The first right-hand-drive example has arrived. Just in the wrong place.

RIGHT-hand drive and on local turf … well, sort of.

General Motors Speciality Vehicles has opened up about where the first right-hand-drive Corvette for this part of the world has finally parked up.

Bad news for Kiwis; a car that was spotted on a carrier vessel during a stop-off at the Port of Auckland – a sighting that caused a brief internet stir – obviously kept on sailing … right across the Tasman.

GMSV in Australia has now opened up and said it has the C8 3LT Convertible and will employ it in an evaluation role with the company.

The Melbourne-based operation affirms their example is the very first factory-built right-hand-drive C8 Corvette registered in Australasia.

It says the Torch Red car will soon be on the road in Victoria as “part of the GMSV Head Office fleet and will be used for right-hand-drive engineering validation for Australia and New Zealand.”

Regional brand director Joanne Stogiannis has apologised for not making more of a song and dance. However, Covid-19 …

“This is a significant milestone for GMSV and while we would have loved to have celebrated with more fanfare, we have had to adjust our plans in light of Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions,” she said.

It seems customer deliveries of the mid-engine supercar for us are still due to commence before the end of this year, with Stogiannis saying that local market right-hand-drive C8 Corvettes are due to go into regular production at the Bowling Green Plant in Kentucky from later this month.

The Corvette runs a 369kW/637Nm 6.2-litre V8 laying down rear-drive via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

GMSV’s NZ plan places the 2LT Coupe at $154,990 and 3LT for $169,990 for the Coupe. Those variants also provision as a convertible that carries a $15,000 premium.

There is also a Carbon Edition launch special Coupe for $197,990 – so, $28,000 more than the 3LT Coupe it is based upon. Just seven Carbon Editions are coming to NZ.