The Corvette has always been a performance car bargain, but some years have leaned more heavily to the performance side of the equation than others.
Although America’s sports car has always had its detractors who have made fun of it for its use of materials, for its simple engine, or for its lack of luxury, its commitment to the sports car formula has always kept it relevant.
“The genius of this car, it’s not the fact that they can build it,” Leno opens the video with. “It’s the fact that they can build it for the price that they do.”
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The “fantastic car” he has on display here is a rather unspectacular car from a production or a rarity point of view. As Leno tells it, he got it by driving the pace car at the Indy 500. Chevrolet was grateful for his help, though, so they asked what they could do to repay him and he asked for a Corvette.
This one was a used demonstrator model with 2,500-or-so miles on the clock. Again, nothing spectacular, just a good car that he liked the look of.
The story is indicative of the charm of the car. It’s a combination of unimpressive parts that come together to become more than the sum of their parts. The LS1 is based on the same engine as a truck gets, but that means it’s powerful and bulletproof and it allows Chevy to make a car that can go toe-to-toe with cars that cost ten times as much as it does.
A quick search of LA Craigslist listings (where Leno shoots) does indeed show that a C5 in reasonable condition can be had for the 15-20 grand that he quotes. And for a car that impresses someone who collects Bugattis, that’s a hell of a deal.