#Corvette black book series#

Instead, the C3 was an entirely new take on the sport car persona for which the second-generation Corvette had been so highly regarded. The C3 Corvette, which was commonly referred to as the вЂњSharkвЂќ generation, was more than just a re-imagining of the earlier C2. Humphrey to become the next president of the United States.ДЄmidst all of this tumult, and perhaps (in part) because of it, a new Corvette was released in 1968В that was considered very different from its predecessors, and every bit as controversial as the era itself. The widespread experimentation with drugs exploded as a social student pastime on college campuses. The womenвЂ™s rights movement began to get a foothold on the world, as did the emerging sexual revolution. KingвЂ™s death led to race riots in many major U.S. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr later that same year. One of the most controversial and heavily publicized battles of the entire Vietnam war вЂ“ the Battle of Khe Sanh вЂ“ began in late January of 1968, and would fuel protests against the war that would result in major eruptions of violence that would ultimately lead to the untimely demise of presidential hopeful Robert F. involvement in Vietnam was staggering, with more than a half-million troops stationed in Southeast Asia. The United States was entrenched in the turbulence of the Vietnam War. The birth of the third-generation Corvette occurred during a time when the United States, and indeed the whole world, was immersed in social and political controversy. They literally began work on the next generation Corvette even as the paint was still drying on the second-generationВ mid-year models. Although DuntovВ and MitchellвЂ™s second-generationВ Sting Ray had achieved massive success and was a favorite amongst both enthusiasts and critics alike, they knew that there was no way they could let the car remain unaltered for such a long duration again. While the first-generation, solid-axle Corvette had shown continual improvements in its sales numbers, critics agreed that it had outlived its time, and, by 1962, a new Corvette had not only been highly anticipated, it had been long overdue. The C1 CorvetteВ had been produced over a period of ten years, albeit with significant design and mechanical improvements along the way. For 2014, the Chevrolet Corvette matures into a brand-new shape powered by a 455-horsepower, high technology LT1 V-8 engine.The arrival of the C3 Chevy Corvette occurred far sooner than many enthusiasts would have predicted.

#Corvette black book series#

For 2010, a Grand Sport version of the Chevrolet Corvette offered a series of performance enhancements for the base engine vehicle. A supercharged, 6.2-liter V-8 engine on the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 generated 638 horsepower and allowed the sports car to reach a 205-mile per hour top speed. Becoming the most power production Chevrolet Corvette ever built, the ZR1 model arrived in 2009. Standard engine power was bumped to 400 horsepower with a 6-liter V-8 powerplant added for the 2005 model year (increased once again to 430 in 2008).ДЄ new Corvette Z06 came the following year with a 7-liter eight-cylinder engine generating 505 horsepower.

For 2005, the Chevrolet Corvette replaced the sports carвЂ™s concealed headlights in favor of body-conforming front lamps. The Chevrolet Corvette Z06вЂ™s power was complemented by several weight-saving attributes making it a strong track performer. While the stock Corvette received a mild five horsepower engine power increase for 2001, the year also introduced the 385-horsepower Z06 model (increased to 405 horsepower the following year). Powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V-8 engine producing 345 horsepower, the fifth-generation Corvette incorporated advanced construction materials and better handling thanks to better weight distribution.ДЄ rear axle mounted transmission was a first for the production Chevrolet Corvette. In 1999, a notchback hardtop body option was added. Presented initially as a coupe, the convertible version came in 1998. Receiving a revolutionary fifth-generation redesign for the 1997 model year, the Chevrolet Corvette was considered reborn.