Nobody would ever accuse the 2014 Corvette Stingray of being cheap, though with a starting price of just $51,995, the ‘Vette is one of the best performance bargains on the planet. GM has packed so much horsepower and suspension perfection into the Corvette, that it was only a matter of time before the General jacked prices up.

Corvette Blogger reports that that time has come, and as of March 1st, buyers of the 2014 Corvette will have to fork over at least an extra $2,000. The price of performance, we suppose.

That means the base price of a 2014 Corvette coupe goes from $51,995 to $53,995, though, and the convertible price went up too, with a new starting MSRP of $58,995. Those wanting the increased performance of the Z51 package now have to pay $4,000, an increase of some $1,200, a mighty steep increase for the popular package.

So what’s the reason for the increase prices? Supply and demand, baby. Orders for the 2014 Corvette stretch for weeks or even months, depending on what you want, and quite simply it seems like GM wants to capitalize on the trend. The 2014 Corvette represents a milestone in a long and proud history, and people seem willing to pay any price to get one in their hands.

It’s a win for GM stockholders, though Corvette enthusiasts looking to add the latest Y-body to their collection might be understandably miffed.