The production of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray is now in full swing at the Bowling Green Assembly plant, which recently ate up a $131 million investment to become ready for the new sports car. It has been renovated to cope with the new technologies featured in the C7.

There are so many new things about the Corvette Stingray that the old production methods simply wouldn’t work for it. The rejuvenated plant not only serves that purpose, it has become more efficient as well.

It has been pricey for GM, but worth it. For instance, $52 million of the investment went to a new body shop that manufactures the Stingray’s all-new, lightweight aluminum frame in-house for the first time. Then there were the 188 Flowdrill-machined fasteners with structural adhesive that needed special equipment. They also adapted the aluminum resistance spot-welding process is an efficient method for joining aluminum to aluminum where there is two-sided joint access, new Laser welding and Laser-based vision inspection for quality assurance.

These new production methods ensure the new Corvette is going to work as well as it looks and feels. Plus, with the amount of interest the car has generated since its introduction, GM will get its money back in no time at all. Shipping of the Corvette Stingray Coupe to dealers is underway. It starts at $51,995 including destination. The Corvette Stingray Convertible, which goes into production later, is priced at $56,995 including destination.