the first time in its history, the Corvette was the “best bang for your buck” sports car on the market. The convertible returns in ’86 after a 10-year absence, the ZR-1 debuts in ’90 and eats up 911 Turbos on the street, and a light redesign in ’91 followed by the intro of the 5.7L LT1 carries the C4 through 1996.