1997-2004 Chevrolet Corvette Badge Spotter's Guide

'97-'04 Nose Badge
The traditional Corvette crossed-flags design went back to a more elaborate, flowing layout, as opposed to the simple, angular C4 versions. This badge was not only worn on the nose of every C5 Corvette, it served as the basic layout for the '03 50th Anniversary and '04 Commemorative Edition badges as well.

'97-'04 Rear-Bumper Badge
The first two generations of Corvettes did not have their back ends branded with the car's name. The C3 cars featured a variety of die-cast letters and badges, as did the C4 cars up through the '90 model. Beginning with the '91 Vette, the "Corvette" lettering was molded into the bumper cover for a cleaner look. The C5 continued this style, but with slightly italicized lettering. Since the front and rear badges were identical on all C5s, the cars can only be distinguished by their wheels, paint colors, and a few other cosmetic traits.

'01 Z06 Badge
The arrival of the Z06 in '01 marked the first introduction of a high-performance Corvette option since the ZR-1 made its debut in '90. The Z06 was a comprehensive package, with its centerpiece being the new, 385hp LS6 engine. Visual cues included screen mesh over the front grille openings, model-specific gray wheels, red brake calipers, and cool-looking rear-brake air ducts. The car also received a pair of front-fender badges featuring a stylized "Z06" script on a silver background.

'02-'04 Z06 Badge
As good as the '01 Z06 package was, Chief Engineer Dave Hill and his gang found another 20 hp for '02, bumping the LS6 engine over the magical 400 mark to 405 hp. With that much power on tap, the '02 Z ran 0-60 in less than 4 seconds, the quarter-mile in 12.4, and had a top speed close to 180 mph.To underscore the difference in output, the car's front-fender badge was revised with additional lettering that read, "405 hp." Aside from color variations, this was the only way to differentiate an '02-'04 Z06 from an '01.

'03 50th Anniversary Nose Badge
Only a handful of cars can boast a 50-year model run, and by '03 the Corvette was one of them. The $5,000 50th Anniversary Edition option, available only on coupe and convertible models, brought beautiful Anniversary Red "Xirallic crystal" paint, champagne-painted wheels and center caps, a new Shale interior, and special emblems. The big performance item was the new Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension.Special emblems were also part of the package. The nose badge was the same as the standard version, save for the addition of "ANNIVERSARY 50" in the upper part of the oval.

'03 50th Anniversary Fender Badge
The 50th Anniversary front-fender badge used almost the same design layout as the regular C5 version. The lone difference was the addition of a "5" to the left of the badge. Paired with a slightly downsized oval from the standard badge, it formed the number "50."

'04 Le Mans Commemorative Edition Badge
To salute two years in a row of 1-2 wins at Le Mans ('01 and '02), the Le Mans Commemorative Edition option was made available on '04 coupe, convertible, and Z06 models. This option included Le Mans Blue paint; crossed-flags embroidery on the seat headrests; special hood, roof, and rear deck stripes; and shale interiors for the coupe and convertible. Z06 versions also received polished wheels and a carbon-fiber hood.All Commemorative Editions got a special nose badge that used the basic C5 layout with additional detail inside the oval and above the crossed flags. The inscription read, "COMMEMORATIVE 24:00 HEURS DU MANS 2 GTS WINS."