Ready at Last: Chevrolet Ships New 2014 Corvettes

For the gotta-be-first crowd, Chevrolet announced Wednesday it has begun shipping the new 2014 Corvette Stingray to dealers.

Among the things that General Motors has done well lately, building the hoopla and anticipation for the new Corvette has been in the forefront. The new seventh-generation Corvette is vastly different than the one it replaces -- completely updated, with a much improved interior -- and the early ones are almost certainly all being claimed by the 'Vette faithful.

The 455-horsepower sports car starts at $51,995 including destination fees. The convertible version starts at $56,995.

So far, GM says its Bowling Green, Ky., assembly plant has churned out about 1,000 Corvette Stingrays. Most of these vehicles are expected to be delivered to dealers within the next few weeks, where we imagine they won't stay long before buyers snap them up.

"It's an amazing sight to see the transporters filled with Stingrays heading to customers in all corners of the country," says Dave Tatman, plant manager of General Motors' Bowling Green Assembly plant, in a statement. "The pride at Bowling Green is overwhelming."

To get ready, GM put its Bowling Green plant thorough a $131 million upgrade. Of that, about $52 million was funneled into the shop that makes the car's new light-but-strong aluminum frame.

Edmund's Reports: "The Corvette is as good as the 911, maybe better." [WATCH THE VIDEO]

IT'S TRUE! Edmund's reports on the

Purveyor of Powerslides VS the Prince of Precision!

EDMUNDS: So we're stuck. Stuck with a decision no enthusiast can fairly make. Picking the 'Vette is the obvious choice since it's supported by ample empirical data. At the end of the day, we can't deny that the home team nailed at least one of its primary targets. Making the Corvette as quick and rewarding as a 911 is a big task, and it's been fully accomplished.

The Corvette, when driven hard, is as good as the 911, maybe better.

There, we said it.

But then there's the undeniable reality that the 911 is the better car. Whether we're taking our kids to school or adding subtle countersteer to correct that big slide, we'd rather have the Porsche. It's the car that wins our hearts so it's the car that wins this test.

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Chevrolet Seeks Younger Buyers for NEW Corvette [VIDEO]

Updated looks and better performance will be the draw against Germany's best!

How good can life be?

Just remove the hardtop roof panel of a new Corvette Stingray, punch the accelerator to fully absorb the reassuring rumble of its V-8 and feel the wind in your hair. You may find the answer.

Chevrolet has completely updated its famous sports car in a bid for more respect among world-class sports cars, and with an eye to attracting new and younger fans and buyers. The 2014 Corvette aims valiantly to shed an image of being the embodiment of the Ugly American — powerful yet unrefined and fat.

The Corvette's new cockpit makes full use of real stuff — leather, carbon-fiber accents and aluminum — in contrast to a sea of plastic that marked the outgoing model. At 460 horsepower, the 6.2-liter V-8 with the performance exhaust system has 25 more ponies than the engine it replaces, yet is powerful, smooth and more efficient. On undulating roads near Monterey, Calif., Corvette is fun and confident, planting itself firmly in even the tightest curves.

The whole package is good enough that for the seventh generation of the car since Corvette rolled out in 1953, Chevrolet is declaring war anew on Porsche and other European sports cars. In the process, it also is taking dead aim at younger, affluent driving enthusiasts who may have written off Corvette as their dad's plaything.

The average age of a buyer of the current Corvette has been climbing each year and now is in the high 50s. It wants more of the upwardly mobile buyers in their 40s and even younger looking to reward themselves. Plus, Corvette attracts more blue-collar customers than other sports car brands. Nothing wrong with that, but it does mean that more buyers have to stretch their budgets for one. General Motors wouldn't mind having more fans rich enough to pick up a sports car on a whim, and take the top of the line.

Looking forward to the ALL NEW Corvette?

We an't wait either!!

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