{"id":72631,"date":"2019-04-27T07:52:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-27T11:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=72631"},"modified":"2019-04-27T07:53:05","modified_gmt":"2019-04-27T11:53:05","slug":"cars-we-remember-special-edition-corvettes-and-the-new-2020-mid-engine-c8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2019\/04\/27\/cars-we-remember-special-edition-corvettes-and-the-new-2020-mid-engine-c8\/","title":{"rendered":"Cars We Remember – Special edition Corvettes and the new 2020 mid-engine C8\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
In response to the many letters I\u2019ve received dating back to the 1990s asking about a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette, I\u2019m happy to say that last week Chevrolet officially announced that a mid-engine C8 generation will debut July 18, 2019. The 2020 Corvette will be a huge hit as it joins the many siblings that have been around since 1954, many with special edition history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This special edition history includes the likes of the 1967 L88, 1969 all-aluminum L88 ZL1, and the awesome 2015 Z06. Some 20 special editions appeared from 1978 to 2010 and had specific factory RPO code numbers which spawned notables like the C3 \u201978 Silver Anniversary\/Indy 500 Pace Car, C4 \u201996 Grand Sport and C5 2001 Z06. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 1963 Corvette Grand Sport was built to compete with the Ford Shelby Cobra on the nation\u2019s road racing tracks. Chevy pulled out of organized racing in early \u201963 leaving the race teams with no factory support. Only five Zora Duntov Grand Sports were ever built, and this Roger Penske owned Grand Sport was powered by a 427 big block after Chevy confiscated the five Duntov 377-inch small-blocks that powered all the originals. (Compliments Mecum Auto Auctions)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Notables of special edition cars that did not have a factory RPO codes and were creations of the biggest names in aftermarket engineering featured Corvettes from John Lingenfelter and John Hennessey. Both added enhanced turbo and supercharged versions and these Corvettes were not only ultra-quick, they were easy on the eyes with special aero design additions. Most notable is the very special \u201cultra quick Corvette\u201d that did have an official RPO code, namely the Reeves Callaway twin-turbo Corvettes that bore RPO B2K from 1987 to 1991. And the Callaway RPO was made active again in 2013 for the 25 examples of the supercharged Callaway Cars produced as Callaway anniversary models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for me, the first ever \u201cspecial edition\u201d Corvette I remember was the Zora Arkus Duntov inspired 1963 Grand Sports\u2026all five of them. Built to take on the Ford Shelby Cobras that were tearing up the road racing tracks, these 377-inch small-block lightweight Corvettes were specially prepared and weighed just 1,900 pounds. To this day, all five Duntov Grand Sports have survived and became the most valuable Corvettes of all-time. Each one is insured for at least $5-million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Car Collector3 – General Motors CEO Mary Barra made the official C8 announcement at the Siller Foundation charity gala in New York City last week. She arrived in a well-camouflaged C8 driven by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter. (Compliments GM)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Originally, Duntov was to build 125 Grand Sports to qualify for GT production class road racing, but Chevy decided to pull out of organized racing in late February of \u201963. This \u201cno racing\u201d mandate left many oval, road race and drag teams without factory assistance and the Grand Sports were immediately dissolved from any further production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now back to the new C8. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This mid-engine Corvette, which was long rumored to be on the drawing board, is now a Chevrolet reality. There will be some surprises, too, as the first 2020 mid-engine Stingray entry model will NOT be powered by a twin turbo V6, which pleases me to no end.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis 1969 Corvette featured an all-aluminum 427 L88 and was christened with ZL1 nomenclature by GM. To this day, the ZL1s are very rare and expensive special edition Corvettes. (Compliments Mecum Auto Auctions)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Chevrolet has been criticized that the LS family and current LT1 and LT4 Corvette engines are still pushrod designs instead of the \u201cmodern\u201d overhead cam patterns that most of today\u2019s ultra sports cars are powered by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As for most Corvette enthusiasts, a 650 horsepower supercharged Corvette pushrod V8 is nothing to scoff at and the fact that Corvette C8s will initially be powered by this engine in non-supercharged form assures us that the price will be lower than expected. Behind the scenes authorities feel the new C8 mid-engine Corvette with near 500-horses will sell for a base of from $62,000 to $65,000, not over $100,000 as expected. The first C8 for sale will be the Stingray entry-level model complete with the 6.2 LT2 pushrod engine with near 500 horsepower. A dual-clutch 8-speed automatic will transfer the LT2 engine torque and at this time, no manual transmission is available. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, this older pushrod V8 doesn\u2019t mean Chevy is sitting on its laurels. (Far from it.) A twin turbo, 5.5-liter double overhead cam (DOHC) V8 engine will make a debut and produce approximately 900 to 1,000 horsepower. These special C8s will easily surpass the $100,000 range with an all-out Z06 or ZL1 mid-engine C8 retailing somewhere in the 140K to $160K range with all the goodies. A Zora Duntov special edition? I\u2019d say very possible and probably over $160K.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, even more good news. GM CEO Mary Barra made the official C8 announcement at the Siller Foundation charity gala in New York City last week, arriving in a well-camouflaged C8 driven by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks to blog leaks, it is now common knowledge that a rumored hybrid-assist Zora Duntov AWD model is also on the drawing board. The Zora AWD model will feature the twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8and then add hybrid electric assist in the front axle to arrive at a 1,000 horsepower combined output. There is also talk of a rear drive only Zora trim, with no hybrid assist and the 900-horse twin turbo V8 engine. We\u2019ll have to wait and see, but everyday there\u2019s more on the boards and even more GM official news pouring out about the new generation Corvette C8. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay tuned. Things are going to stay \u201cCorvette crazy\u201d right on through July 18 of this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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