Up Close and Personal with the 2008 Special Edition Corvettes

On Saturday I took a drive across Tampa to my Corvette Club’s sponsoring dealer Ferman Chevrolet to see the two special edition 2008 Corvettes: The 30th Anniversary Indy 500 Pace Car replica and the 427 Edition Corvette Z06. While the promotional pictures and other people’s photos have already appeared online, it’s quite a different thrill to actually see these two unique Corvettes up-close and personal.

Ferman’s Corvette specialist Tommy Farruggio told me they ordered two of the Indy 500 Pace Car replicas, a convertible and a coupe. I’ve mentioned it before and seeing it in person has only reinforced my belief that this is the best looking Corvette Pace Car since the original one appeared back in 1978. What really stands out is the green trim on the Indy 500 side logos and the stripe running along side the hood bulge. The Pace Car replica’s feature the signature of Emerson Fittipaldi, two time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and are numbered. The Pace Car coupe that I viewed was number 245 out of 500. This Corvette has already been sold but interestingly the buyer is also in the market for a sub-1000 mile 1978 Corvette Pace Car. If you know of one available, let me know.

The other special edition of 2008 is the Crystal Red 427 Corvette Z06, a tribute car that celebrates the heritage of the 427 cubic inch engine. In Chevrolet history, the 427 engine was the pinnacle of performance for Corvettes and other muscle cars of the late ’60s. As the pushrod V8 has matured and technology advanced, Chevrolet is able to once again offer the potent power plant, this time in the form of the LS7 7.0 liter 505 hp small block. The 427 Editions are unique with the Crystal Red paint and custom black hood strip as well as the bevy of the old-style horsepower logos on the hood and embroidered on the seats. The 427 also pays homage to Wil Cooksey, the Bowling Green Assembly Plant’s manager who just retired. Wil’s focus on quality is one of the reasons why the Corvette scores so well on owner satisfaction surveys. Tommy said this was third 427 Edition to come through Ferman with other two already sold and delivered to customers. This 427 Corvette is signed by Wil Cooksey and is number 370 out of 505.

Related:
[VIDEO] New Corvette Pace Cars Hit The Indy 500
Sales Analysis: The 2008 30th Anniversary Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car Replica

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