The 2023 C8 Corvette is a seized vehicle owned formerly by a drug dealer.
The Chevrolet Corvette isn't the most practical car, let alone when used for law enforcement - but the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is adding the mid-engined sports car to its fleet anyway, because of course it is Florida doing something like this.
Surprise, surprise, Grand Theft Auto 6 somehow made it into the reveal trailer (as seen below), because not even law enforcement agencies are immune to the draw of online engagement.
Officially unveiled to the public on April 15, the Corvette, now wrapped in the black and tan State Trooper colour scheme, is a vehicle that was confiscated by the FHP and the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force (DEA). The two-seater packs a 6.2-litre V8 capable of producing 369kW and 637Nm, allowing it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds. It serves as the inspiration for the Invetero Coquette D10 in Grand Theft Auto Online.
To complete the look, the FHP fitted the vehicle with emergency lights on the front, side, and rear of the car with speakers concealed behind the front bumper cover, in case a police Corvette wasn't already a statement. It also comes fully set up with a police computer, printer, and everything, which makes it a fully functional patrol car. Except, of course, since it's a two-seater, perpetrators caught won't get a chance to get a free ride on it on their way to jail.
Save for that minor hiccup, the C8 is the perfect pursuit vehicle and the fact that taxpaying Floridians didn't have to pay for it is awesome. Unfortunately, the vehicle won't be spending any time running down criminals who think they can outrun the law, literally. According to the now-deleted announcement post on Facebook, the FHP will use the vehicle at "various educational outreach events," which means to say that it will spend most of its time with kids, teenagers, and adults taking photos with it.
Bit of a waste, innit? With that said, the Corvette is certainly a good way to generate goodwill amongst Florida locals and the use of the first GTA 6 trailer is a nice touch. GTA 6 will take players back to Vice City, now part of the much larger HD Universe and the state of Leonida, based on Florida and inspired by the real life state.
Coincidentally, a police vehicle version of the in-game counterpart of the C8, the Invetero Coquette D10 Pursuit, does exist, in case you want to see what it's like to get behind of the wheel of the vehicle and do patrol work in it. The vehicle was added to GTA Online as part of the Agents of Sabotage update last December. Maybe Rockstar Games will consider bringing the vehicle back for GTA 6 now that the FHP is using its real-life inspiration.
GTA 6 is currently set for a Fall 2025 release, scheduled as part of Take-Two Interactive's stacked AAA lineup for this fiscal year alongside Mafia: The Old Country and Borderlands 4.