11 Most Beautiful Chevrolet Corvettes of All Time

The 1953 Corvette was a fine car. But it took a few years to really get there. It featured the first V8 engine, Chevy’s legendary 1957 engine with fuel injection. Designed by the brilliant engineer Zora-Arkus Duntov, “Fuelie” was the first Corvette to revolutionize technology.

The second-generation Corvette was introduced in 1963 and was a real step forward. It represented the best minds at GM at the time—designers Bill Mitchell, Pete Brock, Larry Shinoda, and engineer Zora-Arkus Duntov. There were many C2s produced, but the most notable and beautiful was the 1963 coupe.

Zora-Arkus Duntov wanted to race the C2 Corvette. So he created a “monster”. The original Grand Sport was called “The Lightweight”, and it looked the same as the original but was smaller. The frame was made of aluminum and fiberglass, which helped the car weigh less than 1 ton. The V8 engine produced more than 500 horsepower. Sadly, GM’s competition ban ended the Grand Sport after only 5 cars were built.

Chevrolet’s competition ban continued into the 1960s, and Duntov did everything he could to fight it. In 1967, he introduced the L88, a Corvette for racing that you could order from your local dealer. It was advertised as only making 435 horsepower. In reality, the Big Block made closer to 550 horsepower. Only 216 were made, so it became a rare car.

When Chevrolet introduced the Corvette ZR-1 in 1990, it was a huge shock. Chevrolet had created a Corvette that could compete with the Ferrari Testarossa and Porsche 911 Turbo. The ZR-1's LT5 engine was exceptional, designed by Lotus. It was the first and only engine in Corvette history to use a twin-cam. It produced a whopping 380 horsepower.

The car quickly became an icon. A success in American sports car racing and Le Mans, the C5-R was a wildly sought-after car.

The C5 Corvette was a huge sales leap from its debut in 1997. With an aluminum chassis, rear-wheel drive, and a new breed of V8 engines, it was a car that could compete with the world’s best supercars. But the best C5 was the Z06. Even today, with a Z06 and a good driver, nothing can catch up to them.

The C6 Z06 is an upgrade of its predecessor, equipped with one of Chevy’s greatest V8 engines, the LS7. The 7.0-liter, naturally aspirated engine produces 505 horsepower – an engine closely related to the C6R race car. You could buy this car just for the sheer awesomeness of the engine.

Admittedly, the C6 Z06 is a stylish car, but you can't help but love the ZR1. It was the first Corvette to use a supercharger and the first to break the 200 mph barrier.

Not as fast as the Z06, not as admired as the Grand Sport, but the C7 Stingray is remembered as a turning point. The Stingray isn’t radically different from the C5 and C6, but it represents a huge improvement in every way. It’s a Corvette that can hold its own against the best of Europe.

The C7R continues the tradition of dominance set by the C5-R in 1999. During its three years of competition, the C7R has won at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans. It's also one of the best sounding cars around.