For those of us “Plastic Fantastic” fans who might not have been paying attention to model year changes, the 2016 Corvette production run quietly came to an end on June 23rd of this year and Chevrolet wasted no time pushing out the official 2017 models the very next day.

The 2017 Z06 will be on hiatus until September of this year and while you can’t buy one until then, we have details for the big kahuna ‘Vette as well. In the meantime, we were browsing through Chevy’s sales material and found some very interesting data on the finer details and changes of the 2017 Base Model and Grand Sport Corvette.

For old school guys, the days of one model and a couple of wheel choices are long gone. In fact, the latest Corvette has so many options and bespoke touches, it’s hard to keep track. Follow along and we’ll short hand the updates and bring you up to date on the most customizable, factory Corvette ever offered.

The Macro View.

The big news is obviously the availability of the Grand Sport model. Whether you choose coupe or convertible–we like the name “roadster” better–the car is essentially a naturally aspirated Z06 with the wide fender body kit, Z07 suspension and unique details and trim.

If the addition of the Grand Sport wasn’t enough to push you to the brink of orgasm, there are two special editions exclusive to the Grand Sport available to help fluff you up. By checking the order box for the Heritage Package or Collector Edition–the latter available later in the year–you can add even more exclusivity to your GS if just having one isn’t enough.

There are four new colors: Watkins Glen Gray, Black Rose Metallic, Sterling Blue Metallic, and Admiral Blue. Tick the box for the bitchin’ Satin Black Hood Stinger Stripe and suddenly it’s 1967 again.

Look closely at these cheat sheets and see that you can really get down to a granular level when ordering your Corvette. One can specify steering wheel material, embroidered logos, and paddle shifter stitching and headliners colors.

There Are Over Twenty Wheels Available.

We sometimes wonder if aftermarket wheel manufacturers are feeling the pinch from Chevrolet’s extensive catalog of available wheels options. There are black, chrome, painted, polished, and redline wheels available in almost any combination of the aforementioned finishes, and here’s the kicker, there’s not a turd in the bunch. These factory wheels range from 18 to 19 inches in diameter and up to 12 inches wide.

These are high performance wheels and when shod with high-end tires like Michelin Pilots, you could argue that a Chevy has created quite a detour to funnel ‘Vette buyer’s extra money into General Motors pockets. We’re especially fond of the Z06 and new Grand Sport wheels, but without blinking we could say we’d be happy with any of these wheels.

For all you guys and gals out there who are super particular about details–like us–there are six friggin’ wheel centers available for your perusal as well.

Color-rama.

There are some REALLY cool new Grand Sport colors combos available. With the advent of the C7, Chevrolet has really pulled out all the stops when it comes to leveraging color and the Corvette. First off, the car looks good in almost any hue so that’s a great starting point.

When you add in color choices for wheels, brake calipers and hash stripes as well, the combinations become devilishly enticing. It also can be confusing because, like wandering through a candy store, everything looks good you might feel overwhelmed or worse, want one of every color.

We say to anyone in who is going to order a new Corvette to spend time at ‘Vette car shows, online forums, and dealerships to really get acquainted with the choices available to a Corvette buyer. See how others have equipped their car and use that as a template for your order or find one in dealer stock that closely matches your wish list.

If You Want  A Low Production Corvette, There Are Three Special Edition Models That Carry Over To 2017.

These packages come in Black Suede, Spice Red or Twilight Blue “flavors,” and can be ordered on most models including the big daddy Z06. Don’t be fooled by the pictures as each of these special models are offered in four colors. The best part is they are all smokin’ hot and can alleviate “option list overload.” Instead of a deep, drill down to order-form minutia, just click one of these special edition boxes and voila’, you’re almost done.

These three packages were some of the lowest produced models of 2016, (excluding the C7.R and Z06 Convertible), and if you’re a fussy serial number guy–like us–these are the real sleepers if your looking to add a lo-pro addition to the stable.

Z06 Engine Build Experience, Two Day Ron Fellows Driving Experience, NCM Delivery.

In all the fanfare of changes and updates, three favorites remain. The engine build has it’s very own RPO and adds $5,000 to the Mulroney’s bottom line, but holy moly, this is a must for your bucket list. Under the supervision of GM engine tech gurus, you build your own motor at the hallowed GM Performance Build Center located in Mecca, er I mean Bowling Green, Kentucky.

All Corvette owners get an invitation to a two-day, Ron Fellows Driving School at a discounted cost of $1,000. Just call that “fellow” up, (pun intended) and give him your VIN and you’re in.

If National Corvette Museum is a treasure trove of cool ‘Vette folklore, taking delivery at the museum is the cherry on the sundae. If you haven’t been to Bowling Green, you MUST GO.

But wait, the delights are threefold; the NCM, the Motorsports Park and the “Incubator,” (Corvette Final Assembly) are all within a stones throw of each other. Its a tactile and sensory trifecta you must experience before you die. Rant over.

This brief overview just scratches the surface of what’s possible with the new Corvette. If you’re gonna “go there,” and buy a new C7, a dealer who really knows Corvettes would be of invaluable help navigating the deep waters of the ordering process. We like Kerbeck’s, Rick Conti and Mike Furman of Criswell Chevrolet. They’re national dealers that sell a whole lot of Corvettes, though any Chevrolet dealer can help, just make sure you ask for their guru, hunker down and tick away!