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2013 427 Collector Edition Convertible
The 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible served double-duty as a commemorative edition model.  While it marked the departure of the sixth-generation Corvette. The real selling-point was the powerplant at the heart of the car - a 427-cubic-inch (7.0L) LS7 engine, the same engine used in the C6 Corvette Z06.  Rated at 505 horsepower (377kW) and 470lb.-ft of torque (637 Nm), this 427 was the most powerful engine GM had ever installed in a production Corvette convertible to date.
This is no ordinary C4 coupe, but a GM Engineering test mule with VIN plate EX4607 proudly displayed in the windscreen, built in 1986 to test all the new-for-1988 features. This actual car must have spent weeks pounding round the General Motors Proving Ground at Milford, Michigan with longer runs on the road, testing all the changes for a year which saw the C4 suspension, steering and brakes vastly improved.
The Centennial Edition came finished exclusively in a Carbon Flash Metallic finish with satin-black graphics. Special badging graphics signifying Chevrolet’s racing history, including an image of Louis Chevrolet on the B-pillars, were added as accents to the cars finish. The wheels were also finished in satin black. All models also received red brake calipers. The exterior color scheme of the Centennial Edition Corvette is reinforced inside the car.
Did you know that the earliest ZR1 Corvettes came into existence long before any of these later iterations?  If not, then take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with one the rarest small-block production Corvettes of all time - the 1970-1972 Corvette ZR1. From 1970 to 1972, Chevrolet offered the ZR1 Special Engine Package, which featured a small-block LT1 engine.
The early C4's had their problems, what with the 1984 Cross-Fire Injection and its unusual 4+3 manual transmission. By the late 1980's, the fourth-generation Corvette had evolved into a more desirable automobile, thanks in part to the arrival of the ZR-1.