The last few months we have been looking back at the last year of each generation Corvette and asking, “Is this the best....?” It’s unfortunate that Chevrolet didn’t start their special editions before the 1978 25th Anniversary option. Certainly a special edition ‘67 and ‘62 could have been sweet. The ‘82 Collector Edition was a beautifully decorated car, but did not have any performance enhancements. The ‘96 Collector Edition was a handsome package and could be ordered with the optional 330-horsepower LT4 engine. The ‘04 Commemorative Edition option was a genuine stunner, but like the ‘82 Collector Edition, had no performance enhancements. All three of these cars can be described as very, very nice cars.

As we come to the close of the C6 generation, two significant milestones are upon us. 2013 will be the Corvette’s 60th anniversary. As of this writing, there has been no announcement of a 60th anniversary option. 2013 will also be the 50th anniversary of the Sting Ray. Again, no word yet of a “Sting Ray,” option. Would Chevrolet offer two special editions? They surprised in ‘96 with the Collector Edition, the Grand Sport, and the optional LT4 engine. After the C6 Z06 arrived in ‘06, no one was clamoring for a performer above the Z06, let alone the supercharged intercooled ZR1! As we rolled into 2012, no one was expecting the PDE option with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires on lightweight wheels. This is as close to an all-out racing wheel/tire combo as you can get for a street car and NOT an option for street car in the rain. The tires are just a few grooves away from being slicks! These kinds of options were unimaginable back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and the stuff of bench racing. But I can’t help but wonder two things. First, will this be the hottest of the C6 Corvettes? And second, will Chevrolet completely blow our minds with another over-the-top special edition? We’ll know for sure by Spring of ‘12. For now, let’s take a quick look at the Centennial Edition option and then trick out the ultimate ‘12 ZR1.

The Centennial Edition is available on all ‘12 Corvettes and includes the Carbon Flash Metallic paint, cast-spun aluminum black satin-painted wheels with a red outer wheel bead, and red brake calipers. The wheels are specific to the car, so coupes, convertibles, and Grand Sports all get standard size 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels. The Z06 and ZR1 get the same wheel design, but in the standard Z06/ZR1 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Special graphics are on the B-pillar, wheel caps, and embroidered on the seat headrests. The standard cross flags has “100” in place of the fleur-de-lis symbol. The interior is trimmed with ebony leather-wrapped instrument panel, and doors with red stitching on the revised steering wheel, seats console, and shifter. And yes, the seats have been improved with a flatter seat bolster, wider shoulder area, and taller sides. Like the ‘04 Commemorative Edition and the ‘96 Collector Edition, there are no performance enhancements, but the aesthetics are sinister and cool-looking. The cost of the Centennial Edition option is $4,950.

What’s left to trick out a bad-boy, ultimate C6 ZR1? The $1,495 PDE option almost seems like a bargain. The cast spun-allow wheel/Pilot Sport Cup tires combo shaves five pounds off the weight of each wheel/tire, a significant reduction in unsprung mass. The combo gets you 8-percent more grip, making the car capable of 1.13g on the skid pad without jarring your teeth out. The package also includes the full-width racing rear spoiler and close-ration 6-speed transmission. There’s also the new optional 9-speaker Bose sound system. And we might as well throw in the $5,800 Engine Build Experience and Museum Delivery options for a total of just north of $128,000.

So is this “it,” the maxed out C6 Corvette? Will Chevrolet slip in an engine enhancement for the ZR1 and goose the power up to an even 650-horsepower? Maybe, maybe not. Aside from aesthetics, can anything else be done to the C6 platform? Let’s hope they have one or two more aces up their sleeve. - KST