Would You Have Bought a C8?

[Rruuff Day]

Since we have been discussing the C8 pricing and what GM is or isn't thinking with the expected release of a mid-engine Corvette, I thought a little poll for the C7 owners, and/or if you're thinking of purchasing a new Corvette in the near future, might be an interesting exercise.

Here is the question: If the C7 you are driving or will be driving had been a mid-engine C8 at the noted price points, would you still be driving a new model Corvette today?

This is not a 'could you' question, this is a 'would you' question.

 

[Nik]

I've been polled

Pretty conservative pricing there...

 

[YFCvii]

What a Great Poll Eric!
Endorses my Great Happiness for my Wife and I finally locking in with our 2 apples this year for the anticipated cost of the 1 orange in the future.
When that orange ripens on the GM tree, it will be admired and tempting but will not happen for our stable.
We get a whole lot of fun in C7's until we are tested again on that day though ...

 

[ddgermann]

Great Idea doing the poll Eric.
If these prices are close to real and the C7 is phased out in a couple years; there will be some tough days ahead for GM and Corvette in Canada I believe.
I am intellectually opposed to being bent over by GM to move to a C8 that has the trim level I want...although I will admit I have already caught myself doing the math for trade in and the difference... dammit!

 

[Nik]

Good point is this rumoured pricing or wishful thinking pricing? I have a feeling GM will go one of two ways on this.

 

[Rruuff Day]

In answer to our beloved @Nik, these prices are just rumoured shots in the dark....A starting place for a what-if scenario....Obviously if the price points are considerably higher, or considerably lower, the results will skew accordingly. I am totally open to changes to, or an updated poll if some insider knows the actual GM MSRP for the mid engine C8 optioned cars... Otherwise, we live and breath rumours and conjecture...

PS. The picture is rumour as well....

 

[ddgermann]

Isn't it amazing how well GM did keeping all this a secret. Along with the delay in the release so not get caught up in the Demon and Bronco hype and lose the full attention of the sheep AKA masses...me
Even now nothing is confirmed. Not even the production date.
I'm trying not to spend much time on it as it takes away from the great feeling of my new C7 and is digging into the excitement of the C7 ZR1 I have the deposit on.
Maybe too much of a good thing hey... not a bad problem to have.
I am really enjoying the debate on the C8.

 

[Nik]

Isn't it amazing how well GM did keeping all this a secret. Along with the delay in the release so not get caught up in the Demon and Bronco hype and lose the full attention of the sheep AKA masses...me
Even now nothing is confirmed. Not even the production date.
I'm trying not to spend much time on it as it takes away from the great feeling of my new C7 and is digging into the excitement of the C7 ZR1 I have the deposit on.
Maybe too much of a good thing hey... not a bad problem to have.
I am really enjoying the debate on the C8.

Good points and great problems to have .

I still feel GM can't maintain two sports cars (one supercar possibly) that will claw into each other's market share. If anything I see this as a Halo car that'll be in the region of a Ford GT 400k+ and limited production. I just can't see them priced that close to each other. It could also be an indication that it's a skunk works project but I've yet to see one out of GM.

I'd like to be wrong on this one.

Zr1 pricing, now that's another poll right there.

Also becoming apparent that most would not buy a mid engine vette full stop. Interesting.

 

[G-ForceJunkie]

To me, a Corvette is a Front Engine Rear Drive vehicle, like a Mustang, Camaro, Viper, etc. I don't really care if GM decides to build a mid-engine supercar, but I'll be upset if they call it a Corvette. When people look at a Corvette they know exactly what it represents, don't mess it up.

 

[ddgermann]

To me, a Corvette is a Front Engine Rear Drive vehicle, like a Mustang, Camaro, Viper, etc. I don't really care if GM decides to build a mid-engine supercar, but I'll be upset if they call it a Corvette. When people look at a Corvette they know exactly what it represents, don't mess it up.

I agree. Corvette is exactly what you say in my vision. However sir "Zora" had the dream of the mid engine Corvette and now it apparently is becoming a reality.
This is either going to be an amazing transition for the Corvette and it's 65 year loyal fan and enthusiast base or a complete debacle if they make the car unreachable for the people who made Corvette what it is.
Lets see how the C8 pricing looks and if the C7 actually gets creamed into history. I said it before but I seems GM is really pulling a drama queen act on this one as I believe they are going to use the market to dictate the future of the C7 RWD Corvette.
In that I feel the C8 should have been released as a competitor to the Ford GT as a true super car. Why mess around with a "kind of plastic low budget supercar" Go all in!
Sure call it a 200K or 250K or 300K "Zora Corvette" if they must...just make sure it kicks all ass that gets near it.
I would be happy with my new little 130K C7 RWD Z06 in 2024 knowing big brother is out there.
Damn that was a rant... Whew... better now.

 

[rockitman]

Since we have been discussing the C8 pricing and what GM is or isn't thinking with the expected release of a mid-engine Corvette, I thought a little poll for the C7 owners, and/or if you're thinking of purchasing a new Corvette in the near future, might be an interesting exercise.

Here is the question: If the C7 you are driving or will be driving had been a mid-engine C8 at the noted price points, would you still be driving a new model Corvette today?

This is not a 'could you' question, this is a 'would you' question.

Now that the question is not "could you", but "would you" the answer is "definitely"
What a sharp looking machine!

 

[smackYYZ]

My thoughts on this is that the RWD will not die. What I think will happen is Corvette will become more of a brand then a model. The RWD will continue as the Stingray and the new AWD C8 will be known as the Zora and they will live beside each other with alternating new model intros to keep the marketing machine alive around the brand.

I also think the Zora will have a higher price point and lower production numbers then the C7 but lower prices and higher production then the GT. This way they avoid the negative press that Ford got over the "Exlusive" GT purchasing, and on production numbers for qualifying for the racing series.

This way we can have our cake and eat it too.

 

[YFCvii]

SO ... some C7 buyers are going to look forward to the Corvette advertising campaign with ...
a smack in the head saying "wow, I could have had a C8" ?

(remember the commercials for V8 ???) ha ha

 

[ddgermann]

SO ... some C7 buyers are going to look forward to the Corvette advertising campaign with ...
a smack in the head saying "wow, I could have had a C8" ?

The sticker prices will be the factor for me. If they keep the RWD C7 alive in its different trims and base AWD C8 available for slightly more than the high end C7 this kind of makes sense and may work. With corvette being a brand not a model as Smack mentioned.
So a new Corvette can be had from 60K all the way up to 200ish K depending on what you want.
Actually makes sense and they may very well offer customers an excellent range of cars that suit both the budget minded people and the customer who can afford and wants that high level super car.
This has been one of the best topics I've seen on here. So much passion for the Corvette mixed in with a healthy level of suspense and suspicion on what's to come... hopefully soon.

 

[Karam]

I think people are almost always opposed to change. I remember when the C7 Stingray was introduced, many die-hard Corvette fans were furious that GM decided to move away from the round tail lights etc etc. However, fast forward to today and I think almost everyone loves how the C7 Corvette looks. It looks exotic.

I absolutely love my Z06. However, if someone told me I can have the same insane power, amazing exhaust, fantastic looks, with the balance and precision of a mid-engine platform, I can only drool and imagine. In fact just by writing this, I got goosebumps lol...I however don't agree with some of the above price points.

(a) If GM are planning to keep both C7 and Zora in their lineup, there is no point in having a base, slower Zora 1LT Stingray priced at 135K when you can have a fully loaded C7 Z06 and a base C7 ZR1 (potentially) at that price point. If Zora and C7 co-exist, I believe the Zora line-up will be the more extreme/exotic versions of Z06 and ZR1's, directly competing/surpassing supercars (at a fraction of the cost)

(b) If GM does decide to switch to the mid-engine platform completely (C8), I think the price point for the base stingray wont be that high. Currently the base Stingray is 64.5K. It won't/can't be priced at 135K lol. That's like a 109% price hike lol. I don't think GM is that stupid. If they do decide to switch to mid-engine platform completely, I am expecting the base models to start at around 85K.

However, obviously, this is all speculation. Exciting times ahead

 

[Rruuff Day]

Interesting Karam but many expect the base C8 mid engine to be between 500 and 600 HP.... "slower" than a Z06/ZR1....maybe... ... Less HP certainly, but less HP doesn't necessarily mean slower ... Especially if the Zora remains controllable while putting all those ponies to the ground... This has been a topic of discussion with the Z06 and likely will also be in question with the ZR1 .... $ 85,000 for a base mid engine C8 with 500+ HP.... I hope you are right but I highly doubt that price point.... But as you say, this is all purely speculation and it does lend for some interesting conversation...

 

[JCWP]

Since we have been discussing the C8 pricing and what GM is or isn't thinking with the expected release of a mid-engine Corvette, I thought a little poll for the C7 owners, and/or if you're thinking of purchasing a new Corvette in the near future, might be an interesting exercise.

Here is the question: If the C7 you are driving or will be driving had been a mid-engine C8 at the noted price points, would you still be driving a new model Corvette today?

This is not a 'could you' question, this is a 'would you' question.

Since we have been discussing the C8 pricing and what GM is or isn't thinking with the expected release of a mid-engine Corvette, I thought a little poll for the C7 owners, and/or if you're thinking of purchasing a new Corvette in the near future, might be an interesting exercise.

Here is the question: If the C7 you are driving or will be driving had been a mid-engine C8 at the noted price points, would you still be driving a new model Corvette today?

This is not a 'could you' question, this is a 'would you' question.

Sweet ride: probably will not be available in a vert with a mid-engine: where would the cloth lid go??

 

[G-ForceJunkie]

They've been making mid-engine Ferrari and Lambo rag-tops for years. Never looked at one in detail, but I'm sure Chevy could figure it out if they wanted to.

 

[Rruuff Day]

Where there's a will and a demand, there's a way...

 

[Rruuff Day]

Well.... Polling ended Wednesday and with 43 votes registered, the loudest voices indicate that, based on the given parameters, 34 members would not have purchased a new Corvette if the C8 mid-engine had been their only option. There was some interesting discussion for sure as a result of the poll and I'm positive more discussion over the coming year will ensue.

Thanks to all.

Rruuffday