Eight generations, 70 years, and for the first time, a mid-engine Corvette. This is an auspicious milestone for the legendary Plastic Fantastic, and Chevy wants to celebrate—a little. Like most anniversary special editions, there’s a nice frosting of exclusive content and special touches, but don’t expect any changes to the driving experience—which, given how the C8 drives, is not much of a problem.
Some good news is that the package isn’t limited to one model or the other; both the Stingray 3LT and Z06 3LZ coupe and convertibles will share in the goodies. And the goodies are headlined by two exclusive paint colors: White Pearl Metallic or Carbon Flash Metallic. That not special enough for you? Opt for the contrasting stripe package: Satin Gray for the former paint tone, or Satin Black for the latter. Plus, any option you can normally add to a 3LT or 3LZ is still available, so you could spec a Z51 or Z07 anniversary edition car if you’d like. And one more thing: this package is not limited. Chevy will build as many 70th Anniversary Editions as customers want to buy, so it’ll be hard to miss out, just as with previous Anniversary Editions.
The wheels will set the Anniversary Editions off from other Corvettes too, and distinguish the Stingray and Z06—as each Anniversary Edition model will have a unique design, but both rendered in a dark paint with a red accent stripe.
The interior will be set apart with a two-tone seat treatment, with either the GT2 or Competition Sport seats with microfiber inserts. Red contrast stitching will complement the red seatbelts. The steering wheel will also be trimmed in microfiber.
No special edition would be complete without badging and other extra touches, and Chevy doesn’t skimp here. Exterior badging will indicate the 70th Anniversary models, as will special “crossflag” badges. The seats will sport an anniversary edition logo, which will also grace the sill plates and steering wheel, lest you forget you bought something special. More red can be found on the brake calipers and the special engine cover (only on the Stingray).
But it isn’t just the 70th anniversary of these special edition models—all 2023 Corvettes are celebrating, just to a lesser extent, with a special commemorative interior plaque applied to the center speaker grille. The rear window will also feature a special logo. All 2023 Corvettes will also feature more paint color options—14 in total—and eight interior colors.
While all of this is catnip for the Vette cats, we can’t help but look back at a few of the Anniversary Editions from the Corvette’s back catalog. The last one was, of course, the 60th Anniversary model and for that occasion all Corvette models were available with a special cosmetic package and badging. But one of the Corvettes that this package was available on was the wild send-off for the C6 generation, the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition, which paired the 7.0-liter LS7 engine from the Z06 with the convertible body style, only available with a manual transmission. It was a very special mashup of Z06 and ZR1 bits in an indulgent drop-top bodystyle. So, a special edition and a special model.
And consider the very first anniversary edition Corvette, the 1978 Silver Anniversary model. Calling it a limited edition is stretching the definition—Chevy pumped out 15,000 examples of this two-tone C3, which was choked down to as little as 175 horsepower in the California market. At least it looked handsome, with the double-silver paint playing well with the late C3’s curvaceous lines.
Who knows what the 80th Anniversary model will bring. We hear there are numerous alternative and electrified powertrains in the works for the Corvette family. It’s quite possible that the 80th Anniversary models will be the first to slather an electrified Vette in special badging. We have a decade to find out.
Keyword: Hello, Fellow Kids: Corvette Turns 70, Gifts Self 70th Anniversary Edition