Of the many new cars I’m continually asked about, the new mid-engined C8 Corvette is among the most often discussed, from a list including the Shelby GT500, the Ford GT, the Hellcat Challenger, and the reborn Ford Bronco.
If you just can’t get enough fiberglass in your diet, there are two new books out that I recommend to you.
The first is a new piece published as a marketing mechanism between Chevrolet and Quarto/Motorbooks Publishing. Corvette Sting-Ray, The Mid-Engine Revolution tells the deep story about the design and development of this new car, and also how many times, and with how many designs, concepts, and prototypes GM has toyed with putting the Corvette’s All American V-8 just aft of the driver. The illustrations and photos are compelling, especially those of previous mid-engined Vette concepts, plus all the design studio and engineering stuff on the C8. A nice piece and worth its $45 MSRP.
Corvette Sting-Ray, The Mid-Engine Revolution
Unbylined, with Foreword by Mark Reuss. Hardbound, 207 pages, several hundred photos and illustrations. ISBN 978-0-7603-6743-8. Available publisher direct from motorbooks.com, Quartoknows.com, or at Amazon.com.
Veteran writer Mike Mueller’s “Complete Book of Corvette” has been published before, but is now thoroughly updated to include any past omissions, and the new C8. It also, in the subtitle, promises to deliver info on “Every model since 1953” and based on a thorough thumbing of the pages appears to largely deliver on that intent. The photography is mostly provided by GM, which in this sense is good because it includes many model and bodystyle variants, plus clay models, concept cars, Indy Pace Car editions, Anniversary models, some measure of racecars, etc. Not the world’s deepest dive on any given Corvette generation, but enough info to make it worth the purchase price, and this way its all in one place at one time in your lap. Every Corvette nut will want one, including buyers considering their first.
The Complete Book of Corvette; Every Model Since 1953
by Mike Mueller. Hardbound 320 pages, hundreds of photos and illustrations. ISBN 978-0-4603-6521-2 Available publisher direct from motorbooks.com, Quartoknows.com, or at Amazon.com.