Discussion The Corvette C8

[KentState]

Also, while I appreciate how powerful the engine is, aren't turbos more or less standard in modern cars?

It's mostly European cars that are penalized for having large displacement engines so they slap a turbo on something smaller. If you look at all of the turbo 6 cylinders out there, which ones produce 495hp and 475lb/ft torque and weight less, take up less space and allow for a lower center of gravity than the LT2? While the displacement number seems huge, if you saw a LTx engine in person, they look tiny compared to many DOHC/turbo V6 or I6 engines.

 

[Tormac]

My Elise begs to differ
But there the real issue is that cooling happens at the front of the car, so hot water circulates around the aluminium bathtub in which you're sitting.
But yes, engine heat in the cockpit is certainly an issue

But I expect that all modern cars, with their tons of NVH/thermal insulation will be very much different to a car that spiritually comes straight from the early 70s...

Hi _Rick_,

I have had MR-2's and then an Elise myself.

I must have been very luck in my Elise. It drove it for ten years, with almost no trouble. No noticeable increase in the heat, no leak in the windows, or any issues with the little under engineered connectors that Lotus loved to use.

But that might be that I was lucky with the blokes that put mine together. When working on your Elsie, did you find the workers had signed things, or had turned two random rivets into a smiley face? I loved to find weird little Easter Eggs in my Elise while I worked on it.

But I never noticed the cabin of either of my old MR-2's or the Elsie was noticeably hotter than the front engine cars that I have owned.

 

[Elfear]

I'm kind of concerned about the cup holders. Will the top of the SuperPiggyGulp press against the button rail?

Also, while I appreciate how powerful the engine is, aren't turbos more or less standard in modern cars?

To add to what Kentstate said, the efficiency gains aren't really all that great moving to a smaller turbocharged engine. If you take the 2018 Ford F-150 as an example, the 3.5L EcoBoost engine makes 375hp/470ft-lbs and the 5.0L V8 makes 395hp/400ft-lbs but the difference in gas mileage is rather minuscule (~16.7mpg for the 3.5L and ~16.1mpg for the 5.0L). Even the 2.7L EcoBoost only gets 17.8mpg with 325hp/400ft-lbs. So an argument can be made for better fuel mileage, the difference just isn't that big (the great low-end torque is a better argument for turbos IMO).

On that note, there are strong rumors that some future version of the C8 will get a twin-turbo V8 with upwards of 800-1000hp so you'll get your wish.

 

[AdamK47]

A compilation of the C8 feature videos.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Video of Jay Leno taking a first look at the Vette.

 

[zinfamous]

Great looking car....hood still seems rather large for a mid-engine--or maybe it's just that vast and empty console space on the interior (seriously--why is that there?) that makes it look bigger than it is. One would expect driver position to be further forward with this design, but it doesn't look that way because of whatever is going on in that cabin.

needs a supercharger option or bi-turbo

I was also hoping to see regenerative braking on this car. I want that to be the new standard option from previous fancy origins (like power steering and the like)

 

[zinfamous]

Video of Jay Leno taking a first look at the Vette.

wow, Leno actually bathed and dressed up for an event!

 

[herm0016]

To add to what Kentstate said, the efficiency gains aren't really all that great moving to a smaller turbocharged engine. If you take the 2018 Ford F-150 as an example, the 3.5L EcoBoost engine makes 375hp/470ft-lbs and the 5.0L V8 makes 395hp/400ft-lbs but the difference in gas mileage is rather minuscule (~16.7mpg for the 3.5L and ~16.1mpg for the 5.0L). Even the 2.7L EcoBoost only gets 17.8mpg with 325hp/400ft-lbs. So an argument can be made for better fuel mileage, the difference just isn't that big (the great low-end torque is a better argument for turbos IMO).

On that note, there are strong rumors that some future version of the C8 will get a twin-turbo V8 with upwards of 800-1000hp so you'll get your wish.

OT: thats terrible. i get about 18.5 with my 5.3 v8 at somewhere around 390 hp in a 4 door 6.5 box. heavier than the most common configurations, and has a cap on it. wmmv with conditions of course, but we are at 5000 feet, drive to the mountains regularly and that is my avg over about 30k miles.

 

[Puffnstuff]

OT: thats terrible. i get about 18.5 with my 5.3 v8 at somewhere around 390 hp in a 4 door 6.5 box. heavier than the most common configurations, and has a cap on it. wmmv with conditions of course, but we are at 5000 feet, drive to the mountains regularly and that is my avg over about 30k miles.

That's interesting as my 2wd 5.3 extended cab only got 16 with a 3.42 rear end on flat FL highways.

 

[herm0016]

That's interesting as my 2wd 5.3 extended cab only got 16 with a 3.42 rear end on flat FL highways.

this is a my 15, the DI aluminum 5.3. my 09 non flex fuel cast iron 5.3 got more like 16/17

 

[IronWing]

It's amazing how far truck engines have come in terms of fuel mileage. My 1976 Suburban only got 13.5 mpg. That's a 2.5 mpg boost in only 43 short years!

 

[Puffnstuff]

this is a my 15, the DI aluminum 5.3. my 09 non flex fuel cast iron 5.3 got more like 16/17

DI is probably the reason then.

 

[Midwayman]

To add to what Kentstate said, the efficiency gains aren't really all that great moving to a smaller turbocharged engine. If you take the 2018 Ford F-150 as an example, the 3.5L EcoBoost engine makes 375hp/470ft-lbs and the 5.0L V8 makes 395hp/400ft-lbs but the difference in gas mileage is rather minuscule (~16.7mpg for the 3.5L and ~16.1mpg for the 5.0L). Even the 2.7L EcoBoost only gets 17.8mpg with 325hp/400ft-lbs. So an argument can be made for better fuel mileage, the difference just isn't that big (the great low-end torque is a better argument for turbos IMO).

On that note, there are strong rumors that some future version of the C8 will get a twin-turbo V8 with upwards of 800-1000hp so you'll get your wish.

I think turbos are great if you live at any significant altitude. That's not everyone, but if I lived in Denver or something I'd only consider turbo cars.

 

[KentState]

Here's the official pricing:

https://www.chevrolet.com/content/d...rmance/zerv-reveal/02-pdfs/C8_Pricing_PDF.pdf

Not really that much more than the outgoing C7 when you consider that the DCT is included in the pricing, while the auto was an option before.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Talking to my mom yesterday and apparently she is going to get one of these. She's kicking the XKR out of the garage.

 

[MixMasterTang]

Here's the official pricing:

https://www.chevrolet.com/content/d...rmance/zerv-reveal/02-pdfs/C8_Pricing_PDF.pdf

Not really that much more than the outgoing C7 when you consider that the DCT is included in the pricing, while the auto was an option before.

This option at $590 made me laugh: Non-Recommended Color Combination Override

 

[KentState]

This option at $590 made me laugh: Non-Recommended Color Combination Override

I've seen some ketchup and mustard looking creations on the C7 where someone actually paid the option.

 

[kn51]

Ha, I missed that. I wonder what combos they consider besides the Ronald McDonald one.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Why say 'official pricing' when a) it is suggested, b) most likely no one will get it at that price, and c) Chevy is already saying the $60K unit are almost sold out.

 

[KentState]

Why say 'official pricing' when a) it is suggested, b) most likely no one will get it at that price, and c) Chevy is already saying the $60K unit are almost sold out.

Why make a ton of assumptions and post just to be contrary?

1. Dealers are offering MSRP pricing so to suggest that not one will get that is being hyperbolic for the sake of it.
2. What does that have to do in the context of a pricing sheet?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Back when Pontiac came out with the Solstice the damned afforded dealerships to markup the car $3-4K. people complained to GM about this as it meant even with supply they car was being artificially inflated by more than 10%. GM response was to come out with the Saturn Skyline and people thought 'great, no more dealership inflated price tags' but then the Skyline came out $3K higher in price.

That is the GM way. Also, GM was the one two weeks ago, maybe three, saying that they were almost out of stock of the baseline car ($60K), so try after that announcement getting one for $60K was going to be quite questionable. How are these real world facts being contrary?

And I am not suggesting the GM was alone in this aspect. I remember when BMS and Mercedes got into a pissing price war that resulted in cars like the 318ti as a product you could get for under $30K, at the time. BMW limited supplies, which drove up dealership pricing while Mercedes just over-equipped their offering making it a $35K car.

And I guess I can do the obvious and go to a couple of Chevy dealerships this weekend and see if they will sell me a $60K C8 for $60K but past history speaks for itself.

 

[Viper GTS]

Kerbeck and MacMulkin will happily take your order at MSRP. You'll have hundreds of deliveries ahead of you, but you will get it at MSRP.

Small local dealers who sell only a few Corvettes a year are not the way to go for the early days of something with this much hype, they'll rightfully view it as a major profit opportunity.

This is not uniquely a GM thing, I had the same issue when I bought my Focus RS. Too many dealers would not budge on their ADM demands. They did not sell me a car.

Viper GTS

 

[JulesMaximus]

Why make a ton of assumptions and post just to be contrary?

1. Dealers are offering MSRP pricing so to suggest that not one will get that is being hyperbolic for the sake of it.
2. What does that have to do in the context of a pricing sheet?

I've also heard there will be markups and I would bet that Chevrolet will not be manufacturing many, if any, of the stripped down $60k models in the first year or two of production.

Potential Customer: Hello, I'd like to buy a $60k C8 Corvette.
Dealer: Sorry, we only have two of the top of the line models available or on order. You'll have to pay full price for them.

A friend of mine was looking at a new C7 with his wife then they first came out and the dealer wouldn't even let them test drive one without making a commitment to buy it after the test drive. They drove up in a new BMW 8-series convertible, a car that costs over $100k and the dealer was yanking them around with ridiculous requirements just to get a test drive. They ended up walking away.

 

[kn51]

So do dealers let you test drive a 90K pickup truck? Honest question.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Are you asking that in reaction to what Jules stated? If so that's abnormal because of their intentions at the time for that vehicle. You can test drive damn near anything in normal circumstances. You may need to schedule a test drive but you could still do it. If you trying this on 100k plus vehicles then the dealership may question you a bit before hand. But then again, I've done it a few times now and no one gave me a hard time. It's much more difficult to test drive something like a new motorcycle then it would be a 100k sports car.