Anthony Cardiello of New York loves his new B2K Callaway."This is the most powerful of all my Callaways," he says.
Corvette enthusiast Anthony Cardiello of Long Island, New York, is the proud new father of one of twenty-five 25th-anniversary B2K Callaway Corvettes. George Matick Chevrolet (which had “car No. 20”) in Michigan and one other dealership in the country were the last two stores to have the coveted car available for purchase.
We asked Anthony, a fundraising executive for the Ronald McDonald House in New York City, a few questions about his inspiration for making the purchase and his experience with the vehicle thus far.
But before we get started, here’s a front-seat look at Anthony’s drive when it comes to the world of cars, and especially Corvettes: Anthony has always been fascinated with cars. His father drove a 1962 Chevy that he remembers fondly. “It had six cylinder and he finally let me drive it when I was in college. I would try to make it go faster than it could,” he says with a laugh, “because I’m into performance, driving a car, testing its capabilities …”
Anthony has been a ‘Vette owner since 1972, and has been a member of the Long Island Corvette Association since 1993. The organization inspires him to go on rallies, race his ‘Vette a bit and generally enjoy what he loves doing — driving, especially out in Long Island’s farm country where he says “there’s plenty of room to stretch, and not get snagged.”
After cruising, Anthony likes to tinker with his four performance vehicles (three Callaway Corvettes — the one he just purchased, a 1987 TT and a red ‘91 ZR1, purchased in ’91 — and a 2012 SRT8 Challenger).
Anthony's Callaways
On his first Corvette: “When I got out of the Army in 1972, I wanted to treat myself, so I bought an LT1. It was ‘Bryar Blue,’ sort of a greenish blue metallic, an outstanding color. Its motor was considered high-performance for that time. That car thoroughly hooked me on Corvettes for the rest of my life.”
1987 model musings: “The red 1987 Callaway, which I purchased 10 years ago, with twin turbos, was incredibly different from all the other Corvettes. As 240 horsepower was standard, my 87 B2K was 380 — scary!”
Anthony's been Corvette crazy since 1972.
How do you like your new car’s color — cyber gray metallic? “Well, that’s the color it came in, because all 25 of the 25th-anniversary Callaways were the same, including the options. But you know, there are silver cars out there and gray cars out there, but this color is really different — green-grayish and metallic, it changes colors.”
Anthony enjoys tinkering in his garage.
When did you decide to buy the 2012 B2K? “I was at the Corvettes at Carlisle show in Pennsylvania and saw one there. I thought it was beautiful. I knew that I didn’t’ have any space for it in the garage and I said to myself, ‘well, if I get that, then one would have to go.’ So that cooled me off a bit. But then I read about it, and couldn’t get it off my mind. So I decided to get one. My Callaway Camaro had to go — someone else is enjoying that now.”
How did you end up finding the B2K in Michigan? “I called Callaway and they told me there were two left: one in my region and one out in Michigan at Matick Chevy. So I cautiously called the Michigan location.”
How was your shopping/buying experience? “I was put in touch with Rich Curran of Matick Chevy. We hit it off. If you’re going to sell Callaway ‘Vettes, you better know the car; Rich knew the car and so do I, inside and out. Rich gave me the confidence to buy it, making the process easy. I now understand that distance doesn’t matter — it was in my driveway three weeks later.”
Have you had much of a chance yet to give your B2K a whirl? “Yes and it’s great. It’s the best car so far by Callaway. With 25 years of being in business and their relationship with Chevy, they put their heart and soul into it. It’s an incredible car.”
Part of the fun of owning a super-charged Corvette is hearing its roar. What does the B2K sound like? “It has a high-pitched whine to it when you’re making a lot of power. I like the sound of the whine. It pulls like a freight train … the first four gears are incredibly powerful. This is the most powerful of all my Callaways. But I’ll wait until it has about 1,000 miles until I nail it.”
