The 15 Most Popular Corvette Forum Stories From 2015
It kind of goes without saying that some of the most memorable moments from the past year in the world of Corvettes were centered on the new Z06 – both good and bad. And yet the 650-horsepower track-focused ‘Vette wasn’t the only thing that grabbed our attention in 2015. From personal reunions to more buzz about a mid-engine model, this past year turned out to be a pretty interesting ride for Corvette fans. That said, below are fifteen stories covered here at Corvette Forum that left the biggest impressions on us in 2015.
1. Hendrick Drops $800K on First Convertible Z06
Although, we’re seldom surprised at who actually swoops up the first production models of cars like the new convertible Corvette Z06, we still find ourselves intrigued by the process of it all. That said, it wasn’t really big news that car collector Rick Hendrick bought the first convertible Z06. And yet, his bid of $800,000 at a Barrett-Jackson auction still left us star struck. Or maybe envious is a better choice of words.
2. C7 Goes Gold
Even with all the buzz around the new Z06, the appeal of the more standard C7 still proved to be as strong as ever in 2015. The clearest example of that was in the countless number of new custom Corvettes unveiled this past year like the eye-catching Gold Forgiato C7 pictured above, which certainly created quite a buzz here in the offices at Corvette Forum.
3. Blown C6 Clocks a 4.0 Run
Nothing beats a memorable Corvette moment like speed, which is why this 2008 blown C6 driven by Jason Michalak with the Bad9er race team made our list for 2015. When we caught wind of this menacing C6 it was running in the 4.0s at over 190mph during the Texas Radial Round Up at North Star Dragway in Denton, Texas.
4. High Tech C7 Puts Quadriplegic Racer Back Behind the Wheel
The wonders of automotive technology continued to amaze us in 2015. And there was no better example of that than the high tech C7 up-fitted with the help of Arrow Electronics that enabled former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt to take the wheel again. Paralyzed in 2000 from a bad crash in a race, Schmidt was able to use his head and mouth to operate the C7 on a street course in what became another memorable Corvette moment in 2015.
5. Rumors of a Mid-Engine ‘Vette Still High
Yeah or nay on a mid-engine model? That seemed to be one of the biggest questions lingering throughout the year with Corvette fans in 2015. And even though Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter dismissed the idea as nothing but rumors, other reports throughout 2015 lead us to think otherwise, which is bound to spark even more discussion about a mid-engine model in 2016.
6. Hennessey Strikes Again
Anytime Hennessey Performance gets their hands on a new Corvette you can pretty much be assured something major is on the horizon. Take, for example, the video the company released this past year of its 2015 HPE800 Z06 Corvette blazing down a runway at Houston’s Ellington Airport, testing the C7’s 0-175 speed. The video is only 20 seconds but it’s quite the adrenaline rush as you can see in the clip here.
7. Corvette 33-Year Reunion Goes Viral
The story of George Talley who was reunited with his ’79 Corvette in 2014 continued to capture our hearts this past year as captured here. After being reunited with his car which was stolen in Detroit some 33 years ago and then found in Mississippi, GM jumped in to help refurbish the ‘Vette in 2015 so that Talley would be able to drive it in time for the Woodward Dream Cruise.
8. Engine Woes Continue to Cloud Z06
The challenge with introducing any new car is that it’s bound to have a few kinks that need to be worked out as more of the vehicles take to the road. As a car company, you just hope it doesn’t wind up affecting the car’s image while you work to get things sorted. Unfortunately, at times it proved difficult for the Z06 to escape reports of its engine issues, as expressed in a thread here, which did start to taint the image of the car some in 2015.
9. Millionth Corvette Goes Home
The year 2015 also capped off what could easily be considered one of the biggest Corvette stories of the decade: the reopening of the National Corvette Museum’s Skydome, damaged by that massive sinkhole catastrophe at the site in 2014. However, the crowning moment for the NCM’s reopening probably came when the refurbished One-Millionth Corvette took its rightful place at the museum again this year.
10. Callaway Steals C7 Buzz
There certainly was no bigger show stopper than this in 2015 when it came to custom C7s. Powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 that puts out 600 horsepower, the Callaway GT3-R Race Car literally set the Internet on fire with its sinister wide-body set up, creating a firestorm of anticipation for its racing debut next year in the 2016 motorsports season.
11. C7 Wins Performance Car of the Year, Again – For the second year in a row, the C7 won Kelley Blue Book’s Performance Car of the Year, proving that even after that star-studded rollout in 2014, the appeal of the car remains as strong as ever. After all, it’s the clout garnered among those like Kelley Blue Book that speak to the staying power of a vehicle like the C7, long after the initial fanfare has died down.
12. 2400 HP C6 Stakes Its Claim
How much power is too much power in a Corvette? Well, apparently as much as you can pack into one, given the 2400 hp loaded into this C6, which we discussed here. Packed with twin 88 mm turbos and an additional 400 shot of nitrous, the dragster is easily one of the most powerful Corvettes we covered here at Corvette Forum this past year.
13. GM to Invest $44 Million In to Plant
There’s nothing that says “we’re winning” like investing more cash in your prize-fighter, regardless of what challenges you’ve endured at the onset, which was the takeaway from General Motors’ latest move at the Corvette Bowling Green Kentucky plant. In an effort to meet the huge demand for the Z06, the carmaker announced in December that it plans to invest $44 million into the plant. But the move also has many wondering if Chevy might be revving up to build that rumored mid-engine Zora there as well.
14. NCM Motorsports Park Noise Sparks Lawsuit
It became crystal clear in 2015 that not everyone in Bowling Green, Kentucky (the home of Corvette) might not be as crazy about the new track as most would think. Complaints from some local neighbors about the noise at the NCM Motorsports Park sparked a lawsuit against the museum, which is bound to make more big news in 2016 when the case goes to trial.
15. Corvette Set to Go Green
There’s nothing like some big news to close out the year – even if it does leave some of your core fan-base questioning the move. That said, we still can’t imagine that Chevy could have planned a better story to end 2015 than news breaking of the company registering a trademark for “E-Ray,” signaling that an electric or hybrid Corvette might be in the works.