Chevrolet produced the last unit of the outgoing C7 this past Thursday, ahead of the arrival of the mid-engine C8 Corvette.
The C8 is set to hit the market early next year and its launch will mark the end of an era, with the company ceasing the manufacturing of front-engine cars as they head into the future.
The C7 will be the last Corvette featuring an engine at the front, with the tradition dating back to 1953, when the C1 rolled out.
Fans hoping to get the final C7 are out of luck, unfortunately. It's too late. Rights to build the last slot were sold at an auction back in June, with $2.7 million being raised (a record for a car donated by a manufacturer). As big as that is, it isn't the record sum for a Corvette - records show that a 1967 Corvette L88 Coupe went for $3.85 mil in 2014.
The fact that the C7 is the last to have a front-engine could make it so that the model breaks the record in future, though. The one in question is a 2019 Corvette Z06 with 3LZ trim boasting a 650-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine. No bespoke touches were added despite the car being the last of its kind.
That Chevy didn't bring us a special edition to commemorate the end of the C7's journey also comes as a bit of a surprise as we've seen the likes of the 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition, 2018 Corvette Grand Sport and Z06 Carbon 65 Editions, and the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport Drivers Series mark other exits.
A Final edition model was actually sold in Europe, although the continent isn't that huge of a market for Corvettes.
We anticipate the arrival of the mid-engined C8 and we imagine some of you can't wait, but it will be interesting to see the reaction from the purists.
Source: Motor Authority