Article contributed by Steve Burns
I was browsing the Corvette Forum a few weeks ago and came across a very interesting thread and thought I’d share it here. A member there was able to locate and purchase a trashed 1988 Corvette ZR-1 prototype and is slowly bringing it back to life.
When you see the enormity of this crash on video, its amazing that the driver not only lived, but walked away. With 1,400 awe-inspiring horsepower on tap, the Hinson Motorsports twin turbo Corvette Z06 was on its way to breaking speed records at the Texas Mile this weekend when the car left the runway at 230 mph, flipping once and coming to rest on its wheels in the grass.
Mecum’s Kansas City Auction was held a couple of weekends ago and it was definitely the place to be for buying and selling Corvettes. 59 Corvettes crossed the block and 42 of those found new homes. That’s a 71% sales success rate for the Corvettes in the auction. All together, Mecum sold $1.2 million in Corvettes during the two-day sale.
![[VIDEO] 500,000 Mile '65 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe Drives On](http://www.corvetteblogger.com/images/content/032311_1.jpg)
Autoedit’s Jason Lewis profiles a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe that has nearly 500,000 miles on the odometer. The silver Corvette has served as the daily driver for the owner of the car for the last 46 years. Although it has been maintained and freshened up over the years, the Sting Ray still sports its original 327 Cubic Inch V8. The 300 horse car is mated to a 4-speed, but other than that, there are very little other options – no power brakes, steering or air conditioning.
![[ACCIDENTS] Why You Don't Drink and then Drive Your Corvette](http://www.corvetteblogger.com/images/content/032211_1.jpg)
Last month’s “real-life lesson” was street racing, this month we get a reminder why you don’t drink and then drive your Corvette. Not only can you loose your car, but it could cost you your life or worse, someone else’s.
![[VIDEO] GM Discusses C6 and C7 Corvette at Sebring](http://www.corvetteblogger.com/images/content/032111_3.jpg)
Becoming an annual tradition, Corvette Product Marketing Manager Harlan Charles and Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter made the trip down to Sebring Florida last weekend to show off some cool Corvette concepts and several 2011 regular production cars as well as give a couple seminars with Corvette owners. The first seminar was held Friday afternoon and the topics were the latest updates on the 2011 Corvette as well as some non-specific C7 Corvette news.
Fans of Corvette and readers of this blog are familiar with the extra attention Corvette owners can receive from the factory as well as some of the advanced personalization options when buying a new Corvette. If you thought the ZR1/Z06 Engine Build Experience was cool, wait until you hear about the new PIN RPO. Yes, Corvette owners can now choose your own VIN. This is great for collectors who want to match an older Corvette’s sequence number with a brand new Corvette. The special RPO does come with a hefty price of $5,000 and like the Engine Build Program, you’ll be working a Corvette concierge to coordinate the special order.
Consumer Reports’ April 2011 edition ranks the Best and Worst of 2011 and the 2011 Corvette Z06 has earned a “best” rating with a score of 92. A car’s overall road-test score is the result of more than 50 individual tests and evaluations from Consumer Reports subscribers. For years we’ve derided Consumer Reports for its negative reviews on Corvette and what looks to be a bias against American-made cars in general. But it looks like the data is in and they can no longer dispute the fact that GM makes a very reliable car and that Corvette owners love them and would buy a Corvette again.
![[VIDEO] Corvette Airs New TV Commercial During ABC's 12 Hours of Sebring Broadcast](http://www.corvetteblogger.com/images/content/032011_2.jpg)
As Corvette is the title sponsor of Sunday Afternoon’s ABC Sport’s broadcast of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, it only makes sense to educate viewers how closely related the production cars are to the ALMS GT racers. To do so, GM showcases the Corvette ZR1 while spokesman Tim Allen tells viewers that when they decided to take 638-horsepower Corvette racing, they had to dial back the power just to be fair to Porsche, Ferrari and BMW. For Corvette’s competition on the track and in the showrooms, sometimes the truth hurts.
Article contributed by Steve Burns
Both RM Auctions and Gooding and Co. will be hosting collector car auctions this weekend in northeastern Florida in conjunction with the prestigious Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance. Gooding’s sale will take place on Friday, March 11 while RM’s event is Saturday, March 12. Between the 2 auction houses, 6 early Corvettes will cross the block in search of new homes. We’ll preview each of the cars for sale after the jump.
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