2003 Chevrolet Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition - Flawless 7300 Miles

Yes, his Vette is positively magnetic, ut more than you realize. All 50th-Anniversary models-of which as many as 10,000 will be built if demanded-along with all 2003 hatches and convertibles optioned with the F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension, ill feature a novel variable-damper-rate technology that puts the "shock" in shock absorber (a similar system went into production on the Cadillac STS a few months ago).

The dampers are filled not with standard oil but with magnetorheological (MR) fluid. This is a synthetic oil with millions of tiny iron balls suspended in it. These iron balls have a proprietary coating to make them less abrasive and help them float evenly within the shock fluid.

More important, hey react to a magnetic field generated by an electric coil on the shock piston, hereby changing the fluid's viscosity. Imagine changing your shock fluid from 5W to 100W by simply varying the current in the coil.
"It can go from no damping to solid almost instantly," says Tadge Juechter, ssistant chief engineer for Corvette. "The only question is, o you have the computational power to keep up?"

A dual-processor computer adjusts the current about 1000 times per second based on wheel travel and speed, ehicle speed, teering-wheel angle, ateral acceleration, rake application, nd also temperature. At 60 mph, hat's an adjustment with every inch of the Corvette's forward travel. The goal of these adjustments is to keep the Corvette on a smooth, ven keel while maximizing the contact of the tires with the pavement.

The current C5 is already quite capable in those departments, ut compared with the base setup and the Z51 option, his F55 suspension represents a great leap forward. Perhaps the greatest improvement involves travel over large bumps and dips, here the conventional suspensions hit the bump stops. In contrast, he F55 system senses the magnitude of the bump or dip as it is deflecting the tire and immediately adjusts the appropriate shock to stay within the available wheel travel. As a result, humpbacked railroad grade crossing over which a Z51 gets airborne at 80 mph becomes nothing but a medium bump with the F55.

Those who insist on maximum road feel can rotate a console switch from Tour to Sport mode. This shifts the programming so the car's body tries to follow the road surface more closely rather than remain stable and tranquil. Based on our brief drive, his mode will be useful primarily when hot-lapping at a proper racetrack.

The tariff for the F55 hasn't been finalized, ut we expect it to be close to the $1695 charged for the 2002 F45 equivalent. It won't be offered on the Z06 model in part because the F55 adds 13.2 pounds, ccording to Juechter.

When 50th-Anniversary models arrive at dealerships in August, xpect prices to start at about $50,000 and convertibles to be about $56,000, r roughly $2000 more than fully loaded non-Anniversary models.

--Car and Driver, 002