Chevrolet->ke199 unveiled the seventh-gen Corvette -- dubber the Stingray -- at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show->ke222, but it looks like the company needed another eight months to actually finish preparing the sports car->ke506 and have it ready for the dealerships.

Chevy built approximately 1,000 Stingrays at its Bowling Green assembly plant, and they will hit showrooms within the next few weeks. A truckload of 2014 Corvette Stingrays->ke4603 left the assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky today, September 18th, 2013, so customers should expect their Stingrays pretty soon.

In order to develop the new Stingray, the Bowling Green facility required a $131-million upgrade, including a $52-million investment for a new body shop to manufacture the car’s all-new aluminum frame in-house for the first time. Taking a look at the amount of this investment, it is pretty clear that Chevrolet is banking on the 2014 Corvette Stingray being a smash hit.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

Unveiled at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the seventh-generation Corvette features a highly criticized look, but when it comes to technology features, nearly everyone was impressed.

The model is powered by an all-new 6.2-liter, V-8 engine dubbed the LT1 that produces 460 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 465 pound-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm, with the available performance exhaust system and 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet with the standard exhaust system.

The new Stingray can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds and to an anticipated top speed of 180 to 190 mph.