Top Reasons Z06 will be well under $90k
 

1. Pricing the Z06 at $100k leaves open a $40,000 window of opportunity for the Z51 aftermarket.

2. When people see prices above $75,000 they are thinking Mercedes and Porsche, not Chevrolet.

3. A $90,000 car is not one that Chevy can sell a lot of. Look at the ZR1 sales figures compared to the C6 Z06.

4. There is no possible way that the Z06 could cost GM $30,000 more than a Z51, even with Supercharger, DCT, and liberal use of carbon fiber (which is already in use in the Z51), a material that GM can now source for far cheaper than it could even 5 years ago. These are not exotic components.

5. A 911 Carrera S and Nissan GT-R both have base prices right around $100,000. The number of people who would spend that kind of money on a Corvette than either of those cars is excruciatingly small.

6. The Corvette is the working man's car. GM wants this vehicle accessible to people who aren't millionaires.

7. The base price of the standard Corvette went up a whopping $2000 from 2013 to 2014 when there was clearly a ton of new technology built into the 2014 car. Why would the Z06 be any different?

As I have said before in other threads, I would bet real money this car will be priced right around $78k and might be optioned up to $90k for the full leather treatment. As is typical with GM, the car will within 6 months be sold for chunks off MSRP and by winter 2015 they will be sitting on lots and dealers will be begging you to come take them off their hands. Used ones will be had for the $60k range with low LOW miles and that is when the smart money will come grab one up.

It will be really close the c6 z06 in starting price. All you have to look at is the new stingray pricing starting at 52k.

The OP actually makes a lot of really good points. I was just thinking today that if they put the base price at around $90k(which might still be too low according to some of the speculation here), is it really going to be worth an extra $40k over a Z51? If the 620hp number is true, you'll easily be able to surpass that by slapping a supercharger on a Z51 at the cost of $6-9k and get upwards of 700hp by doing so. I realize there will be other improvements like bigger tires/wheels, more aggressive body, etc., but I just don't know if a $40k premium over a Z51 makes sense anymore. The Z06/ZR1 were huge upgrades over the base C6, but I think the C7 is already so good that it's going to be a tougher sell for the new Z06 at much higher price point.

Having said all of that, I can't wait to see the unveiling and I'm pretty sure it's going to be the baddest thing on display in Detroit next week.

Another reason...GTR which is undoubtly an unbelievable performance car and more daily driveability then the Z sold less then 1,400 cars last year. Why? I'm sure it's 100,000+ price tag was a determinating factor. Chevy wants to move a lot of these cars..

Z06 price
 

I agree with the direction this thread is taking. Of course we all will see shortly, but I am inclined to believe 40k extra for a base Zo6 over base C7 is not gonna move a lot of cars after the initial surge. Plus I believe they can bring it in for less than that. So I go along with the $78 to 80k crowd.

I tend to agree with a lot of what you said except the end paragraph. I believe the resale values will def be higher than you are saying. 60k for a used one? No way. Higher for sure. My opinion.

:iagree: as well.

Base price similar to the $75K of the C6 Z06 would be the sweet-spot starting point, IMO...

I hope so. Although I think GM is out of their mind for the pricing of the Z28.

That's a very good point that I didn't take into consideration when I wrote my earlier post. If they think people will pay $75k for a Camaro then they could easily price the new Z06 at $100k+. :(

The absolute number 1 reason the base price of the C7Z will be ~$79,900?

They will not sell many if more. While GM tells us publicly it's about performance, the hard capitalistic truth is that the car has to sell and be profitable. And to be profitable, it has to sell.

$100k Corvettes will sit on lots while crickets chirp and dogs bark in the cold lonely night.

It may very well sell for under $90K but not for reasons #2, 5 and 6 which are not true or valid.

#2 is true...excruciatingly true and GM knows this. I have never considered a Corvette before this generation due to the fact that at that price point I can have German quality and performance in so many varieties the mind nearly boggles at the possibilities. For the everyman/woman $75k for an automobile is a very large investment in something that depreciates the second you drive it off the lot. We can't all drive Ferrari's and many people resign themselves to the knowledge that they will likely never know what it's like to own such cars. As a fun little game, name as many cars that GM sells in 2014 over $75k. Now name as many European cars that fit the same criteria. See...it's plain to most people that when you start talking about cars over $50k people think BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and Audi...not to mention any other marques with exotics and such. Hell even Japan isn't really a force in the $75k plus market...the only car currently selling over $75k out of Japan is the GT-R as the LFA has sold out.

It is a much harder sell for GM to convince the person with $75k to spend it on a GM product over the European options. Look how poorly the Viper is doing, America needs to establish itself as a car manufacturer that can compete with the Europeans as far as ACTUAL quality and PERCEIVED quality and they are going to have to do this at a lower price point at first. GM has done well with Cadillac, but comparing a Cadillac to a Mercedes, the Mercedes is still perceived as the premier marque.

#5 is also very true...one look at Corvette ZR1 and Viper sales figures paints a pretty bleak picture, while Porsche has no trouble selling every one of it's GT3's or Turbo's at far higher prices. The C7 is a step in the right direction, but once again perceived quality is what is holding American cars back.

Last but not least #6 is the truest statement in the entire list. GM wants this car to sell, they want to get as many out there into the hands of people. They are not going to limit production on the Z06, if you want one and have the money they will build it. Corvette has never been meant for rich people, from the very first it was meant to be competitive with European exotics while still being attainable by the average working adult. The Z06 when introduced in the C5 generation was actually affordable, then the C6 Z06 came out and due to the necessity of so many alterations to the C6 to become a Z06 the price became much more out of reach for many people. The Z06's fully optioned out in Z07 and Carbon packages were coveted by many, but in the end were pretty limited in number sold compared to base Z06's. Then theres the ZR1, a truly remarkable car that out priced it's demand. If GM hasn't learned anything from this i would be surprised..

Exactly.

Great points are being made in this thread! Hoping for the best

Not that I will be paying even $75K for one, but the OP is probably right that it will be priced in that ballpark. Some are already paying pretty close to that for a loaded base car so to get a low option Z06 for that price could result in a number of sales.

Agreed the 2015 Z06 will start under $90k.

WAY under $90K. I'm going with $76k. We will know in about 50 hours.

Interesting predictions, skullbussa. I think I disagree with your assessment on C7 Zs will be had with "LOW" miles for around 60 grand. If true, I wonder how that will impact the current asking prices some want for their 2006/7 Z06s in the mid 40s with 30-40K miles on them. That's quite a big private sale trainwreck approaching, if you are correct.

I hope the OP is correct. If so, I will hopefully be trading in my 2008 Z06 in 2015 for a new C7Z.
I can't wait for the reveal!

I definitely agree. I don't see the base price being any higher than ~$79,000.

It really depends on what it adds, but the C7 is pretty content rich to start with. It will really come down to the how the engine is built (hand built or assembly line), carbon fiber brakes, transmission, body panel changes, tires/wheels, and cooling. I could see those components adding up to $25k easily.

Comparing the price of an aftermarket super charger added to an LT1 isn't a fair assessment either. My LSA was putting out more power than the LS9 and only cost a few grand more, but the LS9 is warrantied by the factory and heavily tested to be reliable on a mass production scale.