Maybe Chevy was right NA

It looks too exotic to be a Chevy!
 
Wow. That is amazing.

Tim
 
I like it! Not on the market for a Supercar, but if I was the Vette’ would be at the top of my list.
 
The only thing I don't really like is the centerline crease on the hood. Otherwise, it's about as cool as it could be.
 
When I saw the pictures I was a little uncertain, but once I saw it in person I thought it looked great.
 
Remember the hype when Mazda introduced the Miata? Same thing, first year production sold out, and dealers were putting incredible mark ups on the ones in the show room. People were paying a massive premium to have one of the "first ones".

The next year? Supply was plenty, cars could be bought below MSRP. Those first year premium Miatas could be bought very reasonably.

Same thing is happening here. And with this being Chevy's first attempt at a mid engine car, it's going to have a few problems crop up.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Points to GM for not bastardizing it by adding additional doors and all electric drive train.
Click to expand...

Maybe they are going to resurrect the Corvair name when they do that. ;)
 
I have no doubts that it will sell well for many reasons.

It will not sell to me, though.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Points to GM for not bastardizing it by adding additional doors and all electric drive train.
Click to expand...

Electric hybrid will C9.
All electric will be C10.

Tim (flame suit on)
 
Were I in the market for a supercar a Vette would be very high on my list. Damn things will do anything a supercar will do at 1/4 the price. And they finally put the engine where it belongs.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I have no doubts that it will sell well for many reasons.

It will not sell to me, though.
Click to expand...

I agree with this 100%. When it comes to what I want in a car, the market has long since left me by, and lord knows the Vette has been a car mainly driven by old folks for some time now.

Chevy is trying to break that reputation, and I think they’ll succeed in a huge way. This is a massively capable vehicle for (comparatively) not a lot of money. The new target market doesn’t care that it only has two pedals.
 
kayoh190 said:
I agree with this 100%. When it comes to what I want in a car, the market has long since left me by, and lord knows the Vette has been a car mainly driven by old folks for some time now.

Chevy is trying to break that reputation, and I think they’ll succeed in a huge way. This is a massively capable vehicle for (comparatively) not a lot of money. The new target market doesn’t care that it only has two pedals.
Click to expand...

I'll partially disagree with the last sentence. Corvettes don't do much for me and never have for the ones produced in my lifetime. The C8, though, is a car that actually does appeal to me and that I might buy were it not for the lack of a manual transmission. Now, I am not the target market per se, but I am in the income bracket where I could afford to buy one if I really wanted to (MSRP on my truck is similar to MSRP on a base Vette). But because it doesn't have a manual transmission, there's no way I would buy one, new or used, regardless of price.

With that said, I also know that I'm in a small minority compared to their general target market. So, it is what it is.
 
^^^ yeah you’re an outlier, but you’re certainly Chevy’s new target market otherwise - a high earning individual that’s a few decades younger than a typical Corvette buyer. :D
 
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Reactions: Ted
kayoh190 said:
^^^ yeah you’re an outlier, but you’re certainly Chevy’s new target market otherwise - a high earning individual that’s a few decades younger than a typical Corvette buyer. :D
Click to expand...

You've got it. :)
 
kayoh190 said:
I agree with this 100%. When it comes to what I want in a car, the market has long since left me by, and lord knows the Vette has been a car mainly driven by old folks for some time now.

Chevy is trying to break that reputation, and I think they’ll succeed in a huge way. This is a massively capable vehicle for (comparatively) not a lot of money. The new target market doesn’t care that it only has two pedals.
Click to expand...

That is essentially what the Corvette has ALWAYS been. A massively capable vehicle for much less than the exotic competition. Buying Corvettes got you 95% of the performance of a six-figure supercar at 50-60% of the price.
 
I think it's a bit overdressed (too many creases, vents, etc.) But otherwise, easily the best looking Corvette since the split window years.
 
SoonerAviator said:
That is essentially what the Corvette has ALWAYS been. A massively capable vehicle for much less than the exotic competition. Buying Corvettes got you 95% of the performance of a six-figure supercar at 50-60% of the price.
Click to expand...
Just a reminder that the top version of the outgoing Corvette is seriously deep into the six figures. Porsche 911 money, to be sure.
 
Wow..!!! Gms first mid-engine car.!!

Wait, First mid-engine after the Corvair.

And the Fiero....

Ok the first Corvette with the engine not up front.!!

Oh wait...1964 Corvette model XP-819...proto type that never went into production.

https://www.corvsport.com/xp-819-rear-engine-corvette/

corvette_xp-819_rear_engine_concept_car_1.jpg


th


And then... The Wankel powered Corvette XP-987

3-55-1024x576.jpg


https://emamn.com/the-two-rotor-wankel-powered-mid-engine-chevrolet-corvette-that-never-was/4711/

And then the 1989, yes, you read that right, 1989 GM EV-1 all electric car...

ev1main.png


http://www.ev1.org/

But wait, we are not going there in this thread...

Ok, lets see, I guess we are down to... Wow..!! The new 2020 Corvette that finally went into production and actually sold.!!

If I remember, the C8 model was supposed to be introduced in 2015, but several setbacks caused the delay.
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Just a reminder that the top version of the outgoing Corvette is seriously deep into the six figures. Porsche 911 money, to be sure.
Click to expand...

Right, and the Porsche 911 GT2 RS is over $250K. What are you getting at? A base 911 Carrera is a $95K vehicle which goes toe-to-toe with a Corvette Stingray for $60K. The $85K Corvette Z06 matches up (actually beats it in most performance categories) with the Porsche 911 GT3 which starts at $130K. Apples to apples.
 
Zeldman said:
Wow..!!! Gms first mid-engine car.!!

Wait, First mid-engine after the Corvair.

And the Fiero....

Ok the first Corvette with the engine not up front.!!

Oh wait...1964 Corvette model XP-819...proto type that never went into production.

https://www.corvsport.com/xp-819-rear-engine-corvette/

corvette_xp-819_rear_engine_concept_car_1.jpg


th


And then... The Wankel powered Corvette XP-987

3-55-1024x576.jpg


https://emamn.com/the-two-rotor-wankel-powered-mid-engine-chevrolet-corvette-that-never-was/4711/

And then the 1989, yes, you read that right, 1989 GM EV-1 all electric car...

ev1main.png


http://www.ev1.org/

But wait, we are not going there in this thread...

Ok, lets see, I guess we are down to... Wow..!! The new 2020 Corvette that finally went into production and actually sold.!!

If I remember, the C8 model was supposed to be introduced in 2015, but several setbacks caused the delay.
Click to expand...

Apparently you cannot figure out the difference between a mid engine and an aft engine, much less a production vehicle over a concept vehicle. :rolleyes:
 
Hey, at least they didn't make it an SUV like the Mustang.
 
If an Acura NSX and Audi R8 had a baby...

The level of performance of the C8 is incredible, especially in it's price range. It may not be as refined as it's exotic competitors, but that's not what a Corvette does. At least since Cheverolet started to get serious with the C5. I'm not anxious to buy one, but I wouldn't mind a 30 min session on a track with one.
 
SoonerAviator said:
That is essentially what the Corvette has ALWAYS been. A massively capable vehicle for much less than the exotic competition. Buying Corvettes got you 95% of the performance of a six-figure supercar at 50-60% of the price.
Click to expand...

Not so much the early six cylinder Powerglide models...
 
flyingbrit said:
Not so much the early six cylinder Powerglide models...
Click to expand...

Well, the 1953 Ferrari was certainly more expensive than the Corvette. Not too sure about that whole 95% of the performance figure, though. :) However, one could argue that the 1953 Corvette was a much better performer than the 1953 Porsche 356, and for less money. 2-speed slushbox, 6-cyl and all.
 
I have to admit to agreeing with Ted in one respect, the lack of a manual is a turn ff, but not a big one. While automatic transmissions rob smaller engines of power, I suspect the effect is far less pronounce don larger engines. I believe most of the exotic supercars are now sorting automatics as well.

Steingar: the man who has spent a couple decades driving a midengine roundabout.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
I'll partially disagree with the last sentence. Corvettes don't do much for me and never have for the ones produced in my lifetime. The C8, though, is a car that actually does appeal to me and that I might buy were it not for the lack of a manual transmission. Now, I am not the target market per se, but I am in the income bracket where I could afford to buy one if I really wanted to (MSRP on my truck is similar to MSRP on a base Vette). But because it doesn't have a manual transmission, there's no way I would buy one, new or used, regardless of price.

With that said, I also know that I'm in a small minority compared to their general target market. So, it is what it is.
Click to expand...

Starting twenty years ago; high end exotic cars had automatic transmissions that could out perform almost any manual in the same car driven by 99% of the drivers.
Over the past twenty years; this statement now applies to cars at every level.
The reality is modern automatic transmissions, brakes and power train are better engineered, work better together and smarter than probably 99% of the driving public. It really is only the edge cases where manual still wins.

Now, with Hybrids and EVs; the manual is officially on deaths door. An EV does not need a gear shift, and adds unnecessary complexity to a hybrid.

So you may want to start thinking about how you enjoy driving that pickup with its likely automatic transmission and apply the same perceptions to any car.

Tim
 
We’ve been through this on numerous threads - guys like Ted don’t drive a manual because it’s more efficient or faster. He knows that. We all do.

Some people enjoy driving beyond just mashing an accelerator and hanging on. Otherwise we’d all just go out and buy a Tesla.
 
steingar said:
I have to admit to agreeing with Ted in one respect, the lack of a manual is a turn ff, but not a big one. While automatic transmissions rob smaller engines of power, I suspect the effect is far less pronounce don larger engines. I believe most of the exotic supercars are now sorting automatics as well.

Steingar: the man who has spent a couple decades driving a midengine roundabout.
Click to expand...

To be fair, the extra power robbed by the automatic has been a thing of the past for some time for most automatics. The C8 has a dual clutch transmission not a slushbox/torque converter automatic, and my expectation is that it would rob very little horsepower. But for me it's about the experience, and I've never found an automatic of any flavor that gives the experience I want.

tspear said:
Starting twenty years ago; high end exotic cars had automatic transmissions that could out perform almost any manual in the same car driven by 99% of the drivers.
Over the past twenty years; this statement now applies to cars at every level.
The reality is modern automatic transmissions, brakes and power train are better engineered, work better together and smarter than probably 99% of the driving public. It really is only the edge cases where manual still wins.

Now, with Hybrids and EVs; the manual is officially on deaths door. An EV does not need a gear shift, and adds unnecessary complexity to a hybrid.

So you may want to start thinking about how you enjoy driving that pickup with its likely automatic transmission and apply the same perceptions to any car.
Click to expand...

As I stated above, and have said many times before, it's not about saying I'm better than the machine. It's about the experience of driving. It's about the enjoyment of the experience. I'm not trying to win any races, I'm trying to enjoy the drive. It's why I bought my Ram brand new and opted for the lowest power option (with 35 less HP and around 250 lb/ft less torque) to get that third pedal with the G56 manual transmission instead of either of the two automatic transmission options (68RFE or Aisin, both of which are fine units, especially the Aisin). It's why when I bought my first car, a 1982 Jaguar XJ-S V12, I forcibly removed the TH400 3-speed automatic and replaced it with a Tremec TKO 5-speed. Note that car never had a manual transmission of any sort. Of course in that case the performance was transformed, but it's not about that.

It's about having that third pedal, using all four of my limbs in driving the vehicle, hearing the transmission whine, getting the perfect upshift and downshift, eventually getting the perfect lap.


That scene gets how I feel about driving perfectly.

So what am I going to start thinking about? The next car I'm going to build after the Cobra. I will let you guess what sort of transmission it will have.

I know at least one man who will back me on this mindset... @RudyP to the white courtesy phone please.
 
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tspear said:
The reality is modern automatic transmissions, brakes and power train are better engineered, work better together and smarter than probably 99% of the driving public. It really is only the edge cases where manual still wins.

Tim
Click to expand...
I have to disagree with this wildly. Automatic transmissions still rob smaller engines of power. Most smaller cars are dogs unless they have a manual transmission.

Steingar: the guy who only drives small cars.
 
steingar said:
I have to disagree with this wildly. Automatic transmissions still rob smaller engines of power. Most smaller cars are dogs unless they have a manual transmission.

Steingar: the guy who only drives small cars.
Click to expand...

Wrong, even small 4cyl cars are now faster and more efficient with automatic transmissions.
 
@Ted DuPuis

I get the drive experience. I prefer the paddle shift in my little Subaru Legacy to my son's Mit Lancer. The Lancer is faster, but playing the "simulated" gears even via paddle sift is still more fun.
My point was, unless you can find a company which puts the paddle shifter on the floor for your left foot, driving is becoming a three limb sport.

Tim
 
steingar said:
..the lack of a manual is a turn ff, but not a big one...
Click to expand...

I prefer to shift my own gears, but for the last 2 decades automatics (like BMWs SMG, not your old school TH350) have been the go to for true performance cars. The whole 3 pedal thing is going the way of the DoDo unfortunately. Last figure I saw for %age of new cars sold in the U.S. is in the single digits for those equipped with Manual transmissions. For GM I'm sure there were Engineers, Accountants and Managers arguing on whether or not to offer the new vette with a manual and even though there would be some purists outraged the number of buyers willing to pay up for a manual (yep, the Manual Option for a vette has been extra since at least the 1990s) would not be enough to justify the cost of engineering, tooling and manufacturing expense to make it worthwhile for GM's bottom line.

I really have never been a huge fan of the vette but I saw it in Camo here in the summer and even with the wrap on it, the car looked like a true exotic! I think when we see these in person it's going to be the best looking vette to come along since the '67 split window and it's obviously going to be the best performance Vette of all time. This could be the last purely gasoline powered V8 Corvette ever. With the trends of more and more performance cars going hybrid electric and all electric it's only a matter of time before that happens to the vette. Even Ford doesn't offer a V8 in the top of the line performance car (Ford GT has a 3.5 Turbo; I personally just can't get excited about that because I have a 3.5 Turbo in my family wagon Ford Flex). IF my prediction is true the $60K price tag could be a BARGAIN or you could be buying these at firesale prices in 5 years when the C9 is released.

Corvettes IMHO are still for guys my Father's age not mine.

36c16f.jpg
 
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