The Official C8 Corvette Thread...

[Soup DeVille]

C5s and C6s?  I want C7s!

A pristine Z51, manual C7 for under $30k would be a killer deal.

Ok, but I'm aiming at sub-$20k and there are a lot of clean low mileage Z06s out there like this:

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=502317253&zip=48306&referrer=%2Fcars-for-sale%2Fsearchresults.xhtml%3Fzip%3D48306%26listingTypes%3DUSED%26startYear%3D1981%26sortBy%3Drelevance%26incremental%3Dall%26firstRecord%3D0%26marketExtension%3Don%26endYear%3D2010%26modelCodeList%3DCORV%26makeCodeList%3DCHEV%26searchRadius%3D50%26transmissionCodes%3DMAN&listingTypes=USED&startYear=1981&numRecords=25&firstRecord=0&endYear=2010&modelCodeList=CORV&makeCodeList=CHEV&searchRadius=50&makeCode1=CHEV&modelCode1=CORV&clickType=listing

[MrH]

Yeah, there are a lot of clean (maybe not as clean as that one) C5 Z06s going for <$20k.

I can't take that interior though.  Makes me want to cry.

[r0tor]

I wouldn't fault anyone either, but I think the value proposition here is big enough that it pulls the sports car market quite a bit.

I wish there were more cars playing in the miata size/weight/price category 

You have to be a pretty big baller to throw $70k around on just a fun car.

Not sure how much value comes into the equation on making a purchase like this... There is more of an unquantifiable desirability factor at play

[12,000 RPM]

I wouldn't fault anyone either, but I think the value proposition here is big enough that it pulls the sports car market quite a bit.

I wish there were more cars playing in the miata size/weight/price category 

You have to be a pretty big baller to throw $70k around on just a fun car.

You have to be a big baller to throw $70K on a daily driver... especially one with new car depreciation. Even our forum's richest couldn't push that button

And anything in the Miata price category is going to get mauled by the used market unfortunately. It's a negative feedback loop

Yeah, there are a lot of clean (maybe not as clean as that one) C5 Z06s going for <$20k.

I can't take that interior though.  Makes me want to cry.

It dawned on me that I only need a back seat for the ~10 or so minutes I'm picking up my daughter. I didn't mind the Z's interior, even at 190K miles. Only thing that would drive me crazy about a C5 is the squeaks. Everything else (seats, infotainment, lighting) can be fixed....................................

[afty]

Motor Trend posted an update on their C8 dyno: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chevrolet/corvette/2020/2020-chevrolet-c8-corvette-dyno-results-followup/

"Now we've learned that our dyno operator selected two dyno settings that were incorrect. One is a key parameter that had yet to be released for the C8 and so was estimated from C7 data. That is road-load horsepower at 50 mph. This factor incorporates friction and aero drag, and it can be measured empirically by conducting coast-down tests, but because dyno-testing the C8 was a last-minute fill-in to our schedule when Real MPG testing proved impossible on our last day with the C8, we had no opportunity to measure it. The dyno operators used 12.6, when Chevrolet has informed us that the correct factor for our Z51 should have been 15.4. But the bigger boo-boo was that the dynamometer was also set to assume all-wheel drive."

They don't have updated dyno numbers yet as they need to get another C8 to test.

[MrH]

You have to be a big baller to throw $70K on a daily driver... especially one with new car depreciation. Even our forum's richest couldn't push that button

And anything in the Miata price category is going to get mauled by the used market unfortunately. It's a negative feedback loop
It dawned on me that I only need a back seat for the ~10 or so minutes I'm picking up my daughter. I didn't mind the Z's interior, even at 190K miles. Only thing that would drive me crazy about a C5 is the squeaks. Everything else (seats, infotainment, lighting) can be fixed....................................

Used car market destroys the miata in terms of outright performance, but I think the miata still wins in overall driving experience.

Even if C7s drop to $35k used, I think I'd still get a slightly used 2019 Miata for $25k.  It's all performance you can't use, wrapped in a more numb package for the most part.  Granted, I haven't driven a C7, but I would definitely take a miata over a C5 or C6.

[MrH]

Motor Trend posted an update on their C8 dyno: https://www.motortrend.com/cars/chevrolet/corvette/2020/2020-chevrolet-c8-corvette-dyno-results-followup/

"Now we've learned that our dyno operator selected two dyno settings that were incorrect. One is a key parameter that had yet to be released for the C8 and so was estimated from C7 data. That is road-load horsepower at 50 mph. This factor incorporates friction and aero drag, and it can be measured empirically by conducting coast-down tests, but because dyno-testing the C8 was a last-minute fill-in to our schedule when Real MPG testing proved impossible on our last day with the C8, we had no opportunity to measure it. The dyno operators used 12.6, when Chevrolet has informed us that the correct factor for our Z51 should have been 15.4. But the bigger boo-boo was that the dynamometer was also set to assume all-wheel drive."

They don't have updated dyno numbers yet as they need to get another C8 to test.

I loved that the first assumption is that Chevy is sandbagging instead of Joe Blow on the dyno machine screwing something up.

Yes guys, Chevy is purposely under reporting SAE horsepower numbers to....make it harder for their marketing team to sell cars?  I don't understand what the incentive would be exactly.

[GoCougs]

I loved that the first assumption is that Chevy is sandbagging instead of Joe Blow on the dyno machine screwing something up.

Yes guys, Chevy is purposely under reporting SAE horsepower numbers to....make it harder for their marketing team to sell cars?  I don't understand what the incentive would be exactly.

No logical incentive. If anything, it'd be very risky, letting the first batch of press cars out as tuner specials; jeopardizing the SAE cert, risking engine failure or an emissions problem, or for a media outlet to discover the shens (anything from an emissions test to putting a dial indictator on a rocker arm).

[Payman]

Used car market destroys the miata in terms of outright performance, but I think the miata still wins in overall driving experience.

Even if C7s drop to $35k used, I think I'd still get a slightly used 2019 Miata for $25k.  It's all performance you can't use, wrapped in a more numb package for the most part.  Granted, I haven't driven a C7, but I would definitely take a miata over a C5 or C6.

There's no better car for the reality of speed limits.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

C5s and C6s?  I want C7s!

A pristine Z51, manual C7 for under $30k would be a killer deal.

They're getting close! I want a C7 Z06 but is it really 20K better than a Base C7 or 10K better than a C7 GS? I was really tempted by the C8 but mine would be close to 70K and I just can't do that! Nice Z06s are 50-55K but I'm just not sure if it's worth the extra coin............ 

[MX793]

I feel like the C7 GS is kind of a sweet spot.  Z06 is beyond overkill for a street car.  GS gives you a lot of the aero and handling from the Z06 and is still blazing fast.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I feel like the C7 GS is kind of a sweet spot.  Z06 is beyond overkill for a street car.  GS gives you a lot of the aero and handling from the Z06 and is still blazing fast.

Yes it's most likely the best Bang for the buck!

[12,000 RPM]

Used car market destroys the miata in terms of outright performance, but I think the miata still wins in overall driving experience.

Even if C7s drop to $35k used, I think I'd still get a slightly used 2019 Miata for $25k.  It's all performance you can't use, wrapped in a more numb package for the most part.  Granted, I haven't driven a C7, but I would definitely take a miata over a C5 or C6.

I guess it depends on what you want. The Miata is def a better sports car, but the Vette is a very usable GT, which is what I'd be looking for in a car like this. I don't have the time or roads to enjoy something like a Miata

And yea, I'd gladly take a C7 or C6 GS anyday, though the regular C7 looks good enough (just can't get into the narrow body C6)

[Rich]

There's no better car for the reality of speed limits.

And traffic. And fuel prices (good now, but one conflict away from $5 a gallon gas)

[Laconian]

Bah, GM can add a first to 8th skip shift default mode to their AT

[Eye of the Tiger]

Bah, GM can add a first to 8th skip shift default mode to their AT

[CaminoRacer]

I rode in a C7 Stingray around an autox course and it was amazing. Great chassis.

[565]

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-comparison-tests/a29640493/2020-performance-car-of-the-year/

A lot of fluff in the writing.

Unfortunately the C8 didn't win.  Supposedly the preproduction gearbox sunk it, though GM says the production cars have a better gearbox now.  Scroll to the bottom for the winner.

Interesting are the lap times

1) Huracan Evo 1:20
2) Mclaren 600LT 1:20.42
3) C8 1:22.85
4) 911 Carrera S 1:23.08
5) GT-R Nismo 1:23.8
then the others

The C8 beats out the Carrera S, despite similar straight line speed and generally less lateral grip in prior testing.  Both beat the Nismo GT-R by a considerable margin which is surprising considering all the upgrades they made to this new Nismo.  Time has taken it's toll on the GT-R, and even with all these upgrades and a 200K+ price tag, it won't run close to the C8.

Which gives some perspective into performance cars of today.  The GT-R is a nice benchmark as it has been in production since the 2009 model year, and has been around nearly 12 years now.  When the old GT-R came out and offered the performance it did for 69K back then, it was a miracle car beating cars costing many times more.  The new Nismo is a vast improvement on the original with more power, grip, carbon brakes, etc, and yet now a C8 starting at 60K will beat the top dog GT-R.

Everyone says it, but it doesn't make it less true.  Forget whatever golden age of performance cars people were thinking of for decades past.  This is the golden age of performance.  Never has performance been so abundant, so affordable, or so accessible.

[Soup DeVille]

Did those hacks even test the Veloster N?

[GoCougs]

True, objective performance of new cars today is at levels utterly thought impossible just 10 years ago, but then again most cars these days are fairly terrible - turbos, infotainment, drive modes, fake exhaust sound, dearth of manual transmissions, etc.

[12,000 RPM]

Yea.... all that performance is definitely coming at the expense of character.  And much of it is beyond what's even useful on the street. Something that gets to 60 in the 3s but has a turbo 4 popper is not exciting to me.

[MX793]

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-comparison-tests/a29640493/2020-performance-car-of-the-year/

A lot of fluff in the writing.

Unfortunately the C8 didn't win.  Supposedly the preproduction gearbox sunk it, though GM says the production cars have a better gearbox now.  Scroll to the bottom for the winner.

Interesting are the lap times

1) Huracan Evo 1:20
2) Mclaren 600LT 1:20.42
3) C8 1:22.85
4) 911 Carrera S 1:23.08
5) GT-R Nismo 1:23.8
then the others

The C8 beats out the Carrera S, despite similar straight line speed and generally less lateral grip in prior testing.  Both beat the Nismo GT-R by a considerable margin which is surprising considering all the upgrades they made to this new Nismo.  Time has taken it's toll on the GT-R, and even with all these upgrades and a 200K+ price tag, it won't run close to the C8.

Which gives some perspective into performance cars of today.  The GT-R is a nice benchmark as it has been in production since the 2009 model year, and has been around nearly 12 years now.  When the old GT-R came out and offered the performance it did for 69K back then, it was a miracle car beating cars costing many times more.  The new Nismo is a vast improvement on the original with more power, grip, carbon brakes, etc, and yet now a C8 starting at 60K will beat the top dog GT-R.

Everyone says it, but it doesn't make it less true.  Forget whatever golden age of performance cars people were thinking of for decades past.  This is the golden age of performance.  Never has performance been so abundant, so affordable, or so accessible.

I posted this elsewhere, but the notion of complaining that an automated manual gearbox hit the rev limiter instead of automatically upshifting when in MANUAL mode is so preposterous that whomever at R&T filed that complaint should lose their enthusiast card and be relegated to testing minivans.  Not too long ago, auto journalists would have outright panned a car with any sort of automated gearbox that didn't let you ride the rev limiter when set in manual mode.

[AutobahnSHO]

Did those hacks even test the Veloster N?

[AutobahnSHO]

There's no better car for the reality of speed limits.

I greatly enjoy driving Miata hard, but it amuses me also that if I were to keep the accelerator to the floor in other cars I'd be going way too fast...

[Submariner]

Yea.... all that performance is definitely coming at the expense of character.  And much of it is beyond what's even useful on the street. Something that gets to 60 in the 3s but has a turbo 4 popper is not exciting to me.

I was just in LA visiting with my wife visiting her friend.  He gave us his CLS63 S to drive for the week we were there.  Except for late at night on a weekday on the PCH, using that much power on the street is just not possible.  Even on the PCH you have a split second at WOT before you have to slow back down because you're already going wayyyyyyyy too fast for that particular stretch of highway.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

https://youtu.be/nvTzcNtaSLU

[565]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/chevrolet-corvette-c8-2020-car-of-the-year

MT car of the year

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

https://www.motortrend.com/news/chevrolet-corvette-c8-2020-car-of-the-year

MT car of the year

I like how they explained the understeer issue!

[giant_mtb]

2020 COTY?  It's not even December 2019 yet.

[GoCougs]

11.1 @123 mph in the 1/4 mile? Jesus. Pretty much beats all the s/c American stuff except the ZR1 and Dodge Demon.