When the mid-engined Corvette C8 was released two years ago, everyone on staff here at the Mid-Missouri Powerhouse was in complete awe. It had taken so many years and so many different ideas on the drawing board to finally make it happen, and the result was an instant hit, to say the least: the most professional car writers and enthusiasts all over the world were impressed with its performance, handling abilities, and game-changing bang for the buck.
As notable and mile-marking as the release was, new editions are always bound to make crucial changes, and special editions have long been a great way for diehard fans to mark the model with unique flair and personality as all their own. The 2022 Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition pays tribute to Corvette Racing's photo-finish season last year. Seeing a production of just 1,000 units, these cars commemorate the season that Corvette Racing took the Driver, Manufacturers, and Team titles during the IMSA sportscar championship series.
These specifically-honed beauties are all done up in a prime fashion to look like the no. 3 and no. 4 Corvette C8.R race cars, offering a way for everyday Corvette enthusiasts to simulate the excitement felt during every lap around the track every time they get behind the wheel. The Accelerate Yellow editions feature placid gray graphics, while Hypersonic Gray no. 4 editions feature yellow accents. Outside you'll see the additional touches in the vein of a high wing spoiler with a salacious Carbon Flash, yellow brake calipers, black Trident design wheels, splash guards, yellow brake calipers, and black lug nuts with side rockers.
Inside you'll be sitting in GT2 seats along with cool yellow seat belts and a plaque commemorating the C8.R's special numbered edition. Each car comes with its own custom-fitted indoor cover showing the C8.R's stance, and you can also find Competition Sport seats to up the celebratory theme just a notch as if you would when cornering on the inside and wondering if your flanked riders will attempt to make that risky pass! The standard Corvette Stingray lineup will see three new exterior colors for the year, Hypersonic Gray, Caffeine, and Amplify Orange Tintcoat.
There's also a rear spoiler boasting a much lower rear profile, with the traditional Z51 front splitter offered on non-Z51 models. The very potent and thrill-prone Stingray's LTC 6.2-L V8 now receives an upgraded direct injection system and improved calibration on the engine for off-the-line excellence. Every coupe model now comes with a removable roof panel that you can quickly stash in the rear trunk, and the dual cargo compartments still wave their own form of an automotive wand to offer up 12.6 cubic feet of cargo volume.
