Corvette 427 – The Beast Returns!

In 2008 GM released the 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition Z06. This was a car came with many special features but it also came with a special $84,195 price tag and if you wanted navigation it was an additional $1,750. However the car is rare, Chevy build only 427 of them for sale in North America and additional 78 for the rest of the world. The car came with special 427 badges to let everyone know you are driving one of these rare Corvettes.

The Corvette 427 Limited Edition Z06 is designed to pay tribute to the big-block Stingray models of the mid 60s. The 427 references the cubic-inch displacement in the highest performance engines offered between 1966 and 1969.

According to the Corvette product manager, Harlan Charles,”The heritage of the 427 designation with Corvette is legendary.” “Recognizing the tie-in of the original 427 engine and the LS7′s 427-inch displacement has been on the Corvette team’s mind since the Z06 was introduced, and we’re thrilled to express it in this special model.”

In 1965 Chevy introduced the Mark IV V-8 and it was coined the big-block because it was larger than Chevy’s other V-8 engines. The 1965 Corvette had a big-block offered with a 396 cubic inch displacement and a maximum horsepower rating of 425.

In 1966 the big-block received larger cylinder bores and enlarged to the 427 cubic inch displacement. There were two horsepower levels 390 or 425. I think I would go with the 424 horsepower.

1967 was they year that the 427 became an icon. With the introduction of the L71 the horsepower rating was now 435. A few 1967 Corvettes had the L88 code and they had a horsepower rating of 430.

By 1967, the Corvette’s 427 engine was a legend in its own time and was offered with a unique induction system that featured an inline trio of two-barrel carburetors. Known as the “L71″ (its order code), it was characterized by a large, chrome triangular air cleaner assembly. It was rated at 435 gross horsepower (324 kW). The ’67 big-block Corvettes were easily distinguished from their small-block brethren by a raised “stinger” hood. The L88 inhaled through a single four-barrel carburetor opposed to the L71′s three two-barrels. The triple-carburetor induction system was still available, however, as the Corvette was offered with both the L88 and L71 versions of the 427.

So there you have a brief history of the original Corvette 427. We look forward to the new generation of this revered Corvette. I hope you see one soon but be sure to have a camera because they are rare!

1969 Big-Block Corvette 427

2008 Big-Block Corvette 427

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