2023 Chevrolet Corvette: 70th Anniversary
The 2023 Corvette C8 is a standout model, being the first Corvette to ever have a mid-engine setup. Jeff Cottrell’s C8 is anything but ordinary. It is a limited production run of Corvette C8’s named the “70th anniversary” edition, featuring “White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat” from the original 1953 Corvette. This particular car is meticulously maintained by Jeff, shown off at local car shows, and corvette club events. Jeff bought this car in this particular spec and waited for many years to finally get it for himself, and his wife.
Welcome to Jeffs’ 2023 Corvette C8 70th Anniversary.
The Specs
The mid-engine C8 Corvette was released in 2020, and this particular model features a 6.2-liter OHV V8 LT2 boasting 490 horsepower (6,450 rpm), and 465 lb-ft of torque (5,150 rpm). This exclusive 70th anniversary has the same powerplant, along with the standard 8-speed dual clutch transmission built by Tremec, which brings you from 0-60 in 2.9 seconds. The top speed tops out at around 194 mph. Weighing in at around 3,300 pounds, this C8 is not slow by any means. Jeff drives his car almost daily, to car events, shows, clubs, dinner, and much more.
Obtaining the C8
Jeff, and his wife Lisa are nothing short of absolutely fantastic people. Shooting this set with them was so much fun and provided Jeff and Lisa with many photos to look back on.
Jeff did get very lucky on securing this exclusive Corvette, wanting this specific model in the White Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat, but the dealer told him they are “limited production” and “would never get one”! Jeff went ahead and ordered a red C8 in spring of 2022. He was placed #7 on the waitlist. The following July Jeff received a call from the dealer, and would have to reorder a 2024, since the 2022 was now outdated from the factory. He was now #11 on the waitlist. Jeff called dealers from all around the country in hopes that someone could secure him the exact model he wanted. All models that were in transit were already secured by other buyers.
On one of his last limbs, Jeff called Greenwood Hubbard Chevrolet in Hubbard, Ohio, and to his surprise, he was told they may have an available 70th anniversary that he was looking for. The salesman, Steve Rotunno, told Jeff that the buyer may not be able to purchase the vehicle. This was in July. Steve took down Jeff’s name, and Jeff received a call September 4th of 2024 that the car was available if he still wanted it. Jeff immediately jumped on the offer and picked up the car. Jeff also had Greta Van Fleet tickets for September 8th, which they waited to attend the concert for over a year. Jeff and Lisa got home at 5am the next day and got right on the road to pick the car up from Ohio. Jeff went ahead and used “HWYTUNE” as the C8’s license plate, based on the Greta Van Fleet hit song “Highway Tune”. Jeff, and his wife Lisa have enjoyed the car since they have owned and have many more trips and plans in mind for the future.
C7 VS C8
The C8 has a lot of pros over the C7, such as boasting around 40 more horsepower than its predecessor C7. The C8 also has a much faster 0-60mph acceleration, which Chevy says you can shift in around 2.9 seconds versus 3.7 in the C7. This “pro” may be arguable, but the C8 only comes in an automatic transmission, versus the C7, which is available in both manual, and automatic. Many styling changes set the C7 apart from the C8. One of the most obvious differences is due to the engine location in the vehicle. While the C7 has the much larger front hood to accommodate the big V-8 in the front, the C8’s hood has a much flatter appearance due to the newest generation being a mid-engine design. The intake designs are also vastly different, with the C8 boasting much bigger intake grills. The seventh generation has one solid intake grill in the middle of the bumper, unlike the C8 which has one large grill in the middle, separated on either side by diagonal lines from the two smaller air intakes.
