While you were busy ogling the pretty pictures of the new Corvette on the covers of Automobile and Road & Track we scored for you yesterday, you may not have noticed one interesting detail: both publications say "Stingray Returns" on the cover. Could this mean that the storied "Stingray" name could be making a comeback on the new 'Vette?
A bit of history: the name first showed up in 1959 in the form of Bill Mitchell's Corvette Stingray Racer concept car. That car was more than just a fancy show car — it won an SCCA National Championship in 1960.
The name was later used on the second and third generation Corvettes from the 1960s, but the name hasn't actually appeared on a car since 1976. The ultra-popular Stingray concept from 2009 also paid homage to the name.
True Corvette aficionados know that the C2 used the badge "Sting Ray" with two words, while the C3 used a singular "Stingray." Both of our magazines used only one word. If I had to guess, I'd say that the name "Stingray" is coming back on the upcoming C7, either as a badge on the car itself or as some kind of special performance package.
It's also important to note that in 2010, GM trademarked the word "Stingray." So is that name making a comeback for the 2014 Corvette? I'd say odds are good at this point.
Would you like to see "Stingray" or "Sting Ray" make a comeback? Which is sexier?
Photo credit DVS1mn