Celebrating 35-years of Powerfully Engineered Corvettes
For 35 years, Callaway and the Chevrolet Corvette have been a match made in performance car heaven. And we’ve been along for the ride for all of those years. So, we couldn’t wait to sample yet another piece of heaven on track with this very special “B2K 35th Anniversary Edition” Callaway Corvette.What started out as a way for amateur racer and driving instructor Reeves Callaway to get a little more power out of BMW 320i’s in the 1970s, eventually grew into Callaway Cars, Old Lyme, Connecticut’s purveyor of Powerfully Engineered Automobiles. But it was when they began focusing their efforts on Chevrolet Corvettes in the 1980s that they truly arrived on the map, and their new 35th Anniversary Callaway Corvette Package celebrates that partnership.Starting with a Z51 Stingray, Callaway adds an aero package with front splitter, rocker extensions, rear spoiler, and diffuser all made of carbon fiber. Plus 35th Anniversary logos on wider lightweight forged wheels and an exhaust system with center-mounted Double-D tips. And, while these upgrades were meant as more of a celebration than total performance overhaul, we couldn’t resist hitting the turns of Roebling Road Raceway to see how it all comes together.With the shift in engine placement from front to rear midship, the C8 Corvette, which debuted for 2020, underwent the biggest transformation in its 70-year history. And it is certainly a joy to drive on a road course. Steering is so light and turn in so quick, you have to really be careful with inputs until you get a feel for just how immediate this car responds to every one of them. Its fast, handles like crazy, and remains incredibly stable as speeds climb. The Callaway aero treatments and wider wheels work together to provide even more downforce and grip. The results are subtle, but they allow you to squeeze the throttle just a little bit more coming out of the corners and down the front stretch.One thing instantly more obvious is how incredible this thing sounds going by. The C8 chassis is amazingly capable and seems to be begging for much more power than what it’s currently working with, which brings us to the “stay tuned” part of our road test. This 35th Anniversary Callaway is currently packing the stock Stingray’s Z51’s 495-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 with 470 lb-ft. of torque, and no doubt the freer flowing exhaust frees up a few more ponies. But nothing like what they’ve got planned, as right after this car gets back into Callaway’s hands, they’ll be pulling the engine to give it an overhaul, including an all-new supercharger they’re currently developing. As for now, sprints to 60 on Roebling’s front straight took just 3.0-seconds flat; with the 8-speed automatic transmission firing away with shifts that are lightning quick, but amazingly not as harsh as most. ¼-mile completed in 11.3-seconds at 122 miles-per-hour. To round out the list of anniversary goodies, for the inside of the cabin, you get billet pedals, engraved sill plates, lots of logos, and a numbered build plate. All-in-all, nothing overt, but well executed. And, since we’re in nostalgia mode here, it’s fitting we celebrate our own history with Callaway, which began back in 1989 with a road test of their Twin-Turbo C4 Corvette at Pocono Raceway. Since then, we’ve not only tested a multitude of their ‘vettes, but Camaros, SUVs, pickup trucks, and even a Corvette wagon.But it was 1995’s SuperNatural LM that truly sticks out as a highlight. In fact, we were so enamored with it, we made it a permanent part of the show. If you stick around through all the credits, it’s the SuperNatural that you’ll hear burning out as a final goodbye to our viewers. Back to reality and the Government Fuel Economy Ratings of this 35th Anniversary Edition, which are unchanged from the standard Stingray at 16-City, 24-Highway, and 19-Combined. Fittingly, this 35th Anniversary edition adds just under $35,000 onto the price of a Stingray, bringing the total to $107,200 to start. You can spend a lot more for a car with a lot less performance as well as unique appeal.The latest C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is one of the best ways we can think of to burn through a tank of gas at a road course. It turns good drivers into great ones and is the perfect platform for enabling great drivers to do some incredible things.
It’s also the perfect canvas for Callaway to continue painting masterpieces of Corvette performance as they have for 35-years. This B2K 35th Anniversary Edition is built to celebrate that. But the story doesn’t end here; we’ll be back in a few months to get a glimpse at what the next 35 years of Callaway performance will look like.
Vital Statistics
Engine: 6.2L V8
Horsepower: 495
Torque: 470 lb-ft
0-60 mph: 3.0 seconds
1/4 Mile: 11.3 seconds at 122 mph
EPA: 16 City / 24 Highway / 19 Combined
Starting Price: $107,200
Keyword: 2022 Callaway Chevrolet Corvette B2K 35th Anniversary Edition