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  • Drew Dowdell
    Drew Dowdell

    By Drew Dowdell •

    Corvette C8 Almost Sold Out Already

      ...better get your deposit in soon...

    When the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette debuted a week and a half ago, there was some speculation that buyers might not go for it because of its mid-engine design or its outworldly styling.  Well the nay-sayers might just have to start cooking up their crow.   According to Michael Simcoe, GM's Design Chief,  the orders have nearly hit the first year of production numbers.  "It's nearly sold out. It's so close that it's bound to be sold out soon." Simcoe said.

    Now the caveat is that Simcoe has not revealed what the planned production numbers will be, so we have no idea if it will sell at a higher or lower rate than the C7 Corvette. 

    The 2020 Corvette Stingray comes with a mid-mounted LT2 V8 making an SAE certified 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque when equipped with an optional exhaust.  In Z51 form, the car can hit 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. Pricing will start under $60,000.

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    Robert Hall

    Had some fun w/ the configurator for the C8.    Here is how I'd spec one.

    Corvette 3LT w/ Z51 package 
    19" front/­20" rear 5-trident-spoke machined-face Spectra Gray-painted aluminum wheels.

    Color: Either Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic, Zeus Bronze Metallic, or Long Beach red Metallic tintcoat (+$995). Interior: natural dipped w/ Napa leather seats (tan) (looks like a nice peanut butter/caramel tan) 

    $78440

    Edited by Robert Hall
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    USA-1
    36 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

    Had some fun w/ the configurator for the C8.    Here is how I'd spec one.

    Corvette 3LT w/ Z51 package 
    19" front/­20" rear 5-trident-spoke machined-face Spectra Gray-painted aluminum wheels.

    Color: Either Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic, Zeus Bronze Metallic, or Long Beach red Metallic tintcoat (+$995). Interior: natural dipped w/ Napa leather seats (tan) (looks like a nice peanut butter/caramel tan) 

    $78440

    C8 Configurator is a blast. I messed around with building one when they released it.

    Mine came as a 3LT Z51 Ceramic Matrix Gray (basically Arctic white with tint coat) with light gray dual stripes which I don't usually like, but it made it complete then black leather with red stitching and red belts Carbon Flash pkg. and Carbon Flash wheels with machined edge, came to about $77k, not bad at all considering what you get.

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    USA-1
    On 10/4/2019 at 8:39 PM, smk4565 said:

    I meant the C8 is half the money.  I think the C8 is great value to get a mid engine car with that level of performance for that price is fantastic.  And if the yet get the top trim the interior seems pretty good with a lot of tech too, not like it is Porsche/Mercedes level interior but Acura level which compare the C8 to an NSX that is double the money and you see why no one buys the NSX.

    The issues I would have with the Corvette are Chevrolet dealership/service experience, Chevrolet build quality, Chevrolet brand image.

    And Corvette is good at performance but not luxury.  When Mercedes makes a sports car it can’t just go fast, it has to be luxurious and high tech also, if the Corvette was more luxurious than an Escalade Platinum and had Super Cruise where would that price go?  Corvette to AMG GT or 911 is an apples to oranges comparison.  

    I sat in a C8 for a bit back in Aug. at a reveal event at a big Chevrolet dealer (see my auto spotter below). It was a Z51 with the latest Magnetic Selective Ride Control. The interior and seats were very high quality (it had the GT2 mid level seats) with great feel and perfect lateral bolsters that fit me perfectly at 6'3" 225, steering wheel has a really nice feel with flat top and bottom and magnesium paddles, leather wrapped everything. It will have Super Cruise II eventually, just wait for the 700+ hp Z06 and Zora (ZR1) with over 1,000 hp combined 850hp TT flat plane crank V8 and 200hp out of dual front AC traction motors, so a Hypercar C8 Vette is coming too.

    Corvette is on a much higher level than your run of the mill Chevrolet car and people looking at them know that, but GM took that image and doubled it for the C8, so build quality and brand image that you think are an issue really aren't, even the C7 Corvette proved that. Yes, the dealership/service dept. would be better if they emulated Cadillac for Corvette owners, having experienced both Cadillac and Chevrolet the Cad. sales/service is at a much higher level, as it should be.

    There were several exotic car owners at the reveal event driving Lambo's, Ferrari's, McLaren's, and even saw an LFA unicorn cruising in to check out the C8. 

     

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    USA-1
    38 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

    Looks like the UAW strike will delay the start of production for the C8.

    Not slated to start full production and shipping until late December. Should be fine, especially with having the dedicated factory in Bowling Green. I'm glad GM is holding the UAW accountable, they've taken advantage of our Domestic automakers for far too long.

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    Drew Dowdell
    On 10/4/2019 at 11:39 PM, smk4565 said:

    I meant the C8 is half the money.  I think the C8 is great value to get a mid engine car with that level of performance for that price is fantastic.  And if the yet get the top trim the interior seems pretty good with a lot of tech too, not like it is Porsche/Mercedes level interior but Acura level which compare the C8 to an NSX that is double the money and you see why no one buys the NSX.

    The issues I would have with the Corvette are Chevrolet dealership/service experience, Chevrolet build quality, Chevrolet brand image.

    And Corvette is good at performance but not luxury.  When Mercedes makes a sports car it can’t just go fast, it has to be luxurious and high tech also, if the Corvette was more luxurious than an Escalade Platinum and had Super Cruise where would that price go?  Corvette to AMG GT or 911 is an apples to oranges comparison.  

    The C8 is supposed to be SuperCruise capable. 

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    smk4565
    5 hours ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

    Not slated to start full production and shipping until late December. Should be fine, especially with having the dedicated factory in Bowling Green. I'm glad GM is holding the UAW accountable, they've taken advantage of our Domestic automakers for far too long.

    They still have C7 orders to fill, so they can’t retool the factory until those are built.

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    USA-1
    14 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

    They still have C7 orders to fill, so they can’t retool the factory until those are built.

    The last C7 off the line is slated to be Summer 2019 for ZR1 and Z06 and early Fall 2019 for Stingray's.

    Retooling for the C8 has already been going on, so it seems like it will still be ready to go in late December as long as the strike doesn't go on for another month, we shall see.

     

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    Drew Dowdell
    9 hours ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

    The last C7 off the line is slated to be Summer 2019 for ZR1 and Z06 and early Fall 2019 for Stingray's.

    Retooling for the C8 has already been going on, so it seems like it will still be ready to go in late December as long as the strike doesn't go on for another month, we shall see.

     

    retooling hasn't stopped for the strike?

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    ccap41
    16 hours ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

    Not slated to start full production and shipping until late December. Should be fine, especially with having the dedicated factory in Bowling Green.

    That would still get pushed back the length of the strike, I'd only assume. 

    16 hours ago, USA-1 Vortec 6.2 said:

    I'm glad GM is holding the UAW accountable, they've taken advantage of our Domestic automakers for far too long.

    100% agree. 

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    USA-1
    1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

    retooling hasn't stopped for the strike?

    Yeah, I would think so unless they have independent machinists coming in, but then they'd need extra training. I just meant that they've been making changes around the plant for the C8 while the C7 is finishing, which is also delayed. Most of the current assembly line goes back to 1997 when the C5 first starting being assembled, so it's pretty old. This whole strike really sucks in more ways than one 🤬

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