Road Test: 25th Anniversary Callaway Corvette

MotorWeek celebrates 25 years of Callaway performance with a road test review of the 2012 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Callaway Chevrolet Corvette, as well as the 2013 Callaway Chevrolet Corvette SC652 60th Anniversary 427 Convertible Collector Edition.

[@peterhormerte1882]

10.8 is nasty on street tires. Well done very impressed.

[@alexyoungberg5232]

My civic does it in 10.7

[@alexyoungberg5232]

@Joe Mamma yea yea and that's on SNOW tires

[@alexyoungberg5232]

@Joe Mamma 😂🤣

[@Len1977gt]

@Steven Mark Tobin who gives a crap about this piece of plastic gm garbage

[@YungEagle3k]

@@Len1977gtlol cry a out it Larry. Go ahead cry

[@pbee73]

The C6 still looks modern and very aggressive even along side the C7

[@NewDesignVinylGraphics]

The tail lights are a clear indicator it’s from a different era though. It’s clearly a late 2000s design

[@christopherwalker6056]

@@NewDesignVinylGraphics The round tail lights to me are 'classic Corvette'. I cringed when I saw the square taillights of the C7. Round tail lights to me are iconic of Corvette as well as Ferrari. IMHO

[@pbee73]

@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 I think I agree with the C8 being the ugliest. The convertible is a rip off since it looks like a targa top and you pay about 10k more for it. The air duct piece that sticks out from the door when you open it is hideous. The deletion of a manual option turned off many die hard gear heads. The C8 is a radical change gone wrong, the C4 to C5 transition was a lot more welcoming in my opinion. I don't hate the C8 but I am definitely keeping my 08 C6 vert.

[@christopherwalker6056]

@@pbee73 hell yeah. That's what I want. I want to find an 08 vette. I think it was either in 07 or 08 that they bumped the hp up by 30. I want an 08 in dark navy blue with black leather, six speed.

[@GreggHarris-Deepa82]

​@@dr.jiIIaIicecooper2587 How Do you Really Feel about it Dr.!!! Lol 😂

[@gene7912]

Pops has one. Put many miles on it. Stunning. Alcantara interior is sweet and third gear is bliss. Special rare sled that still looks wicked.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Man that corvette still looks great today and great performance too!

[@TheAymanhawk23]

These are special edition ones the normal callaway corvette ,the sc606, that go 0 to 60 in 3.4 is only as cheap as the z06 yet has 101 more HP. The Callway corvette sc652 is priced the same as the zr1 but has more HP is faster and more exclusive.

[@sotirijlimnios7983]

Understand that this car was built by the same people who raced Callaway FIA GT2(now dubbed GT1) race cars around the world for years. Secondly, they also had built a Z06.R GT3 which won its FIA class championship. This isnt quite a Corvette with some trim and a supercharger. Not saying you have to love it, but its creed should be respected by all car fans.

[@RMAGEDN740]

definitely the best calloways. if your going to buy a corvette, i think this is the best option, as these cars should hold value.

[@AmericanBadAss2.0]

This Vett looks better then the new Stingray

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

Wow! did that get my heart pumping. I wonder which one one head to head. Looked like the convertible won.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

This show is just Awesome !

[@brandondavis7695]

OMG that convertible has the longest name in history, im surprised John didnt have to take a breathe in the middle...

[@bleedinblue5675]

5:21….an ol’ nod to the OG “SLEDGE HAMMER”….nice!!

[@danziger69]

RIP Reeves Callaway. Some great cars including this one.

[@silverbullet1979]

what a name John, that's got to be the longest name I ever heard for a car...

[@yockprog]

Happy Birthday!

[@RMAGEDN740]

id say your're not going to find a brand new zr1 cheaper than this; buying used you taking a chance with possible damage, because you know why people want a zr1; and calloway has 3-year warranties. this is the best looking corvette and probably one of the top performing vettes you can find.

[@teslawizardvvv3]

I drew this car in high school

[@willking1625]

Most Impressive and Fastest Corvette to this day. Callaway Sledgehammer.. Crazy Stats of Horsepower from the 80s..

[@dcomputers]

The 0 to 60 on this model is 3.4 sec but the 92 Callaway motorweek tested was 4.4 sec. One sec improvement

[@ULIEINTOME]

A second is allot in the race car world…. Thats a mean gap in the 1/4

[@steveespinola7652]

Sweet looking Corvettes.

[@24theMoney]

Never even knew this car existed...2024

[@SafetyRey]

Saw these at the auto show

[@Z06Ronald]

Beautiful cars ...

[@ppipowerclass]

The power comes on like a sledgehammer? Like the Callaway Sledgehammer?

[@maxboya]

Yet doesn’t do over 254mph like the C4 did. Weird.

[@ULIEINTOME]

99% of drivers will never see 200mph wth are you talking about… no vette does 254 lmao 🤣

[@illustriouscampbell994]

​@@ULIEINTOMEwrong. The 1988 Calloway Corvette sledgehammer had over 880hp and set a then world record by going over 254 mph..... look it up.

[@neilbradley]

I like how there's a check engine light on on the 427. ;-)

[@blackericdenice]

I would love to see one video where he's not talking doing a pull.

[@1995RangeRover]

Amazing!!

[@16BitOG]

ooo semantics... "Highest output LS3 V8". Callaway definitely made a 880hp vette back in the 80s

[@ULIEINTOME]

It wasn’t an LS motor tho 🙄

[@samadafish]

Amazing cars!!

[@choward874]

One seen stock Zr1s smoke that time with slicks at the track.

[@edumspeed]

Totaly bad ass.

[@TheAssassin111]

Imagine how much more power Corvettes would make if they Created an OHC LS engine.

[@richrace5310]

I'm kind of surprised they did this with the 7.0 liter... Aren't the walls thin for running boost?

[@maxboya]

I mean the LS7 427 7.0L has a semi-closed block so

[@Hot80s]

Am I dreaming or this old Callaway is faster than the 2015 Callaway MW tested?

[@alexl9334]

Gotta love CALLAWAY

[@iFaithHD]

Gtr fanboy here, the Alpha 9 is the same price but way more powerful

[@andrenj1970]

@ 1/4 mile bye bye gt-r

[@vtecnegro85]

Corvette type R or the mugen vette actually what the Callaway is lol

[@dchivalric1]

Corvettes should start creating a AWD system. Launch with AWD should be bomb.

[@TheAssassin111]

Yes, granted the top end woulb he heavier, but due to the fact that OHC, and DOHC engines make much more horsepower, You could be getting the same amount of HP with a 6.2L Supercharged pushrod engine, as with maybe a 5.7L Supercharged OHC engine. Yes, the heads are bigger, but the overall size of the engine could probably be made smaller and still make the same amount, or more HP.

[@neilbradley]

I own a 2008 Z06. Just verified it doesn't do what you claim. All lights come on for a short bit and go off almost immediately unless there's a code set. The check engine is on by itself in this video.

[@sidefx996]

Did he say awesominator?

[@davidkruse4030]

sidefx996 that’s the name of the super charger.

[@BEBNC1]

Actually, the deck height of Ford's DOHC V8 is about 4inches taller than the LS engines (measure from crank to top of the block). The outgoing LS3 is smaller and lighter than Ford's new 5.0... heck, the LS7 7.0 is the same weight, and smaller, than the 5.0. The new 6.2 LT1 (in the 2014 vette) is a freaking powerhouse and inherently designed to be supercharged. The power density is higher in the LS engines. Talking displacement is nonsense with OHC vs OHV... ask any mechanical engineer.

[@BEBNC1]

Nope. The C6 is one of the more reliable high-hp cars on the road. In fact, backed by one of the best warranties for it's class and routinely in C&D T10... more so than any other car outside of the likes of a Honda Accord. Awarded SAE's "Best Engineered Car of The Century" for good reason. GM's cooking has been just fine. Dodge cooked up an iron block engine w/ a 4.2L supercharger that weighs nearly 700lbs. The old aluminum LS9 and new LT4 weight about 520lbs each. The new aluminum 755hp LT5 is suppose to weight around about the same. Good cooking.

[@lfsracer79]

I guess it's British English for mom...

[@sleepersown]

No i'm not. What makes it worse is the narrators emphasis: " And with performance being the key word, this car better bring it ". How is that " bringing it " when the ZR1 makes more hp and tq stock ? For the same price or less if you buy one used. I'm not a car collector so, I surely don't care about it holding it's value in that respect. So yes, that extra 50k is a total waste of money imo. Dallas performance stage 4 LS3 kit = 750hp for 13.5k. More than enough left over for other mods.

[@blacknova23]

Hell Fuck NO! If its OHC then its not an LS engine. I know they are going with that ford/euro shit soon but for now i want that traditional push rod engine.

[@MaxwellReviresco]

They didn't go over the interior on 25th anniversary. I was hoping that was going to be as strong point for it. We all know a Corvette strong point is power, & we all know they don't have the traction to use it...even in the current factory vetts. So why add more to what is more than enough & not where we all know Corvette is weakest at....the interior?

[@somedude3639]

bet they sell your ls7 for over 20 grand and put in a 5 grand built ls3 (427) with a super charger in it. that's why it cost the same as the non zo6

[@zethloveless7238]

Some Dude false, the car never came with a 427 as they used the base ls3 6.2l. If you listened they said it used a grand sport to start with. So no your engine never went anywhere dude lol

[@jimmycline4778]

1:33 This car looks 100% better than the C8 To me my C5 looks more like a Corvette than a C8!

[@MrHeadshot1982]

nice.

[@Mr2013GT]

I'm not much of a GM guy, but an AW corvette would be TERRIBLE lol just use DOT slicks....

[@maxboya]

Yet it doesn’t do 254mph like the C4 did.

[@Greendude33]

Adds too much weight and ruins the 50/50 weight distribution and ruins Corvette driving dynamics, tradition and feel... RWD is for men

[@rsar61]

That’s a let down the sledgehammer vette had 850hp

[@adventures223]

Don't beleive the hype they did a dyno test on this same set up and only got 506 rwhp what a crock of shit still nice car and good power the hood is ugly but they have plenty of nice aftermarket hoods

[@Kaiser187]

The 5.8 is a better motor all around

[@BEBNC1]

Nope. Ford's massive DOHC supercharged 5.8 is dimensionally larger and weighs about 100lbs more than the 6.2 LS9. The 5.8 wouldn't even fit in a ZR1. Efficiency of the OHV 6.2 is actually about the same. Ford used 'trick' gearing to get the mpg and it suffers on the track because of it (twisties). LS9 comes with a better 'track ready' warranty, has a lower reving power band, less rotating mass and friction, all equals better lifespan. The 5.8 runs about 14-15psi and the LS9 a much lower 10psi.

[@Unique377]

8 viewers were GT-R fanboys

[@tbok75]

I bet buyers of the anniv model end up not driving them or sell em for wat more than they paid. Haha think id stick with the ZR1.

[@ULIEINTOME]

I bet its worth 200k now

[@clawmachinetime955]

C5 is the best looking vetts

[@snowthugs]

I wish this guy would shut the hell up for a second. It's like watching the Victoria Secret fashion show with pop ups going off. Better yet, this guy is like a used car salesman who talks so loud you can't hear the thrown rod during the test drive. Motorweek, your show is stuff in the early 90's, that is why Top Gear is the #1 autoshow in the world and your stuff rocking out New Kids on the Block

[@andrenj1970]

haha;)

[@sleepersown]

I didn't say brand new for cheaper. Although, a 13' with under 2k miles is cheaper and a zero mile Zr1 is not even 3k more. So, virtually the same price. As for damages on used vettes, uh vettes come with a 3 yr bumper to bumper and 5 yr 100k powertrain warranty. Looks are subjective, that Callaway hood is friggin ugly. Again, that extra 50k is a waste of money. You can spend much less and have a much faster car on the strip AND circuit. So Callaway would never get my money.

[@BEBNC1]

but then the engine would be a heck of a lot larger and heavier... and more parasitic loss. the ZR1's LS9 is almost 100lbs lighter (and dimensionally smaller) than Ford's new supercharged 5.8. The GTR is an amazing car, but the OHC TT 3.8 in that car is larger and weighs more than the supercharged LS9. Ford's 5.0 wouldn't even fit in a ZR1. It's all about the best formula for the car....not just the engine.

[@skillz1855]

i see u lack basic car knowledge, thats kind of what happens when key on engine off ( tach is on 0 )

[@DeftonesFan867]

Except that the Mugen Civic is overpriced garbage.

[@choward874]

I've

[@RMAGEDN740]

lol i hope your joking!

[@beekbeeker2907]

Kkkkiikkk azz

[@bsfunk44]

Those stick on hood scoops always looked so gross on Callaway cars

[@ivancedillo8]

Second

[@willking1625]

Still not faster than the Callaway Sledgehammer..

[@bull2952]

Not worth putting the Calloway name on it

[@steve75112]

My 06 mazda 2 would cream them down the strip

[@bmwmsport11]

I wouldn't let callaway tune my car. They made a sexy Corvette grand sport bland and ugly. I'd much prefer quad exhaust ports and if I was looking for power I'd take the ZR1.

[@lfsracer79]

They're no better or cheaper than a ZR1...

[@sleepersown]

50k for 620hp ? Yea uh, NO.

[@torment12345]

ZR1 is better than both

[@BecksArmory]

these are prolly the ugliest Corvette ever. Their designers suck! They should stick to just increasing performance.

[@Mandydeth]

Jalopnik brought me here. Boring, as promised.

[@transce]

I find this guy's smarmy "infomercial" voice to be extremely annoying. Can't he just read his lines like a normal person?

[@julianenguillado]

Same crappy bland, low quality interior for 100k.

[@godzillasballs]

FIRST!!!