MR Corvette C8 - General Discussion

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Eunos_Cosmo
It's actually not as bad as I thought it might be. Is it still going to start around $60k? That's a lot of exoticness for $60k.
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KBB has it predicted to be around Sixty. I don't know how it's a lot less, what exactly do you need that this car isn't offering? It's predicted that it will be in the ball park of 500 for the base as well which is pretty good if true. Interior looks okay but somewhat cluttered, I'm guess that instead of getting a mid engine car with tons of leather and alcantara you get what GM is offering... Which isn't that big of a deal for what you do get. Then again this has always been the slight toward every newly release Vette. It's almost like people have Clarkson on b roll in the back of their mind when reviewing a Vette.

FoRiZon
Wish this is a spinoff Corvette rather than actual sequel of the Corvette.

Like a "DP1" instead of "C8".
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I'm sure there is a reddit group you can find that is already set up that wishes the same thing.
 
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I don't know what to think. I feel these pictures are really playing games with the proportions. For instance, that upper potion of the side vent looks like it sticks out in the front picture, but in the top down and rear pictures, you can see how it actually flows downward and with the body. The front grille looks gaping. The top down & rear pictures however, also make the car appear longer than it needs to be and gives the design a stretched out look past the cockpit. There's certain things I would have to see with the car to show off how it really looks in size and stature. But, at the same time, this car does carry over some C7 cues so you can visually see their linkage. You can see the Corvette in it from every angle, maybe apart from a direct rear shot.

The only things I really am unsure of is the odd upper shape of the steering wheel, the row of buttons which does not look visually pleasing imo, and those wheels with the blade-ish style spokes and the designer giving them angled shape into the center.

This is a bold, bold move for GM and I haven't decided to see what the Corvette forums are thinking. This car could be a performance masterpiece for them, but the looks and heritage of the Corvette's platform are huge selling points. I really did not think they would dump the FR body but since they have, I'm now wondering where GM's pricing point is going to start. I think I recalled the last 3 generations have only increased in MSRP slightly from one-to-another. The C7 is sitting at $55,900. If they can retain this car under $65,000, I think many will forgive the change in platform for an exotic looking, mid-engine sports car that still retains 1 of the Corvette's biggest attributes; bang for the buck.
 
TS050
Honestly, what you're saying makes even less sense considering the car in your avatar aged like milk
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Hey now...

Camembert.jpg


:grumpy:
 
McLaren
I don't know what to think. I feel these pictures are really playing games with the proportions. For instance, that upper potion of the side vent looks like it sticks out in the front picture, but in the top down and rear pictures, you can see how it actually flows downward and with the body. The front grille looks gaping. The top down & rear pictures however, also make the car appear longer than it needs to be and gives the design a stretched out look past the cockpit. There's certain things I would have to see with the car to show off how it really looks in size and stature. But, at the same time, this car does carry over some C7 cues so you can visually see their linkage. You can see the Corvette in it from every angle, maybe apart from a direct rear shot.

The only things I really am unsure of is the odd upper shape of the steering wheel, the row of buttons which does not look visually pleasing imo, and those wheels with the blade-ish style spokes and the designer giving them angled shape into the center.

This is a bold, bold move for GM and I haven't decided to see what the Corvette forums are thinking. This car could be a performance masterpiece for them, but the looks and heritage of the Corvette's platform are huge selling points. I really did not think they would dump the FR body but since they have, I'm now wondering where GM's pricing point is going to start. I think I recalled the last 3 generations have only increased in MSRP slightly from one-to-another. The C7 is sitting at $55,900. If they can retain this car under $65,000, I think many will forgive the change in platform for an exotic looking, mid-engine sports car that still retains 1 of the Corvette's biggest attributes; bang for the buck.
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Yeah the direct overhead rear shot reminds me of the last two gens but with the long rear of the C5, the 3/4ths rear is a Camaro
 
I'm bored by it. I don't find it original nor do I find it good looking, as it’s just not a cohesive design to start with. Almost like someone grafted a C6 nose onto the Cien and exaggerated the side vent. Mainly, it bores me because the C8 simply fails to differentiate itself enough from other mainstream supercars to be exciting; GM tried too hard to emulate the look of modern Ferraris as well as the new NSX rather than truly making it look unique.

The Corvette has had 67 years as a front-engine, rear-drive sports car. It’s GM’s 911. While I’ve been frustrated with GM’s design risk-aversion with the C5, C6, and C7 (to a lesser extent), this C8 isn’t the right solution. If they were going to go mid-engine, they needed the C8 to move the supercar design game forward. What they managed instead was to make a car that looks to me like a discount Ferrari/NSX with a few Corvette styling cues tacked onto it. The front end is the worst aspect of this car, and I'd even go as far as saying it looks rather ugly. They should have taken advantage of the mid engine packaging and made it lower and sleeker. In essence, the new Vette just screams generic 2010s supercar.

I hope it looks better in person...
 
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GranTurNismo
I'm bored by it. I don't find it original nor do I find it good looking, as it’s just not a cohesive design to start with. Almost like someone grafted a C6 nose onto the Cien and exaggerated the side vent. Mainly, it bores me because the C8 simply fails to differentiate itself enough from other mainstream supercars to be exciting; GM tried too hard to emulate the look of the Ferrari 488 as well as the new NSX rather than truly making it look unique.

The Corvette has had 67 years as a front-engine, rear-drive sports car. It’s GM’s 911. While I’ve been frustrated with GM’s design risk-aversion with the C5, C6, and C7 (to a lesser extent), this C8 isn’t the right solution. If they were going to go mid-engine, they needed the C8 to move the supercar design game forward. What they managed instead was to make a car that looks to me like a discount Ferrari/NSX with a few Corvette styling cues tacked onto it. The front end is the worst aspect of this car, and I'd even go as far as saying it looks rather ugly. They should have taken advantage of the mid engine packaging and made it lower and sleeker. In essence, the new Vette just screams generic 2010s supercar.

I hope it looks better in person...
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They didn't at all try to emulate the 488, and I don't really see how you see this in the front end as well



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I'm not seeing this either

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What I see is a Corvette Mid engine car, the early renders we've been fed before the official release looked like the NSX/Ferrari knock off you claim this looks like. I don't really know what people exactly expect to see that is so ground breaking yet still epitomizes the idea of it being a Corvette, while retaining enough of a base to build on for the future performance models.

It's confusing how a new car looks like two GM cars put together, yet some how looks like a revived Japanese mid engine super car and a modern Italian mid engine super car...

SecretAgentZero
The pre-show's reminding me that the Corvette Indy was wonderfully '90s in all the best ways.
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How can a car that was made in 85 be wonderfully the 90s? Buick Wildcat is probably worse, though I'd say it and the Indy led to the Chevy California concept that ended up being the gen 4 Camaro.
 
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GranTurNismo
Maybe not the 488 particularly, but modern Ferrari designs in general.
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Only somewhat comparable car is perhaps the 430 but even then it's quite a leap. Again (since I just edited the post) I find this strange and confusing:

LMSCorvetteGT2
It's confusing how a new car looks like two GM cars put together, yet some how looks like a revived Japanese mid engine super car and a modern Italian mid engine super car...
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GranTurNismo
I'm bored by it. I don't find it original nor do I find it good looking, as it’s just not a cohesive design to start with. Almost like someone grafted a C6 nose onto the Cien and exaggerated the side vent. Mainly, it bores me because the C8 simply fails to differentiate itself enough from other mainstream supercars to be exciting; GM tried too hard to emulate the look of the Ferrari 488 as well as the new NSX rather than truly making it look unique.

The Corvette has had 67 years as a front-engine, rear-drive sports car. It’s GM’s 911. While I’ve been frustrated with GM’s design risk-aversion with the C5, C6, and C7 (to a lesser extent), this C8 isn’t the right solution. If they were going to go mid-engine, they needed the C8 to move the supercar design game forward. What they managed instead was to make a car that looks to me like a discount Ferrari/NSX with a few Corvette styling cues tacked onto it. The front end is the worst aspect of this car, and I'd even go as far as saying it looks rather ugly. They should have taken advantage of the mid engine packaging and made it lower and sleeker. In essence, the new Vette just screams generic 2010s supercar.

I hope it looks better in person...
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I think you're onto something. I don't believe it's a discount Ferrari/NSX, but more so that GM is releasing a radically new vision of the Corvette in a mid-engine sports car during a time that we are also seeing other, very striking mid-engine sports cars that are all visually different from each other, yet somewhat connected by their Mid-Engine platforms; the Ferrari F8 & SP90, the NSX (oldish, but still fairly recent), the Vanquish Concept, the Pininfarina Battista, the McLaren GT, and just recently, the Lotus Evija. I'm sure there's a couple more from start up companies as well out there.

I think the point you have touched on is that the C8's design doesn't look particularly pleasing when viewed next to the big taste of other mid-engine sports cars that we have been shown in the last few months. Granted there are legitimate reasons for that whether its costs, necessary Corvette details, etc. But just focusing on it from a purely design stand point as another all-new Mid-Engine Sports Car, it is not what I'd call ugly, just lacking a lot in the finesse the higher streamed manufacturers have created which is why some may view it as a "knock off".
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
Only somewhat comparable car is perhaps the 430 but even then it's quite a leap. Again (since I just edited the post) I find this strange and confusing:
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What I'm saying is, the overall shape of the C8 resembles that of the NSX and modern Ferraris (and the Cien, strictly from the side profile), with a few details tacked on simply to make it look more like a Corvette. Hope this helps.

I'd like to add that, a reason why many of us seem underwhelmed by the C8 is because once we uncovered that it would be MR, we set the bar much higher, higher than we did for the C6 and C7. Though it's performance seems very promising, we were hoping for a sleeker, more cohesive, and more modern design as a result of it being MR. It isn't truly awful, but it's certainly not enough to "wow" me either.
 
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McLaren
I think you're onto something. I don't believe it's a discount Ferrari/NSX, but more so that GM is releasing a radically new vision of the Corvette in a mid-engine sports car during a time that we are also seeing other, very striking mid-engine sports cars that are all visually different from each other, yet somewhat connected by their Mid-Engine platforms; the Ferrari F8 & SP90, the NSX (oldish, but still fairly recent), the Vanquish Concept, the Pininfarina Battista, the McLaren GT, and just recently, the Lotus Evija. I'm sure there's a couple more from start up companies as well out there.

I think the point you have touched on is that the C8's design doesn't look particularly pleasing when viewed next to the big taste of other mid-engine sports cars that we have been shown in the last few months. Granted there are legitimate reasons for that whether its costs, necessary Corvette details, etc. But just focusing on it from a purely design stand point as another all-new Mid-Engine Sports Car, it is not what I'd call ugly, just lacking a lot in the finesse the higher streamed manufacturers have created which is why some may view it as a "knock off".
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I think they have to go here though. They needed to elevate the corvette to supercar status in order to give the camaro some breathing room. Ford has the Mustang and the GT. Chevy needs the Camaro to work the mustang segment and the vette to work the GT segment. Meanwhile dodge has the viper and the... uh... the challenger?
 
Danoff
I think they have to go here though. They needed to elevate the corvette to supercar status in order to give the camaro some breathing room. Ford has the Mustang and the GT. Chevy needs the Camaro to work the mustang segment and the vette to work the GT segment. Meanwhile dodge has the viper and the... uh... the challenger?
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Dodge doesn't even have the Viper anymore, it's been out of production for 3 years. I guess Dodge has the Challenger and... an even faster Challenger.
 
GranTurNismo
What I'm saying is, the overall shape of the C8 resembles that of the NSX and modern Ferraris (and the Cien, strictly from the side profile), with a few details tacked on simply to make it look more like a Corvette. Hope this helps.

I'd like to add that, a reason why many of us seem underwhelmed by the C8 is because once we uncovered that it would be MR, we set the bar much higher, higher than we did for the C6 and C7. Though it's performance seems very promising, we were hoping for a sleeker, more cohesive, and more modern design as a result of it being MR. It isn't truly awful, but it's certainly not enough to "wow" me either.
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Yes but as McLaren said this is an inherent problem with the mid engine design concept in modern form. There is only so much you can do with in a certain R&D budget while also adhering to the other aspects of making the car work beyond the looks. I think the biggest let down is the stupid button strip in the interior and the interior being a bit cluttered. For a car that is suppose to be the first production mid engine car from Chevy...this is a pretty good starting point.
 
Danoff
I think they have to go here though. They needed to elevate the corvette to supercar status in order to give the camaro some breathing room. Ford has the Mustang and the GT. Chevy needs the Camaro to work the mustang segment and the vette to work the GT segment. Meanwhile dodge has the viper and the... uh... the challenger?
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But why? Again I don't think Chevy is doing this for a pure marketing/sales bracket ploy. Let me lay out more so the reasons, rather than repeat something that perhaps people who don't follow the racing team and racing series might not understand. One the Camaro has long been said to need beating room to differentiate itself from the Corvette. However, every gen it has existed it has done so along side a equal layout Vette, that is more closer to sports car territory than the pony sports car Camaro. So why now when the Camaro is supposedly slated to be killed off would they give it space?

Then there is the reality of the racing world, it's no secret that every iteration of the Corvette to see racing at LM has done so while being built along side their respective road going variants. Same with this model, but this model seems to center more so around that concept of racing than the previous ones. For instance this Corvette finally adopts paddle shift that have long been run in the race car. Most if not all the competition has switched to mid engine (even Porsche) and yet before the next LM and new IMSA season GM/Chevy has finally done this. The restrictions and benefits of turbo charging over the last couple years have seen almost all the competitors aside from Porsche adopt the twin turbo set up. Chevy is also adopting this and from the spy videos of the C8r testing, the engine sounds similar to competitors of V8 tt setups. It is known that Chevy plan to go this route anyways with this car. Along with other rules and the engine size they've opted for it all falls in line with a racing rule book and not a marketing one.

Sure they can obviously play to the market with it, but none of what they've done with this car indicate they needed to do this. Especially at the risk of driving away part of their long time core and return buyer fan base.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
But why? Again I don't think Chevy is doing this for a pure marketing/sales bracket ploy. Let me lay out more so the reasons, rather than repeat something that perhaps people who don't follow the racing team and racing series might not understand. One the Camaro has long been said to need beating room to differentiate itself from the Corvette. However, every gen it has existed it has done so along side a equal layout Vette, that is more closer to sports car territory than the pony sports car Camaro. So why now when the Camaro is supposedly slated to be killed off would they give it space?

Then there is the reality of the racing world, it's no secret that every iteration of the Corvette to see racing at LM has done so while being built along side their respective road going variants. Same with this model, but this model seems to center more so around that concept of racing than the previous ones. For instance this Corvette finally adopts paddle shift that have long been run in the race car. Most if not all the competition has switched to mid engine (even Porsche) and yet before the next LM and new IMSA season GM/Chevy has finally done this. The restrictions and benefits of turbo charging over the last couple years have seen almost all the competitors aside from Porsche adopt the twin turbo set up. Chevy is also adopting this and from the spy videos of the C8r testing, the engine sounds similar to competitors of V8 tt setups. It is known that Chevy plan to go this route anyways with this car. Along with other rules and the engine size they've opted for it all falls in line with a racing rule book and not a marketing one.

Sure they can obviously play to the market with it, but none of what they've done with this car indicate they needed to do this. Especially at the risk of driving away part of their long time core and return buyer fan base.
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I'm going to come back at you with a much more pathetically unsophisticated line of reasoning... the exotic car market is big right now, and is stretching into obscene price ranges. If Chevy is going to get a taste, they need to expand their portfolio to a bigger range of asking prices. They needed something in the 100s of thousands (which the corvette can now sustain). And they'll need a hypercar that can fetch above that too.
 
Watching the live reveal & seeing it in relation to people, that rear design is the only thing I don't really like on the exterior.
corvette.png

@ProjectWHaT's picture above details my dislike. Going from the rear door line towards the back, it does look long, mainly due to the amount of space between the spoiler and the rear glass (it looks like you could maybe fit another V8 in that space)*. And the carbon on those side vents, the roof tapering inwards by the engine, and curves leading outward from the spoiler points, all accent the hips to look flared out. That angle is not flattering for the design imo and gives off a mismatch of the front and rear.

*I can only assume there is so much space because GM is retaining trunk space back there.
 
Danoff
I'm going to come back at you with a much more pathetically unsophisticated line of reasoning... the exotic car market is big right now, and is stretching into obscene price ranges. If Chevy is going to get a taste, they need to expand their portfolio to a bigger range of asking prices. They needed something in the 100s of thousands (which the corvette can now sustain). And they'll need a hypercar that can fetch above that too.
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Which is fine that's the PR they can swing and probably did swing to get this green lit. I just think that there are more pivotal benefits to it, sure at the end of the day they need to make sure they can sell the car, but there are other ways to potentially do that, without (again) making some of their core audience angry. I believe that the final iteration of performance this car hits (supposedly close to 1000 hp) will be a 200k or more Vette and it will sale. Hopefully that happens before the market bottoms out, which at this point doesn't seem close to bottoming out.
 

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