[1]Images: Mecum Auctions
From 1967 to 1969, General Motors produced what is perhaps the rarest Corvette option of all – the L88 427 cubic-inch engine that was rated at 430 horsepower but came in closer to 550 horses in reality. With only 216 L88 cars ever produced during that time, it has become one of the most sought-after Corvettes ever and can bring a cool million bucks on the auction block if the car’s in good condition. Why should we care? Well, GM Authority reports [2] that the General has received current trademark protection for two uses of the L88 moniker – one for “exterior and interior badges for motor land vehicles”, and another for “decals”.
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The original version of the L88 package included not only the 12.5:1 compression big block engine, but also included many other options on the car like a better suspension and limited-slip differential along with heater and radio deletes. Although the cars were sold to be street-legal, basically, the L88 was a factory-produced racecar that only a few lucky buyers will ever get to experience during their lifetime. Will GM produce another L88 package with the upcoming Stingray? The simple fact that they’ve resurrected the Stingray name tells us a little bit about the mindset that’s in place at the factory regarding the new Corvette. If they can take what already appears to be one of the most awesome Corvettes ever designed, and figure out a way to incorporate some performance improvements above and beyond what’s already slated for production, we could be looking at one hell of a car.