Chevrolet chose Detroit’s Belle Isle to reveal a new limited edition supercar version of the iconic Corvette as well as announce new colors, pricing and other features of the 2022 Stingray, which starts production later this year.
The mid-engine Stingray, which consumers can order starting July 1, will go up in price from the 2021 model. But it will include some new features to improve performance and be offered in three new colors.
And, for the deep-pocketed Corvette enthusiast, Chevrolet is introducing the 2022 Corvette Stingray International Motor Sports Association Grand Touring Le Mans Championship Edition or Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition for short.
GM will make only 1,000 of the championship edition cars; production starts later this year. The cars come in two colors, gray and yellow. They start at $87,085 for the coupe and $94,085 for the convertible, both prices include destination fees.
They will resemble the No. 3 and No. 4 Corvette C8.R race cars, which are a grand tour racing car built by Pratt & Miller and Chevrolet for competition in endurance racing, said GM spokesman Kevin Kelly.
Corvette at Detroit Grand Prix
Last year was the mid-engine Corvette C8.R’s inaugural season and Corvette Racing swept IMSA’s sports car championship series, taking the Manufacturers, Drivers and Team titles. Since 2001, Corvette has won 13 Manufacturers titles.
“Racing has been part of the Corvette’s DNA from nearly the beginning,” said Laura Klauser, General Motors Sports Car Program manager. “Both the Corvette Stingray and C8.R have seen tremendous success capitalizing on the benefits of a mid-engine platform — and we’re just getting started.”
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On Wednesday, Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia drove coupe and convertible No. 3 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Editions across Belle Isle’s MacArthur Bridge and onto the track for the 2021 Detroit Grand Prix.
A Stingray convertible is the official pace car of the Grand Prix, which driver Tommy Milner followed while driving the No. 4 Corvette C8.R race car Wednesday.
The C8.R will race in Detroit for the first time Saturday. The Chevrolet Sports Car Classic will air live at 5 p.m. on NBCSN.
A Championship Edition
Here is what you get in the 2022 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition.
It is based on the 3LT trim with a Z51 Performance Package, which includes Corvette Racing-themed graphics packages.
The No. 3 version comes in Accelerate Yellow and features gray graphics. The No. 4 is in Hypersonic Gray and features yellow accents.
Additional exterior content (varies by market):
- High-wing spoiler in Carbon Flash, which is a black paint finish.
- Yellow brake calipers
- Black Trident design wheels, with the “Jake” logo on the center caps, and black lug nuts
- Exterior mirrors in Carbon Flash
- Black side rockers, the panels that connect the front of the car to the rear.
- Splash guards.
Inside is either a Strike Yellow and Sky Cool Gray cabin that mimics the exterior yellow and gray racing theme, with standard GT2 seats. GT2 seats are premium and provide more support for occupants over longer distances compared with the base GT1 seat.
Kelly said competition sport seats are available too, those are engineered to provide more support for track or high-performance driving. The cars have yellow seat belts and a C8.R Special Edition numbered plaque.
Each car comes with a custom-fitted indoor car cover rendered to the appearance of the No. 3 or No. 4 Corvette C8.R race car and matches each car’s color and graphic scheme. So the No. 4 car has the gray cover, for example, and looks like the race car when it covers the car.
2022 Corvette
For those who want the regular 2022 Corvette Stingray, it will come in three new exterior colors: Hypersonic Gray, which is a dark gray, Caffeine, which is a dark brown, and Amplify Orange Tintcoat, which is a burnt orange.
The 2022 Corvette Stingray starts at $62,195 for coupe and the convertible starts at $69,695, both prices include the delivery fee. They are priced $1,200 higher than the starting price for a 2021 model. But the 2022 model comes with a new low-profile rear spoiler and on the Z51 performance package, it includes a front splitter, which is a trim piece that will improve aerodynamics.
The 2022 Corvette Stingray’s LT2 6.2-liter V-8 engine has an upgraded direct injection fuel system, improved engine calibration and an enhanced Active Fuel Management range. It remains rated at 490 horsepower or 495 horsepower, with the performance exhaust system.
The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission is standard. A Z51-equipped model can go from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, Kelly said.
The mid-engine Corvette Stingray is offered in coupe and convertible models in 1LT, 2LT and 3LT trims, with the Z51 Performance Package available on all trims.
Coupes include a removable roof panel that stores in the trunk, and convertibles include a power-retractable hardtop. The trunk is large enough for two sets of golf clubs.
Consumers can build and price a 2022 Corvette and see a visualization of it on chevrolet.com.
GM will be taking orders for the 2022 Corvette Stingray starting on July 1. Production of the cars will begin at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky late in the third quarter, Kelly said.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.