Have you been too busy to keep up with the rush of Corvette news lately? Well, welcome to your one-stop shop for the trending news from around our community. CorvSport developed this curated news series for your busy lifestyle, scouring social media and the internet to find the news stories from the top automotive publications and journalists. Just like most of our digital content, this exclusive news curation is FREE and not behind a paywall. When any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.
We’ve formatted our curated Top 5 for an easy and quick read, with an opportunity to read more if interested. I hope you enjoy the stories I’ve handpicked for you–let’s jump in!
What’s Inside Today’s Curated Corvette News
- Shaq Says Hold My Checkbook, I’ll Fit In My C8 Z06!
- No. 001: A Special Corvette Stole The Show At Carlisle
- Is Yet Another Widebody C8 Corvette Coming?
- Now, The E-Ray?!? New Corvette Options Currently Down To The Stingray
- How We Got From A Few Fires To A C8 Z06 & ZR1 Recall And Stop-Sale
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The Top News From Around Our Community, Curated by CorvSport
1) Shaq Says Hold My Checkbook, I’ll Fit In My C8 Z06!
♦ CorvSport’s Hot Take: This is one of the top stories that has been burning up the social media airwaves. Could you imagine how restricted your sports car options would be if you were towering over seven feet tall? Shaq says, No problem!
♦ Key Talking Points Directly From The Article:
- “In total, Effortless Motors said it applied a 20-inch stretch to make it feasible for Shaq to comfortably fit inside and drive the mid-engine speed machine.” FULL VIDEO BELOW!
- “Taking a look through the beauty shots provided, it looks like the shop made new doors, fenders, and engine cover and punched out the interior.”
- “It’s a good thing the Corvette has a removable roof too, as Shaq’s head still sticks out above the cowl by a wide margin.”
♦ The Article From Car and Driver
“Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t fit in a regular C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette (what a surprise)—but he’s the kind of guy who can afford to have one modified to work for his big frame. And that’s exactly what he had done, as Effortless Motors in Riverside, California, has just posted a video online showing off the stretched Corvette Z06 they built for the 7-foot-1 NBA legend.
Details about how it was done are sorely lacking so far, but the car speaks for itself. In total, Effortless Motors said it applied a 20-inch stretch to make it feasible for Shaq to comfortably fit inside and drive the mid-engine speed machine. Timing-wise, the project appears to have stretched (pun intended) across multiple months before the sports icon finally took delivery…” READ MORE AT Car and Driver
The Original Video From EFFORTLESS MOTORS
2) No. 001: A Special Corvette Stole The Show At Carlisle
♦ CorvSport’s Hot Take: Corvettes at Carlisle rarely disappoints, and over five decades, they’ve had some special moments, but No. 001 wins the prize for the most remarkable.
♦ Key Talking Points Directly From The Article:
- “This very first example, Engineering Car 3950, even made its pilgrimage to the Corvettes at Carlisle in Pennsylvania, where it stood as living proof that greatness often starts rough around the edges.”
- “The first of these fiberglass oddities, known as Engineering Car 3950, was essentially a rolling to-do list for GM engineers. They poked, prodded, and tore it apart like a Cold War spy plane, finding 22 things to fix.”
- “Yet no matter how imperfect and underpowered this fiberglass experiment was, this C1 was the spark that lit seven decades of V8 thunder, Le Mans trophies, and driveway bragging rights. Without that first shaky step, there’s no split-window Sting Ray, no big-block Shark, no mid-engine C8.”
♦ The Article From HotCars
“If America had a Mount Rushmore for sports cars, the 1953 Corvette would be the George Washington but, instead of granite, it was made of fiberglass and a little bit of corporate panic. Chevrolet was under the gun in 1953 to prove it could build something more exciting than sedans with chrome eyebrows, and the result was a hand-assembled experiment with the soul of a roadster and the guts of a family sedan. This very first example, Engineering Car 3950, even made its pilgrimage to the Corvettes at Carlisle in Pennsylvania, where it stood as living proof that greatness often starts rough around the edges.
The Corvette That Stumbled Before It Soared
Under that glistening Polo White body sat a humble Blue Flame inline-six with triple Carter carbs wheezing out 150 horsepower and 223 LB-FT of torque. That’s barely enough to mess up your hair in a stiff breeze. Not exactly the stuff of tire smoke and glory, but it was paired to a two-speed Powerglide automatic because, in early ’50s America, three pedals were apparently too European. All 1953 C1 Corvettes shared that setup, with a six-cylinder, automatic transmission, red interior, and whitewalls, because variety was a luxury GM hadn’t yet mastered in its rush to launch…” READ MORE AT HotCars
3) Is Yet Another Widebody C8 Corvette Coming?
♦ CorvSport’s Hot Take: Speculation that the C8 lineup would include a Grand Sport model has been building for months and months, and now a recent spy shot is fueling the rumors to a fever pitch. This one really has enthusiasts across social media divided, with many citing that there are already enough Widebody C8s, especially with the ZR1X on deck.
♦ Key Talking Points Directly From The Article:
- “The recent sighting of a camouflaged widebody C8 Corvette has lead to fresh speculation that GM may be gearing up to launch a new C8 Grand Sport variant.”
- “The exhaust setup also adds an interesting wrinkle to the story, showing a set of square outboard exhaust outlets, which can be found on both the C8 Stingray and the C8 E-Ray, but not the North American Z06, the latter of which uses a center-exit quad-tip layout.”
- “One possibility is that this is a C8 E-Ray, though the camouflage would be unusual for a model that has already debuted. Another theory is that this could be a Z06 destined for the European market, which features outboard exhaust tips due to stricter regulations.”
♦ The Article From GMAuthority
“The recent sighting of a camouflaged widebody C8 Corvette has lead to fresh speculation that GM may be gearing up to launch a new C8 Grand Sport variant.
The camo-clad prototype was spotted in a suburban driveway and shared on social media before the image was later deleted. The picture shows several intriguing details that don’t neatly align with any current production variant of the Corvette C8 lineup.
In the photo, the test vehicle appears to wear the widebody treatment typically seen on the C8 Z06 and C8 E-Ray. It also sports Z06-style wheels, along with a set of rear vents (the ones below the taillights) that are cleverly disguised via the camo to appear as if they’re the square ones from the C8 Stingray, though they actually appear to be the rectangular ones found on the Z06, E-Ray, ZR1 and ZR1X. The widebody, wheels and rear vents all hint at performance ambitions beyond the base Stingray.
The exhaust setup also adds an interesting wrinkle to the story, showing a set of square outboard exhaust outlets, which can be found on both the C8 Stingray and the C8 E-Ray, but not the North American Z06, the latter of which uses a center-exit quad-tip layout. To note, the C8 Z06 is equipped with an outboard exhaust treatment in the European market.
Putting it all together, we have to ask – what exactly is GM testing here?” READ MORE AT GMAuthority
4) Now, The E-Ray?!? New Corvette Options Currently Down To The Stingray
♦ CorvSport’s Hot Take: If you want a brand-new 2026 Corvette, your options are now even more limited. If the stop-sale on the C8 Z06 and ZR1 wasn’t enough of a shock for shoppers, now the news hits that 2026 E-Rays aren’t shipping yet.
♦ Key Talking Points Directly From The Article:
- “According to a recent report from Corvette Blogger, only the 2026 C8 Stingray is currently shipping to dealers. Citing Roger Kiel’s C8 Production Tracker, Corvette Blogger reports that 130 units of the 2026 Corvette E-Ray have been produced, ranked third behind the C8 Z06 (863 units complete) and C8 Stingray (2,428 units complete). The 2026 C8 ZR1 is currently last in terms of production volume (113 units complete).”
- “It’s currently unclear why the new units of the 2026 Corvette E-Ray have yet to ship to dealers. However, it’s reported that dealers are being told that the 2026 Corvette E-Ray is not yet ‘approved for commerce.'”
- “Chevrolet’s inventory search tool only returns a single units of the 2026 E-Ray, which is marked as ‘In Transit.’ Meanwhile, there are 1,380 units of the C8 Stingray units on dealer lots or in transit.”
♦ The Article From GMAuthority
“New units of the 2026 Corvette E-Ray have yet to ship to dealers, marking yet another delay in rolling out the mid-engine sports car’s latest model year.
According to a recent report from Corvette Blogger, only the 2026 C8 Stingray is currently shipping to dealers. Citing Roger Kiel’s C8 Production Tracker, Corvette Blogger reports that 130 units of the 2026 Corvette E-Ray have been produced, ranked third behind the C8 Z06 (863 units complete) and C8 Stingray (2,428 units complete). The 2026 C8 ZR1 is currently last in terms of production volume (113 units complete).
It’s currently unclear why the new units of the 2026 Corvette E-Ray have yet to ship to dealers. However, it’s reported that dealers are being told that the 2026 Corvette E-Ray is not yet “approved for commerce.”
Chevrolet’s inventory search tool only returns a single units of the 2026 E-Ray, which is marked as “In Transit.” Meanwhile, there are 1,380 units of the C8 Stingray units on dealer lots or in transit…” READ MORE AT GMAuthority
5) How We Got From A Few Fires To A C8 Z06 & ZR1 Recall And Stop-Sale
♦ CorvSport’s Hot Take: In early June, CorvSport was one of the first publications to cover the phenomenon of C8 Z06s exploding while refueling. As the dust and hysteria settle, GMAuthority details the chain of events that led up to the recall and stop-sale of all C8 Z06s and ZR1s.
♦ Key Talking Points Directly From The Article:
- “According to recall documents, affected units are equipped with a left-side radiator and fan assembly that could provide an ignition source if fuel is spilled into the fuel-filler pocket.”
- “Per Safety Recall Report 25V536 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a GM employee submitted a report through the company’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program on June 10th, 2025 after noticing a series of social media posts alleging three separate Corvette fire incidents at gas stations within a single month.”
- “Just two days later, on June 12th, a fourth incident occurred, this time in a GM-owned Corvette test vehicle. GM opened a formal product investigation on June 17th.”
♦ The Article From GMAuthority
“Late last month, General Motors issued a voluntary recall affecting 23,656 units of the 2023-through-2026 Chevy Corvette Z06 and 2025-through-2026 Corvette ZR1 to address a potential fire risk. According to recall documents, affected units are equipped with a left-side radiator and fan assembly that could provide an ignition source if fuel is spilled into the fuel-filler pocket. Both models are powered by advanced V8 powerplants, with the Z06 running the naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 LT6, and the ZR1 running the twin-turbo 5.5L V8 LT7.
The chain of events leading to the recall highlights one of GM’s internal safety processes, which potentially expedited a fix. Per Safety Recall Report 25V536 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a GM employee submitted a report through the company’s Speak Up For Safety (SUFS) program on June 10th, 2025 after noticing a series of social media posts alleging three separate Corvette fire incidents at gas stations within a single month. Just two days later, on June 12th, a fourth incident occurred, this time in a GM-owned Corvette test vehicle. GM opened a formal product investigation on June 17th…” READ MORE AT GMAuthority
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