News — Mid-Engine Corvette

   Our second CorvetteStoreOnline.com Customer Spotlight belongs to passionate Corvette enthusiast Stan Krafft.  Stan and his wife, Jennifer, are the Social and Membership Directors respectively of their local Corvette Car Club in Lodi, California.  With the aid of his own Z06 & Stingray Corvettes, Stan has been featured on his local Fox News station as the promotional ambassador for the Lodi Corvette Club.  In addition to his dedication to his cars and the Lodi Corvette Club, Stan annually leads and plans roughly 20 or so Corvette Club & Event runs a year that are known to host as many as 160 Corvettes!  

   For someone as involved in the Corvette Community as Stan is you'd probably think that his obsession began at an early age, but that's not quite the case.  Though he's long been a fan of the car, Stan's love for Corvettes actually started with his true love, his wife, Jennifer.  “Jennifer actually got me very interested in Corvettes back in 1985 when we first got married” Stan says. “She owned a 1975 Corvette as a young woman and really enjoyed the Corvette experience." 

   Stan and Jennifer purchased a new Corvette Coupe in 2002 and found great enjoyment in their shared hobby.  Unfortunately, a combination of work and life unexpectedly took the wheel shortly thereafter resulting in a period of very limited use or enjoyment of their beloved Corvette.  Not wanting to leave an American Classic sitting unused on the sidelines the couple sold their Corvette in 2011.  "We regretted selling our 2002 [Corvette], [we] really missed driving it and the Corvette experience." 

   After three years self-proclaimed sellers’ remorse eventually got the best of Stan and Jennifer.  In 2014 they purchased a C7 Stingray Coupe – a car they enjoyed so much that they began "arguing" about who would get to drive it!  The solution?  Buy another Corvette of course! 

   In 2018 Stan and Jennifer bought a Z06 Coupe so that neither would have the opportunity to feel deprived of their passion.  Their enthusiasm for Corvettes eventually overflowed into the lives of those around them.  Stan says he didn’t realize the influence his passion had, going on to add “…two of my neighbors, one close friend, and my cousin, have all purchased Corvettes and joined our Club due to seeing how much [Jennifer & I] enjoy the Corvettes and Club events together." 

   As a CorvetteStoreOnline.com customer, Stan recommends the C7 Corvette Z06 Supercharged Carbon Fiber License Plate Frame and Lloyd's Floor and Cargo Mats as his go to custom appearance items.  It's easy to understand why, Stan says complements, photographs, videos, waves and dozens of questions are not uncommon at a given show or gas station when someone gets the chance to see his Corvettes up close.  While you might not be able to ask him a question about his Corvettes right now, rest assured knowing Stan’s cars have never experienced mechanical issues and have plenty of horsepower! Simply put, you better believe the amenities are just as exquisite as the cars and their performance.  

   When asked about his passion for Corvettes, and his love of the Corvette lifestyle, Stan's quote is remarkable: "In my opinion and many others, no other Sports Car regardless, of price paid, can deliver the overall satisfaction, performance, road manners, appearance and [the] pride of ownership than…….'The All American Bad Boy Corvette.' You never get tired of the Corvette experience, and this is all part of it.  Remember: they don’t write songs about Porsches or Ferrari’s…... but they do about Corvettes." 

Thank you for sharing your Corvette story with us Stan & Jennifer - seldom things are as satisfying as sharing stories about people as passionate as you! 

If you'd like to be featured with your Corvette in our next Customer Spotlight, please send an email to help@corvettestoreonline.com 

Ready to purchase your Corvette merchandise?  Click HERE to browse our full selection! 

GM Authority has announced that 2021 Corvette Production is set to wrap up the week of July 19th. Those who are interested in buying the latest C8 should plan to place their order by the end of May.

Production of the newest C8 Corvette has been somewhat of a rollercoaster since it began. While it was set to hit the ground running in December of 2019, the 2019 Auto Union Workers strike delayed production to early 2020. It incurred another hiccup when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. in March, 2020. 

Additionally, supply issues caused further delays throughout the 2020 production cycle, causing several 2020 C8 customers to push their order back to the 2021 model. Those who were forced to push their order back are also incurring price increases for some of the options, including the Z51 Performance Package and the Front Suspension Lift Feature.

The 2021 C8 Corvette production was subsequently delayed due to the variety of delays in the previous years' model. While production was set to begin in November of 2020, it was ultimately pushed back to December, 2020. In January 2021, Chevrolet faced another parts supply issue, halting production for a week. Additional supply issue delays happened in February and March as well.

As long as things stay on track, we will look forward to a production end-date the week of July 19, 2021. 

Photos obtained from GM Authority 

The possible color options for the 2022 C8 Corvette have been revealed through a report obtained by CorvetteBlogger. Three of the existing color options are likely to be dropped for the 2022 model according to Chevrolet. The retired color options include Sebring Orange, Shadow Gray, and Zeus Bronze. Motor1.com reached out to confirm this information with Chevrolet and received the following response:

We notified Chevy dealers that we intend to discontinue a few exterior paint colors on Corvette at the end of 2021 model year. This was done so they could provide accurate information to customers who are interested in ordering a 2021 Corvette so customers can get the color they want while still available. At this time, we are not providing specific details on color options for model year 2022. Those options will be communicated to dealers closer to the time of 2022 model year ordering.

Sebring Orange and Zeus Bronze will be able to be requested through April 29th, 2021, while Shadow Gray will be available to order through May 27th, 2021.

While solid details about the 2022 color options likely won't be confirmed until July, when Chevy plans to release the first official details on the Corvette C8 Z06, the CorvetteBlogger source did share what we can anticipate. There is a strong likelihood that we will see one brand new color, as well as replacements for Sebring Orange and Shadow gray.

The information was obtained from the European Corvette Dealer's website where they shared some of the color options that will be offered. The paint choices are listed out as: Amplify Orange Tintcoat, Hypersonic Gray Metallic, and Caffeine Brown Metallic. These are the internal names used by General Motors and we can expect these colors to debut with names different than those listed above. 

For more updates about the 2022 C8 Corvette, visit our previous post The 2020 C8 Corvette: What to Expect.

The evolution of the C8 Chevrolet Corvette will no doubt be a fascinating one to watch. While rumblings of various models start to swirl around the internet, will it be the Z06, ZR1, or the Zora model that we see next? Details from a recent Motor Trend report via an anonymous source tip us off to what we can expect out of the 2022 C8.

According to the anonymous source, we should expect to see five different C8 models over the next four years. The Z06 is rumored to join us for 2022, while the ZR1 and PHEV models are expected in 2023. The EV model will debut in 2024, and finally, the Zora model is rumored to arrive as a 2025 model.

The Z06 will likely sport a naturally aspirated engine with a 5.5 liter flat-plane crank V8 under the hood with up to 625 horsepower. Rumor has it that optional carbon-fiber wheels will be offered with this model, along with carbon-ceramic brakes and high-performance tires. Expect the Z06 to debut with a base price in the $80,000 range. 

The Motor Trend report goes on to detail the 2023 ZR1, which will likely feature the same 5.5 liter V8 as the Z06, with some additional turbochargers. With up to 850 horsepower, this model is going to be an absolute powerhouse. Pricing will likely start in the $120,000 range with a variety of additional add-on features.

In addition to the ZR1 model, 2023 seems like it's geared up to be the Corvette fanatic's best year yet, with the likely debut of the first ever hybrid version. Also packing a 5.5 liter V8 under the rear hood, the hybrid model will sport a pair of electric motors connected to the front axel. Horsepower for the hybrid edition is predicted to be somewhere between the Z06 and ZR1, at approximately 700-HP. Base models are rumored to start at $100,000.

An all-electric model is also in the works, taking the hybrid version up a notch for the 2024 model. There will be an additional motor in the rear, along with a larger battery pack. Although details are limited right now, it's rumored that the all-electric model will pack 500 horsepower with a range of 200 miles in the $100,000+ range.

The pinnacle of the C8 series will no doubt be the 2025 Zora model. While it's been rumored for many years now, this will be the most incredible Corvette ever built. It will feature a combination of the twin-turbo V-8 engine from the ZR1 with the hybrid system of the E-Ray, producing in excess of 1,000 horsepower. Base models will start around $150,000.

Image: Via Corvette Forum

The first 2020 Corvette C8 cars are now heading to Chevy showrooms across the country. With production kicking off on February 3rd, we've been anxiously awaiting the first arrivals of the mid-engine sports car. A blurry video clip shows 4 transporters carrying 2020 Corvettes on March 4th from the Bowling Green, KY plant.