Airing for the first time tonight is an all-new 2011 Corvette commercial. The ad marks the first Corvette-exclusive commercial  Chevrolet has aired in years. Between this new commercial, Corvette's new "Engine Build Experience" and other moves seem indicative that the bow-tie brand is eagerly attempting to move the Corvette's image upscale.

The new commercial compares the Corvette with that of a space rocket by correlating the innovation and craftsmanship of a rocket to that of the Corvette. Throughout the majority of the ad Chevrolet showcases scenes of assemblers hand-building the Corvette Z06 and ZR1 engines. Toward the end of the ad the commentator clenches at the American heritage of the 56 year old icon by saying, "America still builds rockets."

Several weeks ago General Motors assigned a former Cadillac communications employee to be the lead public relations person for the Corvette. GM has not specified why they are now placing so much effort on the marketing and public relations behind the Corvette-- a product that has been on the market since 2004.

It certainly leads us to believe that GM is eager to push their corporate flagship's image up to the level of the car's performance capability.