Callaway Finally Supercharged a C8 Corvette, But It’s Not Ready Just Yet
There’s also a 35th anniversary package, celebrating Callaway’s partnership with GM.
I'm surprised it's taken this long but Callaway Cars finally announced a supercharger kit for the C8 Corvette. For 35 years, Callaway has been tuning and improving Corvettes, and other GM vehicles, and it's become a household name among Corvette enthusiasts. Now, for those that were patiently (or impatiently) waiting, Callaway's supercharger kit is finally here. Well, sort of.
Callaway Cars announced its supercharger kit at the “Corvettes at Carlisle” event in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to celebrate 35 years of working with GM. The supercharger in question is a 2.3-liter twin-screw "TripleCooled" supercharger but Callaway hasn't released any other details. There's currently no official timeframe for when Callaway might announce its price, power, or performance figures, only that they'll be announced "in the coming months."
However, the supercharger won't be sold as a standalone kit. Instead, the superchargers will be installed on "turn-key" Callaway Corvettes at the company's Connecticut and California facilities and then sold through authorized GM dealers. Current C8 Corvette owners can also have their cars upgraded with the Callaway supercharger, through the "Second Chance" program but, again, few details about that have been announced. However, if you want a Callaway supercharged C8 Corvette, you can reserve your serialized production slot with a $1,000 deposit.
The only other detail Callaway revealed is its warranty. All Callaway supercharged C8 Corvettes will get a three year/36,000 mile powertrain warranty, which supplements the factory warranty. A five year/60,000 mile warranty will also be available but, yet again, no pricing. All engine service of Callaway supercharged Vettes can be done at GM dealerships and are 50-state emissions compliant.
Callaway is also offering a "B2K 35th Anniversary Package" for C8 Corvettes. It comes with a whole mess of carbon fiber aero, including a front splitter, rocker panel extensions, a rear spoiler with a fun slot gap, and a diffuser. The only performance benefit of the 35th anniversary package is the upgraded exhaust, which is made from T304 stainless steel, is 40 pounds lighter than the stock exhaust, and even comes with an integrated diffuser.
The 35th anniversary package also gets lightweight forged wheels, 20-inch rears and 19-inch fronts, which are available in five different finishes—ceramic polished, satin black, gloss titanium, matte bronze, and black chrome PVD. They also shave 26 pounds off the C8 Vette's curb weight.
Inside, the 35th anniversary Vette gets special floor mats, a unique door sill plate, and a billet aluminum pedal set. You also get some other goodies, such as a Callaway/Mothers deep cleaning kit and a car cover. But perhaps the most interesting choice is where to have your 35th anniversary Callaway Corvette delivered. Customers can take delivery at the National Corvette museum, at the Callaway factory, or at the Thompson Speed Way Club track. The 35th anniversary kit does have a price, too—$34,960. Although, to get the 35th anniversary kit, you have to order a C8 Corvette with the Z51 package, aero delete, and the Open-5-Spoke bright silver-painted wheel option.
That seems expensive for an aero upgrade, an exhaust, and some wheels. It might also be tough for customers to put down a $1,000 deposit on the Callaway Corvette without knowing the specs of its supercharged V8. However, a similar Callaway supercharger did bump the C7 Corvette Stingray's LT1 V8 up to 627 horsepower, so it might be fair to assume a similar power upgrade for the C8.
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