Update: When news broke about new Corvettes being stolen from the factory, a picture of a ZR1 surfaced on social media in the lot where some of the cars were recovered. Everyone assumed—us included—that it was among those stolen but that's not the case. No ZR1s were nabbed from the factory; we've updated the post to further explain the situation.
As early Corvette ZR1 buyers patiently await delivery of the 1,064-horsepower supercar, some nefarious individuals decided to bust open the Corvette plant in Kentucky and nab a few cars. A Chevrolet spokesperson confirmed the incident and clarified that a new ZR1 wasn't among them. But the car boosters did scamper away with eight C8 'Vettes.
The heist occurred last week, per a report from Road & Track. They cite a Facebook post claiming thieves cut a hole in the fence at the factory and made off with the cars. Interestingly, the first report of something being wrong apparently didn't come from the plant. On the morning of March 22, police were notified of a suspicious Corvette at an apartment complex that still had factory stickers and wrappings on it. An investigation ensued, at which point the hole in the fence was discovered. General Motors did an inventory check and found eight cars were missing.
Here's where things get even more interesting. Several Corvettes were found in a Lowes Home Improvement parking lot in Bowling Green, where some of the thieves were apparently trying to sell the cars. Another Facebook post shows a ZR1 at the location, along with what appears to be a couple of Z06s. However, the ZR1 wasn't stolen. It was driven there by a factory official assisting in the recovery. Hey, if you got it, may as well flex it.
A report from WBKO 13 News states at least one person, 21-year-old Deantae Walker from Westland, Michigan, was taken into custody.
According to Corvette Blogger, the thieves were attempting to get some of the stolen cars transported out of the area. A trucking company reported a strange interaction with Walker while loading vehicles and noted the cars had damage to their undersides. Additional damage to other cars was reported by a tow truck driver. The extent of the damage isn't known, but all the stolen vehicles were returned to the factory.
Source: ABC 13 via Road & Track
