With sales of the C4 declining, the C5 was redesigned from the ground-up and featured breakthroughs that carried all the way to the C7. Innovations include incredibly low drag, 50/50 weight distribution, active handling, and the soon-to-be legendary LS1 aluminum engine. The ’97 C5 was only offered in a coupe, the convertible (for which the new platform was designed) debuted in ’98, and a fixed-roof coupe came out in ’99. In 2001, the Z06 was introduced as the apex predator with a burly LS6 under the hood, and its introduction coincided with new fascia grilles that improve airflow to the engine. Pound-for-pound, the C5 Corvette represents the best value across the brand, with huge performance offered at reasonable price points.