The Corvette introduced in 1997 was the fifth generation, called the C5.
Chevrolet unveiled the C5 on January 6, 1997, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It replaced the C4 and began the 1997 model year with a fastback coupe as the only available body style. The convertible followed for 1998.
The C5 represented a major engineering reset for the Corvette. It used a hydroformed frame, a rear-mounted transaxle connected to the engine by a torque tube, and an almost 50/50 front-to-rear weight distribution. Its new 5.7-liter LS1 V8 also introduced the third-generation small-block V8 to the Corvette.
The generation ran through the 2004 model year. It later gained the high-performance Z06, which used the 5.7-liter LS6 engine. The C6 replaced it for 2005, while the C4 was the preceding generation and the C7 did not appear until 2014.