A second Blue Devil? This Corvette Z06 has stories to tell

Corvette ownership is often divided into two camps: the Bloomington Gold group and the driving enthusiast. The Bloomington crowd focuses on paint dabs, overspray, number stampings, and provenance. The driving enthusiast is in love with the power and feel of driving an engaging, accessible sports car. The two crowds coexist happily, but only occasionally do their paths cross. This blue 2005 Corvette Z06 is the latest intersection.

Thorough documentation doesn’t ensure a fascinating history, but this Z06’s detailed history is far from boring. This is a prototype that helped cement the Corvette brand as a car that could compete on the world stage. Some sources report this to be the first Z06 produced, but that argument isn’t iron-clad. Judging by the serial number (1G1YY22Y3650016EX) and the lack of a VIN, this particular car could just as well be the 16th Z06 prototype made for the 2006 model year. Maybe it wasn’t the first, but this one was no show queen.

Instead, this pre-production car became the workhorse, putting in high speed runs all around the world. In Germany, it ran 198.6 mph in high-speed testing, and then was packed up and shipped to tracks worldwide. In fact, this is the car Jan Magnussen ripped around the Nordschleife in just 7:42.99—and that was a standing start, unlike many often-quoted ’Ring times. During that run, a multitude of photos were snapped and the car was dubbed “Blue Devil.”

One could say this is the first Blue Devil, but it’s hardly the most famous. The more widely accepted Blue Devil is the 2009 Corvette ZR1 which fell victim to the sinkhole at the National Corvette Museum. This didn’t go underground—only off the radar for a few years.

Now, this original Blue Devil could be yours. If you are worried about the wear and tear of all those track runs, rest assured it was highly maintained during that time. The car also got a fresh LS7 engine, transmission, and torque tube in 2008. The ’Vette sold through Barrett-Jackson in 2009 for $50,600 before a $44K no-sale Mecum Auctions in 2015. Now GT Motor Cars has it on offer for $79,000. That is a lot of dollars for a 2005 Corvette… but this Blue Devil is also a lot of car.