The name Jay Leno has become synonymous with great cars, and the former stand-up comedian and long-time Tonight Show host now loves to talk about his extensive car collection, both on his YouTube Channel and CNBC show, both found under the moniker, Jay Leno’s Garage. Recently, Jay gave a video tour of his 1999 Chevrolet Corvette included in his collection.
The Corvette Was Actually A “Paycheck”
One of the best parts of Jay’s collection are the stories behind the cars, and this Vette of course, has a story behind it. Back in 1999 Jay was given the honor of driving the pace car at the Indy 500 (he thinks the car was a Monte Carlo), and while typically celebrities are paid for the job, Jay said he'd take care of the drive for free. When they asked what they could do for him for the effort, he said he always likes to be paid in product and he likes GM products. So, he was given the Blue Vette—which was a demonstrator model with about 2,500 miles on the odometer—as a thank you.
The C5 Corvette Offers Greatest Performance Bargain for the Money
According to Jay, the C5 has as much—if not more power—than Aston Martins or two-seater Ferraris that were available at the time, and for a fraction of the cost. This model was the first Corvette to have a transaxle. It also has the Borg Warner six-speed transmission, which Jay says is “just fantastic.” The C5 was also the first to feature a “heads-up” display, which is common today, but was pretty revolutionary in the 90’s.
The C5 was a major improvement over prior Corvettes, particularly with the frame, which was created by “hydroforming.” Jay explains the process of using 13’ of aluminum and forcing water through it at 7,000 lbs/sq in., which made the frame extremely strong, compared the earlier Vettes that were known for the rattling of the fiberglass and the dashboard.
But one of the most incredible things Jay reports about his C5 is the fuel economy, which is surprisingly good, averaging between 18-27 miles per gallon. Under the hood is a 5.7-liter, V8, producing 350 horsepower, while not much today, was pretty powerful for 1999. Jay describes the motor as “bulletproof” as it just runs and runs.
A Sportscar For Anyone
Jay repeatedly mentions what he loves about the Corvette is the fact that the average guy who works hard and saves their money, can buy a car like the C5 and enjoy it without missing out on the performance and handling similar to that of a European sports car. While the C5 isn’t what you’ll get in a car such as a Bugatti, as Jay says, “I’ll take the extra bucks and buy a beach house.”
The car has been in Jay’s garage for 22 years, and looks and drives just as good as the day he got it. How many paychecks can that be said about?