How Will Mid-Engine Affect C8 Corvette’s Affordability?

Affordability factor will play a major role in shaping the future of next-gen model.

We recently stumbled on a Forbes story that really got us to thinking about the C8 Corvette. Namely, how much a mid-engine model changes the core DNA of the Corvette.

Sure, there’s the obvious, like the total relocation of the American icon’s power source. Especially since it has been planted in the same spot for more than 60 years. Then, there’s the design and performance elements that have inspired renderings from practically every car mag on the planet.

However, the thing that the Forbes piece really focuses on is the affordability of the new Corvette. They note the three primary things that make the current Corvette so affordable: the engine, interior materials, and assembly.

CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About the C8 Corvette

For example, there are tens of thousands of Corvettes mass produced each year. Compare that to just 7,500 Ferraris. The volume of production helps to significantly lower the cost of the Chevy sports car.

Forbes also notes that the Corvette engine is shared by a number of other Chevy vehicles, including the Camaro, Silverado, and Escalade — another contributor to the Corvette’s affordability success.

There’s also the cost savings in creating the interior of the Corvette. Compare the Corvette’s yet again to the Ferrari, where all the stitching is done by hand, and you can begin to see the cost savings.

Of course, that’ the way things used to be. But what about the C8? With Chevy aiming to make the Corvette more competitive against cars like Ferrari, how many of those affordability factors will the carmaker be able to keep intact? Because let’s be honest, affordability is one of the biggest appeals of the great American sports car, especially when compared to some of its European competitors.