Rumor Mill Claims C8 Corvette Will Enter Production in September
Recent rumblings suggest the C8 Corvette might enter production sooner than expected. But is this fake news?
We’ve been waiting what seems like forever to lay eyes on the latest generation of America’s original sports car, the C8 Corvette. Well, at least one sans pre-production mule camo. To date, we didn’t expect that to happen until later this year, at the earliest. But according to Corvette Forum member grcor, the C8 Corvette might be coming sooner than anyone could have possibly imagined.
“Big news if you’re a Corvette fan. We just learned from AutoForecast Solutions that production of the current C7 will end in August of 2019, at which time GM’s Bowling Green, Kentucky plant will make the switch over to the next-generation ‘Vette in September. That means it shouldn’t be too long before the new Corvette makes its debut.”
If that seems a bit early for a car that’s still out testing, you aren’t alone.
“That’s an aggressive timetable,” said Tool Hoarder. “Contracts to produce C7 parts supposedly go through 2021, but that could be for repair/replacement stock. It would also mean a very short run for the ZR1. I can’t wait!”
Or, as LIStingray (and many others) point out, maybe this “next-gen” won’t be the C8 Corvette, after all.
“That is an interesting time line. It could perhaps allow GM to start building the 2020 Corvette C7 in February or March 2019, with a 6 month run and production stopping the end of August 2019. The switch over will probably take 3-4 months like it did for the C6 to C7. And it would schedule the C8 Corvette to be released for sale to the public in early January 2020 (most likely) as a 2021 model year vehicle.”
Then elegant pours cold water on the whole thing.
“Sorry grcor, but that is not happening. Sorry for all of us who are looking forward to that car’s arrival.
That AutoForecast Solutions prediction is in conflict with a GM memo it sent to its dealers on December 11, 2017. That listed March, 2018 as the end of 2019 ZR1 production. For that point forward, it will take many months for first the plant internal changes for producing the ME, then the very slow ramp up, then a one month quality control hold. All leading to many, many months of additional time between end of 2019 production and the release of the 2020 MY Corvette to dealers/customers.
So who should we believe, an auto forecasting company or the company who is making the Corvette?”
But that isn’t the only proof that seems to debunk this theory.
“Second, in America an OEM can not sell a model listed as a 2020 model longer than one year in advance. I.E., the first day GM could sell a 2020 Corvette would be January 1, 2019.
The first customer 2020 MEs will not be arriving before next summer. And only then, if there are no ME testing issues that GM wants to further work on. Otherwise, they could delay the ME deliveries beyond that. The best example of that recently was the C7 ZR1. It was originally going to be the 2018, 65th Anniversary model. That model was delayed one model year, becoming a 2019. Due to testing/development issues that took a while to appropriately fix. Properly delaying its sales until all were fully resolved.”
Admittedly, it’s pretty hard to believe that a car we’ve barely seen could possibly enter production in mere weeks. The only good news is, we won’t have to wait long to find out if this rumor proves true, or if it’s just another case of fake news!
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