What would come to be known as the FRC Corvette (Fixed Roof Coupe), the 1999 hardtop was essentially a convertible with a fixed fiberglass roof. As was indicated during development, the FRC Corvette was cast as a Corvette for serious performance enthusiasts – and there was some truth to this marketing approach. The hardtop’s stockier construction made the car’s body 12 percent more rigid than the Coupe (even with the Coupe’s targa top in place).
Additionally, this new variant weighed approximately 92 pounds less than the coupe. This small, but significant, weight reduction combined with the stiffer overall structure of the body, did make the FRC more appealing to performance enthusiasts. What’s more, the FRC retained the convertible’s external trunk – a feature that many found both useful and appealing.
While GM’s marketing group was selective in advertising the FRC as a “less expensive” variant of the Corvette coupe, it actually was – although only be $394.00. While the price difference was not significant, it still offered a certain appeal, especially given the fact that the hardtop coupe still included the same 345 horsepower LS1 small-block V-8 engine. It was also fitted with the same six-speed manual transmission offered with both the coupe and convertible.
