Publisher: Motorbooks
Publish Date: August 6, 2024
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 0760388288
ISBN-13: 978-0760388280
Dimensions: 9.63 x 0.88 x 10.75 inches
GoodreadsAbout the Book:
Get the official story behind the eighth generation of Chevrolet’s legendary sports car in this licensed book featuring engaging text and photography from GM’s archives and Corvette team members.
This updated edition of Corvette Stingray is revised to cover the C8’s latest developments, including the 70th Anniversary model, high-performance Z06, and the all-new hybrid E-Ray.
Corvette is Chevrolet’s iconic performance car. Its importance and status in the performance-car world cannot be overstated. Thus each new Corvette generation is sweated by Chevy’s designers, engineers, marketing staff, and executives to ensure that it sets the bar higher than the preceding version.
With the eighth generation, Chevrolet did more than raise the bar or move the goalpost—they tore down the stadium and rebuilt it from scratch. For the first time ever in a production version, the Corvette featured a mid-engine configuration. Though Corvette engineers had experimented with this engine placement for several decades, 2020 marked the first time Chevrolet had committed it to production cars.
The seventh-generation Corvette had prodigious power on tap and excellent performance, but its front-engine configuration had reached its traction limit with increasing horsepower levels. The mid-engine Corvette eliminated any remaining barriers and took the battle to supercar rivals like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren. With the new Z06 and E-Ray versions, Corvette brought even more heat to the competition.
Corvette Stingray reveals the story every Corvette fan needs to read.
My Review:
Corvette Stingray is a fantastic historical record of one of my favorite automobiles. Perfect for car lovers or as a coffee table book, Corvette Stingray has wonderful content and beautiful pictures. I actually came for the pictures but stayed for the history, engineering, and vehicle specs.
You see, once upon a time in my previous life, I worked for Paragon Corvette Reproductions, a manufacturer and distributor of 1953-82 Corvette parts, located in Swartz Creek/Rankin, Michigan. I began as a parts picker/shipper, moved into receiving, and became an assistant warehouse manager for a bit, before finally landing as a purchasing agent. I purchased parts manufactured by other Corvette parts suppliers/manufacturers. I did get to manufacture a couple of the parts I used to source directly from GM after they changed the specs and the new parts were no longer original in appearance. Vintage Corvette owners are very specific in the parts they replace, and the parts have to look like the originals.
I made a lot of connections in the GM and Corvette industries throughout my 10 years at Paragon. I met Joe Spielman several times when he'd come to Paragon to visit. You can read about him on the National Corvette Museum website:
https://www.corvettemuseum.org/joe-spielman/. I made wonderful friends with owners and employees of other manufacturers and distributors of Corvette parts including Keen Parts, Allen's Stainless, Zip Products, Trim Parts, Eckler's, Vette Products of MI, CSC Reproduction Corvette Parts, and various GM dealerships across Michigan. Some of these companies are no longer around, have been sold to a conglomerate, or bought by the competition (Paragon was absorbed by Corvette Central recently after both companies were purchased by Legendary Companies). I left the industry at the end of 2006 but my acquired love for the Corvette has not diminished.
Acquired, you ask? I was 19 when I started working at Paragon and didn't really like the Corvette (gasp!). What I actually discovered I didn't like, wasn't the Corvette in its entirety, but the C3 and C4 Corvettes. When I was introduced to the owner's C1 (53-62) and C2 (63-67) Corvettes, I was hooked, and in love. I eventually learned to love the C3s and actually owned a blue 1980 for several years. Don't even get me started on the C4s. They are my least favorite gen and you won't ever change my mind. Lol.
Anyway, back to Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Evolution. Richard Prince compiled an excellent amount of history in this book. The sheer volume of historical data and photos kept me engaged and interested in learning about how the mid-engine Corvette finally came to fruition. I'm sad that Zora Arkus-Duntov wasn't here to see his vision become a reality. He worked hard to get the Corvette where it is today, and I appreciate his dedication and tenacity. GM will forever be my preferred car manufacturer, and the Corvette my absolutely favorite sports car.
I was provided a copy of this book.
My Rating:
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