Chevrolet had all the bases covered for 1966. The bar had been significantly raised at both ends of the performance spectrum. The base Corvette engine was now a 300 - horsepower small-block, while the top position was held with the 425 - horsepower, big-block 427. Performance took a quantum leap.

The 1965 big-block 396 was bored out to 427 cubic inches for 1966, taking the street- driven Corvette to undreamed of high performance. The factory power rating was 425 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. However, the real redline was more like 6,500 rpm, producing over 450 horsepower! This was 75 horsepower more than the 1965 fuel- injection setup. Duntov joked that 31 cubic inches of cast iron is a significant weight savings. The Corvette was now at the top of the performance feeding chain.

Subtle changes for the 1966 Corvette made it stand out from previous cars. The egg-crate grille and hub caps were obvious on coupes and convertibles. "Corvette" script on the hood was new and the roof vents on the coupe were gone. The interior trim was changed, in addition to new optional head rests and hazard lights. If you could tolerate the exhaust noise, side pipes were a bargain at $131.65.

Racers and wanna be's had plenty of hardware to choose from. The L72 427/425 engine cost $312.85. The M-22 "Rock Crusher" four-speed was $237, and the special heavy-duty brakes cost $342.30. The F41 special front and rear suspension was a super deal at $36.90.

Although the base Corvette cost $4,295, down $26 from 1965, total production for 1966 was 22,940, down from 1965's total of 27,720 cars. GM didn't mind, since the press was gushing all over the new 427 Corvette. Tests from 0 to 60 mph ranged from 4.8 to 5.7 seconds with quarter mile times of 12.8 to 14 seconds. Some saw top speeds of between 130 and 152 mph, depending on gearing and the driver's guts.

1966 was supposed to be the last year for the Sting Ray design, but making the Mako Shark styling streetable for '67 was a big challenge. As hot as the '66 Corvette was, the '67 was about to get even hotter.

Here's the story:
lllustrated Corvette Series No. 28 1966 Mako Shark II Show Car Corvette
"The Running Prototype"

When the Mako Shark II was first shown at the April 1965 New York Auto Show, jaws dropped and the automotive press gasped. However, making a beautiful clay show car is one thing, making a functional road version is a completely different story.

GM tech experts Ken Eschebach and Art Carpenter headed up the crew that put every conceivable performance and luxury goodie you could think of into the running Mako Shark II. The chassis and running gear used standard 1966 Corvette parts. Under the hood was the brand-new 427 Mark IV engine coupled with the not-yet-available-in- the-Corvette three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission.

The entire front end tilted forward like an XK-E Jaguar. The headlights were made up of three quartz-iodide beams that were covered with "eyelid" panels. The top surface of the hood had cooling vents and round lids for fluid refills. The windshield wipers were hidden in a closet at the base of the windshield. At the back end, the window slats, bumper and spoiler were all electrically controlled from the interior. The seats were in a fixed position, while the gas and brake pedals were adjustable. Seat frames had racer-like, four-point seat belts. The roof- mounted headrests were adjustable, and had speakers connected to an AM/FM radio. Lights and windshield wiper controls were on the turn signal stalks and the dash had neon digital readouts. The car used seventeen electric motors to power various features.

In October 1965 the Mako Shark began a six month European tour and was the "avant garde" machine. For a show car, the Mako Shark was the closest to an actual production Corvette. Over 30 years later, it's still a stunning machine.