Extremely Rare & Incredibly Cool Purpose-built Corvettes: Track Time Tuesday Presented by Yokohama Tire’s ADVAN APEX

From their roots on the track to their remarkable pedigree, these Corvettes rank as some of the most unique. 

Since its inception in 1953, Corvette has reigned supreme as one of Chevrolet’s greatest creations. After eight generations of sports car excellence, Corvettes have eared their deserved and established legacy. But the road to the top had its speed bumps. Not every Corvette produced was destined for greatness. Along the way the automaker designed a handful of fascinating Corvettes that, for a number of reasons, didn’t make the cut.

Even the most dedicated ‘Vette fan might not be aware of these lesser-known, rare, and limited rides. For Track Time Tuesday, we chose three of the most unusual and utterly outstanding uncommon Corvettes.

1958 Corvette XP-700 

During his tenure as Vice President of Styling, designer Bill Mitchell was noted for his envelope-pushing vision. He was wanted Corvettes to leap from the page to track. To that end, the 1958 Corvette XP-700 was designed as a concept car that also served as his personal ride.

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Inspired by Ferrari and Grand Prix cars, the XP-700 was built on the base of the 1958 283 Fuelie Corvette. It boasted styling cues such as the long nose, large air scoops, wire wheels, sidepipes, and one wild double bubble top.

The XP-700 concept made the rounds on the car show circuit, as well as the track driven by Mitchell himself.

It never made the leap to mass production, but the XP-700 Corvette paved the way for updates in design in the C2 Corvette and beyond.