Gonzo

So, buy before the plant closes, hoping to get a great deal, and risking missing out on a possible 10 transmission, better paint or the choice of seeing the mid-engine Corvette before choosing the GS.

Or buy now, and get a great deal?


Have I missed other benefits of one of the choices ?

Opinions welcome

drobbins

miss out on a season of great driving?

rmorin1249

Tough decision. If money is s primary factor, buy NOW! Otherwise, ????

dvilin

At worst you will miss out on a bit of driving a new C7. On the other hand you could find yourself saying I should have waited if you buy now and the boys at GM bring some new excitement in the form of style, power, etc.
Tough choice if money is not an issue and you are driving a Vette now, I would wait.

mpuzach

Unlike past years, we're not likely to know anything concrete about the new models until after 2017 ordering is closed. I fully expect that we'll have the scoop on 2018 Stingrays / Grand Sports / Z06s at the museum bash in late April (which is after the 2017 order cut-off date). As for info on other things that many here are speculating on (mid engine car, ZR1), it's anyone's guess if / when GM will announce anything official. They're typically tight-lipped about future products.

jschindler

The answer is simple supply and demand. He asked about a deal. If supply becomes limited prices will go up....assuming of course that demand stays steady. BUT, supply may go up before it goes down if dealers load up before the plant closes. My guess is that deals are best now and then again toward the end of the year.

Snowwolfe

Wait for the new model Then guess what, another new model comes out or a new option is offered. But wait till 2019 for the newest model. Better still wait till the 2020 model comes out and look for a deal on a 2019. But then if you wait till 2021 there might be a horsepower increase!!!

Even if you buy the most current latest and greatest in a year or less it will be and old model. Buy now and enjoy it. If you want something new then sell that model or trade it in.

I gave up trying to forecast good or bad deals. But IMO prices are really inexpensive right now. I just paid $5,800 more for a C7 base coupe than I paid in 2001 for my 2001 coupe.

Snowwolfe

But then again, if dealers load up on 2017's and 2018 brings significant changes maybe the over inventory sits because everyone is hanging out for a 2018.
It simply never seems to end

Gonzo

I should have said, my original plan was to order in the fall. I was toying with the idea of trying to push up my original plan to capitalize on savings. Financially, the fall or even the winter would be wise time $$$ wise for me. I just would also like museum delivery and a plant tour........I feel I may be waiting a little longer than I wanted to or planned to......

JC 2004

^^^

From what you've said I would wait. Coming from the car business, there will always be deals. And as mentioned it will be proportional to supply and any significant changes in the model. As seen in 2016 model year with the cooling revamp of the 2017 Z06 and addition of the GS to the line-up. Usually sports cars see a push in cold months/regions.

You mentioned the automatic trans... since no major changes were made to the A8 in the 17 model year to the cooling issues seen on the track and waiting is better for you financially I think you have your answer. You will still have plenty of automatic 17's around and will have 18's inbound or on the ground at the same time.

The museum delivery throws a little wrinkle in, but others here can speak to that as far as being able to negotiate. And if temps a below recommended levels for the tires there is the concern of cracking but I'm sure the museum would give you the proper advice.

Your in Atlanta so you can drive like I do when the weather gets warm enough for the tires even in the winter months.

Good luck!

thill444

I say wait to see what the 18's offer. The C7 is in it's fourth model year and the demand will continue to stay level (or reduce) until a refresh or new model comes out so I don't see Chevy stopping with good deals. I am sure some dealers will try to push you to buy one right now but waiting will probably be the smart move in the long run.

LimeRay

Find the right car/deal now and enjoy the car. Stay away from the A8 and never look back. This car is awesome.

MThomas

Buy now and enjoy!! Tomorrow is never guaranteed.

joemessman

I don't know what you are currently driving, but if it is a C7 wait until you know what is coming out. As far as me, I am buying a new Z06 fairly soon. I am moving to AZ and in Oregon I can buy now and not pay a sales tax. But I have a Stingray and that is a significant upgrade horsepower wise to the Z06. I'm a horsepowerholic. I know for a fact I will be very satisfied with the Z06 regardless of what is coming out. But like I stated, I don't know your particular situation.
Your frame of mind is everything on this decision and since you are asking the question you should probably wait.

NEET C6

In my opinion there will be a refresh for the 2018 Corvette and that is why I'm waiting. The long shut down leads me to believe that something is up. For me, I would like to see the following for the GS for me to jump in.

500 HP NA
10A trans.
New paint shop w/ better paint jobs and expanded color choices.

The icing on the cake for me would be reworked front body panels to remove the fender spats and increase the air flow with new grill area. My speculation is that the new panels would be a result of the expanded production at Continental Structural Plastics in Huntington Indiana which goes on line later this year. The Corvette line up for 2018 could be exciting. Let's hope so....Regards, NEET C6

Snowwolfe

The more exciting the line up the less discounts that will be offered by the dealers and GM. Newer and faster almost always comes with a premium price.
Every year usually brings changes for the better. Takes deep pockets to stay on top.

I bought my 2013 GS after the C7 came out and had no regrets. If the op is like me I don't have a ton of cash to spend on a sports car. It's a stretch to buy one so we have to shop carefully

obxchartercaptain

Dealers who loaded up on 2012 & 2013 KNOWING the C7 was coming got ALLOCATION....and with a New Model ALLOCATION is everything. Most dealers NOW understand that and have a HUGE supply of 16's and 17's on the lot with HUGE discounts. My answer to your inquiry is to BUY NOW.

MAKC7

Always remember, no one can promise you tomorrow, no one. Enjoy your dreams today.

mschuyler

Assuming all things being equal, with the plant shutting down for an extended period, we know for sure that the supply will go down. That usually puts upward pressure on prices. Right now there's a bit of an over supply, therefore prices for in-stock vettes are fairly good and even prices for ordered vettes get good deals. But as the supply dries up, more buyers will be chasing fewer cars with fewer choices.

Now, if the factory comes out with something new and special, that will also drive prices up. And since it will take awhile to fill up the depleted pipeline, there's no reason to suppose we'll see the same kind of pricing next year that we do today. So unless you are anticipating something new, fancy, and expensive that you can't live without, today would be a good time to buy.

About New Paint: Didn't the factory proclaim they would be phasing in the new shop a color at a time? How does that work if they aren't building any cars? Did they plan this shutdown all of a sudden or has that been their plan all along?

thill444

There is already less demand though than previous years (yearly decrease in sales consistently since 2014). Just looking at the month of January data since 2014:
2014: 2261 cars sold
2015: 2127 cars sold
2016: 1501 cars sold
2017: 1263 cars sold

Just January data but this trend is consistent across all months when you compare across years. Nothing special here this is consistent with almost every vehicle in the segment as the model cycle starts to age.

Chevy has done a good job keeping sales relatively strong by leveraging incentives. Even with the plant closure they should have sufficient stock for several months at current prices/incentives. If they take away incentives and charge closer to MSRP it will slow down demand even more.

Now where someone might have to pay more is for certain color/option combos. But I seriously doubt the plant closure will cause a big increase in prices based on sales numbers and the used market which also has a healthy number of low mileage Vettes for well below MSRP. Used prices are definitely down because of the supply and the incentives.