The imminent arrival of the Corvette C8 to the world market will be very soon and we are very close to its official presentation, where we can know all the details that surround this new generation of the most famous American sports car in history, which has survived in the market worldwide for over 65 years. And today is more than enough reason to talk about this Top 10 best corvettes editions of the Chevrolet Corvette.
This new arrival undoubtedly makes us think about which have been the best versions that have been created of this model.
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Top 10 best corvettes editions of the Chevrolet Corvette
1.- Chevrolet Corvette V8 1955
Although the arrival of the model was in 1953, the V8 engine was not available for this vehicle until 1955. In 54 the sales of the vehicle had been so bad that General Motors was about to cancel its production for the following year, however, the idea of mounting a powerful 4.3-liter V8 engine that delivered between 210 and 240 horsepower, which catapulted the model to success.
2.- Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 1962
Continuing with this Top 10 best special editions of the Chevrolet Corvette, in the early 60s, the American car industry sought to cope with the appearance of small European sports cars that were better in every way than American sports cars. Hence, this impressive model was born, of which there was a project to build 125 units, destined to participate in GT championships around the world, but GM managers stopped this project with only 5 units built. It is one of the best corvettes editions.
Under the hood, these small cars of very low weight carried a powerful V8 engine of 6.2 liters that could generate up to 550 horsepower, a real madness in those times.
3.- Corvette Stingray L88 1967
The arrival of the second generation marked, first, the arrival of the name Stingray to the American sports car and secondly, it marked the design line that the Corvettes should follow in the future.
In this second generation, the L88 version was also presented for the first time, incorporating a powerful 7.0-liter V8 engine that delivered, according to the brand, only 430 horsepower, although in reality, this model recorded up to 560 horsepower dynamometer tests force. A model that should appear in this Top 10 best special editions of the Chevrolet Corvette.
4.- Chevrolet Corvette McNamara 1967
Although it is not specifically a special edition, the Corvette McNamara is one of the strangest cases in the world.
The story begins in 1967 when Don McNamara, a former Korean war soldier, returned to the United States and decided to celebrate it with his friends in Las Vegas, where he won a $ 5,000 prize that he decided to spend on fulfilling his dream, buying a Chevrolet Corvette prepared exclusively for him. It is one of the best corvettes editions.
After acquiring it, he used it for about a year, after which he put the vehicle in his garage and hid it from the world, using it only at night so that no one could see it, until one day he declared that he had sold the car without mentioning who even when he did it.
When he died, McNamara had no children or family, so in his inheritance, he left everything in his house to his neighbors, who had been his only friends during the last years. When they went to the place to claim their inheritance, they found the same 1967 Corvette in the garage, covered by a tarp and practically intact for having had very little contact with the sun and rain.
It was never known why McNamara hid everyone’s car, although it is certainly a very striking case in the model’s history. An essential model in this Top 10 best special editions of the Chevrolet Corvette.
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Returning to the special editions, we find the arrival of the third generation of the American sports car, which presented in 1969 to the ZL1, a vehicle that carried a gigantic 7.0-liter V8 engine made of aluminum that was specifically prepared for racing but adapted to a production model.
As in the L88, the brand indicated in the manuals a lower power than the engine could really develop because, although it was announced with 430 horsepower, in the tests carried out on the vehicle we discovered that it could really deliver up to 460.
6.- Corvette C4 1983
This is one of the most popular cases of the signature of the bowtie. In 1983 Chevrolet wanted to introduce the fourth generation of the Corvette to the market, however, during its production it encountered great problems that led it to delay the departure of this vehicle, which showed a great leap to modernization in its bodywork. It is one of the best corvettes editions.
The only existing model of the 1983 Chevrolet Corvette was the prototype that developed the brand, which is currently displayed inside the Corvette Museum, located in Kentucky, United States.
7.- Corvette Callaway Sledgehammer 1988
This is perhaps the most radical and sporty version ever created of the Chevrolet Corvette, as Callaway mounted a NASCAR engine in the Corvette C4, enhanced with the Twin Turbo package offered by the American coach.
As a result, the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Sledgehammer brought under the Chest a powerful V8 engine that generated 898 horsepower with 772 lb-ft of torque, accelerating from 0 to 100 in 3.4 seconds, with quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds (which It is the fastest recorded by a Corvette, but it is not considered as a record since it is not an agency production version) and with a maximum recorded speed of 406 kilometers per hour.
8.- Corvette Z06 2002
By 2002, Chevrolet was renewing its Corvette line with the arrival of the fifth generation. After the harsh criticism received by the vehicle of the previous generation, they wanted to redeem themselves before the world and for that, they created a much lighter and more powerful vehicle under the hood.
This model was the new Corvette Z06, a powerful vehicle with a very modern silhouette that under the hood carried a powerful 5.7-liter V8 that generated 407 horsepower, accompanied by a lighter body that allowed it to accelerate from 0 to 100 in so just 3.9 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 12, much faster than the previous generation. Another special model in our Top 10 best special editions of the Chevrolet Corvette.
9.- Corvette ZR1 2009
In 2006 the sixth generation arrived, which surpassed its predecessor in every way, with a much more aggressive design, more power under the hood and great aerodynamics that significantly improved the driving of the vehicle, however, none of this was enough for Chevrolet, who in 2009 decided to revive the Z06.
Bringing back one of your model’s emblems is never an easy task, as the closest fans will always be aware of what you will do so the new ZR1 had to be spectacular, and it was. In fact, it became the most powerful production Corvette so far, with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine with 638 horsepower and a top speed of 329 kilometers per hour. A model worthy of appearing in this Top 10 best special editions of the Chevrolet Corvette.
10.- Corvette ZR1 2018
For the seventh generation, the ZR1 once again returned to become nothing more or nothing less than the most powerful vehicle built by Chevrolet in history, thanks to its powerful 6.2-liter V8 engine, which generates 755 horsepower with 715 lb-ft of torque, with which this powerful vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 in just under 3 seconds, quarter of a mile in 10.9 seconds (remaining very little to break the record for a Production Corvette) and reach a speed maximum of 347 kilometers per hour, the highest recorded for a production corvette. It is one of the best corvettes editions.