BREAKING NEWS!!!
The new C8 Corvette was just revealed for the first time, and it is a mid-engine monster!
Oh… I probably should have mentioned that this is really a surprise to only those who may have been hiding under a rock for the past year or so…
Now, I’m not trying to downplay what the new eighth generation Corvette is and will become. There is no doubt that it is a true supercar, it will technically be better than any other Corvette before it, and it will grab people’s attention for years to come.
But…
Something just doesn’t feel right with it.
On one hand, the sentiment following the new C8 is similar to the new Toyota Supra. That is, that past models have always been better. But that can be quickly and easily disputed as any major change in an iconic vehicle can bring about these feelings.
But, at least the Supra retains its rear-wheel drive layout with a front-mounted inline six cylinder engine. The Corvette will still be powered by a naturally-aspirated V8 engine, but the layout will be completely different.
I suppose that another good thing is that the Corvette wasn’t co-engineered with Audi or something… but I digress.
Anyway…
Despite many being skeptical of the new model, most will feel that way regardless of what vehicle it is. Indeed, the new C6 Corvette when it debuted, being the first generation without pop-up headlights, was met with much disgust by Corvette faithful.
Apart from the new design, the C8 Corvette is quite a car. It has made great strides in the past several years to improve itself and has succeeded. What once only used to be “the best we had to offer” in terms of a mass-produced supercar, has become a truly formidable competitor with the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, and even more exotic, um… exotics.
This new design will truly place the C8 on par with the competition. With a sub-three second 0-60 time, nearly 500 horsepower, and the styling to back it up, it has truly arrived ready to play the game.
The question is, “does it really just now need to be ready to play the game?”, whatever that game may be…
Since the 1960’s, it was debated whether or not the Corvette should be a mid-engined vehicle. At the time, GM didn’t want to spend the money necessary to develop the components or equipment to make the mid-engined Corvette a reality.
Now that the time is right, the demand is high enough, and the justification for this changes seemingly exists, we have a true Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Audi killer. And, I haven’t even mentioned the best part!
The pricing was announced to be starting at under $60,000!
That is still quite a bit of money for most people, but for mid-engined, sub-three second 0-60 mile per hour, 495 horsepower performance vehicle, that is truly one of the greatest value prospects of all time!
That is legitimately insane, awesome, incredible… you get the idea.
But, again… is it all necessary?
In short, no… it is not necessary.
I do believe that a sub $60,000 price tag trumps just about every other shortcoming the new Vette might have, but that doesn’t mean that literally everything needs to change to make that happen.
I have to admit that the first time I saw the Corvette revealed, my initial thought was something like the following: “Oh, that kind of looks like a Ferrari.”
Depending on how you interpret that, it could be taken as a good thing or a bad thing. I have to say that I didn’t necessarily think it was a good thing.
The Corvette has been its own distinct vehicle for years now and hasn’t had to imitate anything to make it great.
To be fair, I don’t believe it is trying to imitate any specific competitor per se, but I do believe that this redesign has taken it one step closer to what Subaru has become over the past couple years – a once completely unique vehicle manufacturer who has tried too hard to become what its competitors have become.
All this being said, I believe the C8 will be a great Corvette. I believe that it will be better than the previous generation. I believe that it will come with the new car criticisms not unique to any newly-redesigned vehicle. I believe that the most complaints will be related to the super-weird interior button layout and the lack of oval rear taillights.
I don’t believe the Corvette has gained any sort of ground in making the C8 what it is.
From a performance standpoint, it’s great. Truth be told, though… there are a lot of Corvette buyers who don’t buy the car for the sheer performance. They buy it because of its history and special place in their lives from years past.
The question of whether this redesign needs to happen will be debated and proven through its future buyers. If people can truly buy the Corvette for under $60,000 – which won’t really happen realistically – the new C8 may prove to be the perfect move for GM.
At the end of the day, I think the Corvette was great how it was before. It has been proven to improve every year until now. Improvements can always be made to the current platform and design. So, why would a good recipe be changed when it was never broken before?
Only time will tell, of course.
For now, I have to say that the C8’s potential is staggering, but if the whole thing fails to attract both old and new buyers, I won’t be surprised.
