Welcome to Quick Shifts! Quick Shifts is a content feature here at CorvetteBlogger featuring links to Corvette and automotive-related stories of interest. Check out these automotive quick shifts featuring Corvette Trivia, the C8.R’s Flat-Plane V8 sound, the C4’s return to the cool table, an LS3 ’63 GS Repli-mod, Wayne Carini’s C8 order, and another double dose of Corvette Racing!
FIRST GEAR
Corvette Trivia! Can you name all of the Celebrities with their Corvettes in this slideshow? In honor of my favorite baseball player, Larry Walker finally making the Hall of Fame this week, there are 33 celebs to choose from. Good luck! (Hint: Just type last names, stage names, or Arnold).
This Sporcle quiz is a grand slam!
SECOND GEAR
Road & Track was able to strap one of their microphones to the new mid-engine C8.R and the result is an outstanding audio clip of the yellow 3-car in action. The new ‘Vette race car’s flat-plane-crank V8 shriek is also available for download, make it your ringtone today! If you miss the thundering cross-plane sound of the C7.R, they were nice enough to include a clip of that as well. After hearing both, let us know which you prefer in the comments section; we feel a future poll coming on!
Listen to both Corvette Racers at RoadandTrack.com.
THIRD GEAR
As you could see by Michael Jordan’s picture in Corvette trivia and the Def Leppard link a couple of weeks ago, the C4 Corvette was insanely cool when it was new. Well folks, 1984-1996 ‘Vettes are back en vogue! For those of us in the know, they have always been awesome cars but it is good to see them getting some much-deseved recognition! If you want one, now might be a good time to pull the trigger as Hagerty points out that the mostly flat prices are starting an upward march led by Gen Xers. If you are looking to unload a fourth-generation car, maybe hang on a little longer and wait for that trend to really take hold.
Check out the full piece from Hagerty.
FOURTH GEAR
Hot Rod has a nice read about a perfectly executed 1963 Grand Sport Replica/Resto-Mod. We don’t want to spoil too much of owner, Larry Widmer’s work here but wait until you see the stunning intake manifold treatment! This is one beautiful recreation! Larry could take on Superformance if he started selling these things!
See the car’s full profile at HotRod.com.
FIFTH GEAR
Wayne Carini of Chasing Classic Cars fame occasionally writes a guest column on Hagerty.com. This week he made an appearance over there for the first time since late November and he revealed that he couldn’t resist the mid-engine magnetism of the new Corvette. Wayne traditionally sticks to older cars but this piece details how he just had to get his hands on a C8. He plans to follow the entire development cycle of the latest generation of America’s Sports Car by picking up each consecutive model that Chevy releases.
See what Wayne has to say at Hagarty.com.
SIXTH GEAR
In honor of Daytona finally being here, our final forward gear sends you to GT Report where they look at Corvette Racing’s tough transition from front-engine to mid-engine. The article bodes well for people who track their cars as it insists that Chevrolet had their focus on the racecar first and the road car second.
Get excited for the return of Jake here at GT-Report.com.
REVERSE
We are going to reverse to a 2003 look at the car that started it all, the C5-R! MotorTrend did a great, brief piece about the C5.R’s gestation and racing success up to that point. Give it a read during a commercial brake while you cheer on the new breed of Corvette Racing this weekend.
Read about it and giggle at the low quality photos at MotorTrend.com.
Related:
Jordan Taylor, Save the Manuals, Unsung Hero Mauri Rose, C8 Markups, Ronde Barber’s Corvettes and More!
Buying Vintage Vettes, 30th Anniversary of Def Leppard Crash, LA Times C8 Review, Corvette Trivia and More
Collector Car Values, Car of the Year Award, Brad Paisley’s Corvette Obsession and More
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I had a C4 new in1993 and it was more like a jet fighter then the new stingray. LT1 engine, lighter weight, 300 hp, the bucket sills were high enough it felt like climbing into a jet fighter. In 1993 the car had a top speed of 170 mph. It was the fastest street car and then like now if you didn’t know that you just weren’t paying attention. It has. Smooth aero skin and didn’t need wings or spoilers to stay on the ground when you drove swiftly. Just don’t shut off the traction control unless you want to go airborne! I bought the car new because it was hard to find one that didn’t have a rebuild title because of all the cars crashEd when fool owner shut of the TC to try to go faster. I perfered maintaining control. With the control off it looks just like a Mustang GT against a tree and broken. Airborn once, stuck the Landing and never shutoff the TC again. iris there to keep you safe and alive, why wouldn’t you use it?
Thanks for sharing our tech analysis of the C8.R, Alex!
I had a 85 & 90 & was shopping for a new toy & found a clean 40th Ruby 6Spd Vert.Was gona move up a few Generations but got that.
Of course, Miguel! Keep up the good work over at GT-Report.
C4s Cool Again, rofl.
The Grand Sport article from Hot Rod is good reading….BUT it won’t let me look at the photos
and the lead photo is al blurred out. Is there any way to get pass that block?
That’s weird, Jeff. I’m getting the full page on the computer and mobile sites. Might be time for old faithful; turn your device off and back on again?
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