Some Corvettes are bought with the head. This one — a 2024 Corvette E‑Ray now up for auction on Bring a Trailer, where the high bid has hit $82,500 with just one day left — was clearly bought with the heart.
The seller, known on BaT as jay4330, paid an extra $5,000 just to secure a VIN ending in 00025 — a number tied to his wedding anniversary and one he’s carried through other Corvettes in his collection. “VIN 00025 has personal significance to me,” he explained, adding that landing that number on a first‑year E‑Ray “made this particular car even more special.”
He didn’t stop there. He ordered the optional Bowling Green assembly photo book, became the first E‑Ray R8C Museum Delivery, and even had a custom jacket made to commemorate the moment. “I’m keeping the jacket for sentimental reasons,” he wrote, sharing a photo of it for bidders to enjoy.
When commenter Yags noted how hard it must be to let go of such a personal build, the seller didn’t hide it: “Believe me, it is extremely hard.”
This E‑Ray isn’t just sentimental — it’s historically interesting. The car was selected by Borla as the official R&D development vehicle for its C8 E‑Ray exhaust program. The seller posted photos of the car inside Borla’s Oxnard, California facility, where engineers “precision‑installed and fully validated the system.”
He even shared a video of the Borla S‑Type exhaust echoing through the development bay — a clip that quickly drew attention from commenters.
One of them, maw06, admitted he originally disliked Red Mist Metallic when ordering his own C8. But seeing this one changed his mind:
“THIS Red Mist Metallic car looks OUTSTANDING!! OMG!”
The car itself is a 3LZ convertible finished in Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat with Carbon Flash and silver dual stripes, a power‑retractable Carbon Flash hardtop, and Carbon Flash‑painted carbon‑fiber ground effects. It rides on 20-inch front and 21-inch rear five‑spoke wheels, backed by carbon‑ceramic brakes with Edge Red calipers.
Inside, the E‑Ray features Jet Black and Sky Cool Gray leather, Level 2 carbon‑fiber trim, GT2 bucket seats, a 10‑speaker Bose system, and an 8-inch Chevrolet Infotainment 3 touchscreen. A Corvette Museum Delivery plaque sits between the seats — a reminder of the car’s unique origin when it points out “LIFE IS SO ELECTRIFYING.”
Underneath, the hybrid AWD system pairs the 6.2‑liter LT2 V8 with a front‑mounted electric motor, producing a combined 655 horsepower. The seller has logged 9,300 miles, all under his ownership, and recent service includes a transaxle fluid and filter replacement.
The car comes with the owner’s manual, service records, two keys, a clean Carfax, and a California title. The original factory exhaust is included as well, though shipping is on the buyer.
The comments section has become part of the story:
Yags admired the VIN choice and the difficulty of parting with the car.
maw06 praised the color after seeing it in proper lighting. We tend to agree with that assessment and would even go so far as to say this might be the most stunning E-Ray we’ve ever seen.
Several bidders expressed appreciation for the seller’s transparency, documentation, and willingness to share personal touches like the jacket and assembly photos.
The seller has stayed active throughout, answering questions and offering behind‑the‑scenes details. “As you can probably tell,” he wrote, “I had no intention of selling this car, which is why I documented it so thoroughly.”
Corvettes often carry stories, but few are as curated — or as personal — as this one. Between the museum delivery, the custom VIN, the Borla development history, and the sentimental artifacts the seller is keeping, this E‑Ray feels less like a flip and more like a chapter in someone’s life.
Now it’s headed for a new garage, but not without its story being told.
Source:
Bring a Trailer
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Translation:
He’s got an allocation for a Grand Sport X or found a way to afford a ZR1X, and this is now an unnecessary bygone chapter. He’s probably got a RM over black 2-tone lined up with an LS6 GSX (my guess); identical to this. But with a 000028 VIN.
I mean, I guess if you like it. Personal flourishes mean nothing to most second owners. Black interior on 3LZ feels like spending money for the sake of spending money–as does the CF2 interior. Then there’s the absence of stealth interior trim while keeping the most basic wheels and opting for black accent trim. Hoping that the stripes will somehow tie it all together.
Face it. The color combo and options are not unique, and the story and questionable options don’t add value. Great car for someone who wants EXACTLY that. Entirely unremarkable otherwise.
I never quite figured out the appeal of a paying $5000 for a custom VIN. A clever personalized license plate is about as far as I’ll go. I think I recall that I paid $20 for mine: WATTA-C8
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