2020 60k Mid-engine Corvette, what now?

[Falc'man]

Did they price it that low because it looks so wrong? What a messy looking car. It makes the C7 look good. Or maybe it's going cheap to fill in for the imminent demise of the Camaro.

Performance-wise I'm sure it won't disappoint, especially for the price, and I'm liking the work put into the interior.

In fairness to Mustang the C8 actually embarrasses just about anything else if you're talking bang for your buck. The base GT getting to 60 in less than 4 is also right up there for BFYB but I'm guessing would be a little more practical. However since there's overlap in the price between the 500 and the C8 the 500 is burdened with being compared to it.

So if people are going to compare these two then in terms of desirability for me the GT500 is way, way ahead of C8. It looks perfect but the thought of having that much power under your foot is intoxicating. I'm sure you all heard it at Goodwood. Sorry, but that thing's just insane.

Then there's the ADM problem. If Ford don't have issues selling every one of the 500s then they simply won't GAF. I wouldn't either if stock wasn't getting piled up. As a consumer the shoe's on the other foot and can understand the frustration but if there's a sense of desirability to your product then run with it; just ask GM if they're able to sell any C8 for $450,000.

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[Cardude99]

I agree the base pricing looks good, especially if you forget that the base model C8 isn't set up for track days. The Corvette will have a better chassis, but the GT350 has better equipment everywhere else. To get the track ready version of the C8 you will pay more. How much more is yet to be seen.

I have said in the past that mid-engine and DCT doesn't mean the car has to cost significantly more to manufacture. And Chevy has shown they want to sell lots of them. In my opinion sticking with less expensive materials was a good move. Hopefully there won't be major issues.

I think Voodoo was a huge deal, but an even bigger deal was the carbon fiber wheels. Several high end manufacturers are going to carbon fiber wheels now, following Ford's lead.

The gt350 and R saw massive markups for years. The c8 will be several thousand off a few months after launch and upwards of 10k+ off by the 2021 model year. By 2021 the c8 z51 and gt350 will be selling at a very close price to each other.

Don't get me wrong I like the gr350 because it's exclusive and cool. That what will always help it cause it's a low volume model. The c8 is high volume and now people will really have to take a hard look at where they want to spend their money. Do they want better performance or exclusivity? They may not typically compete but I have a hard time believing that people won't cross shop the two.

 

[Cardude99]

Then there's the ADM problem. If Ford don't have issues selling every one of the 500s then they simply won't GAF. I wouldn't either if stock wasn't getting piled up. As a consumer the shoe's on the other foot and can understand the frustration but if there's a sense of desirability to your product then run with it; just ask GM if they're able to sell any C8 for $450,000.

I'm certain that if Chevy came out with a car that is carbon everything, racing suspension, hell racing everything, had a killer design, hyped the crap out of it and limited production. Then yes I do believe they could charge half a million and people would happily pay it. I mean that's what Ford did and it worked just fine.

 

[Falc'man]

I'm certain that if Chevy came out with a car that is carbon everything, racing suspension, hell racing everything, had a killer design, hyped the crap out of it and limited production. Then yes I do believe they could charge half a million and people would happily pay it. I mean that's what Ford did and it worked just fine.

In fairness I did say C8. It's already priced from below "$60k" so no amount of carbon fibre can justify an 800% percent mark up.

But lets say they attempted to do as you said and made something in a similar vein to the GT. It would need the heritage behind it to attract such a price tag. Chev has nothing that compares in this regard. It can't be Corvette because it's boxed in as the affordable sports car.

We're not arguing capabilities here, just desirability. People will pay half a mil for a Ford GT, and not half that for a full carbon Corvette.

 

[Falc'man]

I think they've dropped the ball on the design.

Perhaps it's the Corvette snout they tried integrating in a mid-engined design that makes it look weird, but apart from that it does look messy and cluttered.

 

[Ace]

I'm usally not a Corvette guy, with sharing a lot of technology between Camaro6 and C7 I didn't really saw the need to spend that much more money on a corvette. But the C8, I'm absolutely impressed. I like the design, it is clearly an evolution of the C7 styling but on a midengine platform.

But with the performance they will really shake the whole sportscar market. Even if you don't go for the 2LT features or additional performance with the Z51 package, you get a low 3s midengine car for unter $60k. You will absolutely kill everything else on drag and track that is anywhere near the same price: ZL1 1LE, GT350R, Hellcat, Supras, TT RS - Hell, with Z51 you should be even on par with some cars above $150k cars like Porsche 911 GT3 RS or Acura NSX.

And take a look at the interior, that's some real premium stuff in the C8. I love the GT350, ZL1, Hellcat, etc. But in the end you get a lof of power and track capability but the interior don't hold up in the higher price range.

I will definitely take look what the european launch of the C8 in mid-2020 will bring (usally 2LT + Z51 is standard, so the base price is pretty high).

 

[martinjlm]

One of the most interesting reads I have found during C8-apalooza....

https://www.autoblog.com/2019/07/22/2020-chevy-corvette-stingray-comparison/

 

[Hack]

LS7 would probably not disappoint, especially a cammed one.

The LS7 exhaust valve issue really scares me off of that engine. I was considering a C6 GS, but with it having the LS7 engine I decided it wasn't for me. As far as I can tell every LS7 is a ticking time bomb - even if they have low miles. Some "fixes" out there don't really fix the problem. And many people say that the problem with the guides wearing out is worse if the engine has a cam in it.

Plus IMO the C6 is so ugly. I just couldn't do it.

 

[BmacIL]

The LS7 exhaust valve issue really scares me off of that engine. I was considering a C6 GS, but with it having the LS7 engine I decided it wasn't for me. As far as I can tell every LS7 is a ticking time bomb - even if they have low miles. Some "fixes" out there don't really fix the problem. And many people say that the problem with the guides wearing out is worse if the engine has a cam in it.

Plus IMO the C6 is so ugly. I just couldn't do it.

C6 GS has the LS3, which is a very robust engine, though from my butt, not that special in stock form. Only the C6 Z06 and '14-'15 Z28 had the LS7.

I've seen a lot of information that supports the correct fixes working for the LS7 valves. Similar to IMS bearing on 996-997 Porsches.

 

[Hack]

C6 GS has the LS3, which is a very robust engine, though from my butt, not that special in stock form. Only the C6 Z06 and '14-'15 Z28 had the LS7.

I've seen a lot of information that supports the correct fixes working for the LS7 valves. Similar to IMS bearing on 996-997 Porsches.

Thanks for the correction. It must have been the C6 Z06 I was looking at with the LS7.

I believe that the LS7 valve issue can be fixed as well, but I don't want to buy a car and then pay to take the the engine apart. And I wouldn't trust most sellers to be honest about an internal engine modification that isn't easy to check.

 

[Deleted member 35786]

Will they crash test it since Corvette is one of the most deadliest cars in America? Doubt it...

 

[martinjlm]

Will they crash test it since Corvette is one of the most deadliest cars in America? Doubt it...

You can’t sell a new vehicle in the US without certifying it for crash.

 

[BmacIL]

Thanks for the correction. It must have been the C6 Z06 I was looking at with the LS7.

I believe that the LS7 valve issue can be fixed as well, but I don't want to buy a car and then pay to take the the engine apart. And I wouldn't trust most sellers to be honest about an internal engine modification that isn't easy to check.

Yeah. I have a coworker who bought one last year with it already done, maintenance/shop records in hand.

 

[Deleted member 35786]

You can’t sell a new vehicle in the US without certifying it for crash.

I understand that. GM does not allow the vette to participate in the NHTSA or IIHS crash testing. Therefore they are not rated.. The meet the requirements of standard safety equipement, airbags, seatbelts etc.. but the car is not independently crash tested.

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