Celebrating a noteworthy (or even not-so-noteworthy) occasion in the automotive world means special-edition vehicles. Some manufacturers have turned producing them into an art form, such as Mazda with the MX-5 and Dodge in the past with the Viper. In most cases, they have an exclusive paint color, badging and small interior alterations, but they gain little of substance.</p><p> So what happens when you mark your 100th anniversary, as Chevrolet was tasked to do for 2012? You roll out a special-edition model of your halo sports car &#x2013; and add content that&#x2019;s substantial and meaningful.</p><p> The 2012 Corvette Centennial Editions not only commemorate Chevrolet&#x2019;s 100th birthday but also pay homage to the company&#x2019;s rich racing history. Company cofounder and namesake Louis Chevrolet was a racer who competed in the Indianapolis 500 four times, and his race-goggled caricature is present on these Vettes&#x2019; B-pillars, wheel center caps and steering wheels.</p><p>The special-edition standards are here, including a specific Carbon Flash Metallic paint job, satin-black exterior graphics, Corvette crossed flags sporting &#x201C;100&#x201D; in place of the fleur-de-lis symbol and red interior accent stitching.</p><p> The really important things cobbled into the $4,950 Centennial package are the magnetic select ride suspension and the matte-black wheels with red lip, which on the Z06 equipped with the performance package are stronger and about five pounds lighter than the 2011 ZR1 wheels. </p><p>Additional performance package revisions for 2012 include new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup Zero Pressure tires and a full-width rear spoiler to go with the Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes. The five-setting performance traction-management system from the ZR1 is also now offered on the Z06.</p><p> With all of the go-faster goodies helping to raise the Z06&#x2019;s performance game, we showed up at an abandoned airfield, coned off a roughly two-mile course and celebrated 100 years of Chevrolet by regularly cracking 100 mph. </p><p>The LS7 V-8 with its healthy 505-horsepower output remains magical, with quick throttle response, a glorious 7,000-rpm redline and a great exhaust note that burbles, pops and crackles after backing off the throttle above 5,000 revs.</p><p> Through the handling portions of our course &#x2013; which featured a figure eight, a slalom and chicanes &#x2013; the tires and performance traction system set in race mode earned their keep. The Z06 exhibited tenacious grip, instant response to steering inputs and good feedback, and it was easily helped around tighter turns with a few jabs of the throttle to rotate the rear.</p><p>The traction system wasn&#x2019;t overly intrusive, either, enabling the driver still to feel very much part of the equation. Braking was strong from the Brembos and remained that way throughout the hard day at the airfield.</p><p> What might just top all of that are the new-for-2012 seats that offer larger bolsters and available microfiber inserts. </p><p>Better seats have been on our wish list for the Corvette since the beginning of time, and our wish has been granted. Driving your Corvette hard through corners no longer means that you&#x2019;ll be sliding around in the seat.</p><p> The Centennial Special Edition package is available on every Corvette model in the lineup. With its sinister all-black looks and added content, we consider it a worthy special edition and a great way to celebrate Chevrolet&#x2019;s first 100 years.</p><p> We&#x2019;ll take ours in Z06 guise.