The C5 Corvette marked a turning point for America’s sports car with the introduction of Magnetic Ride Control, and of course the naturally aspirated 5.7L V8 LS1 gasoline engine. As a widely popular sports car, there were many concepts and special packages designed around the C5 Vette, one of which was the one-of-one 2002 Corvette Tiger Shark. Today, television personality and auto enthusiast Jay Leno takes us on a tour of his 2002 Corvette Tiger Shark concept.
Built in collaboration with aftermarket tuner Wheel-To-Wheel, one of the most striking attributes of the Tiger Shark is the body kit, as this C5 looks drastically different than any other C5 variant. Both the front and rears fascia designs are unique to the Tiger Shark, and serve as a distinguishing feature of this concept as compared to other C5 Corvette models.
It’s worth noting that Jay has replaced the front fascia twice after scraping the low bumper several times.
Under the hood, Wheel-To-Wheel took the naturally aspirated 5.7L V8 LS6 gasoline engine from the C5 Z06 and bumped up the bore and stroke to four-inches apiece for a total displacement of 6.5L. Unfortunately, Jay popped the original motor, and decided to opt for a stock naturally aspirated 7.0L V8 LS7 gasoline engine, making 505 horsepower. Although not quite the original powerplant, Jay claims that the magical LS7 makes plenty of power for the lightweight sports car, and notes the responsiveness of the engine.
On the inside, the Tiger Shark is mostly standard C5 Corvette affair, which includes a head-up display and sport bucket seats.
Jay mentioned that he had trouble tracking down a grounding issue that plagued the vehicle for quite some time, but after fixing that up, claims that he loves the Vette and the way it drives. So, with that in mind, we want to know what you think, dear reader. Are you a fan of the unique look that sets the Tiger Shark concept apart from the rest of the C5 lineup? Fire off in the comment section below!
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Comment
You’ve asked, like or not the C5 Tiger Shark. NOT like. My best liked Vette is the C7 Grand Sport.