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I agree that there’s absolutely no right answer and is a matter of personal taste. I loved my ‘69 and had it for 13 years, but sold it earlier this year primarily to provide garage space for a new C8, which is finally the modern redesign Ive been waiting for. I still think it’s crazy that the Corvette has now finally caught up to my ‘79 308 in terms of high performance engine placement design. And I actually liked the C7 when it first came out, but unfortunately got terribly bored with it quickly, as I did with the C4, 5 and 6. But when that C8 came out I felt like it made the C7 impossibly dated looking immediately.
Ill definitely buy a C8 at some point, although that power convertible top made my “definite coupe buy” get confused pretty quickly too. When I saw the car in person at Laguna Seca not long after the reveal, it was a given.
I like/dislike aspects of every Gen -- Hell i have a C1/C3/C5/C7 so i seem to be an ODD Gen guy BUT i also like exotics & was aiming for an "F" car in the future.
The C8 is the FIRST even Gen I've wanted right from the start...................and no more future "F" car
I'm ordering a C8 HTC as soon as i get the scratch together......................
Guess I am too old, but okay with that - but I’ve always felt you ride in automatic cars, and drive manuals. Love the C8, but, for me - part of her soul left with the third pedal.
I like every Corvette enthusiast was eagerly awaiting the C-8.
I got the privilege to sit and peruse one (actually 6 each) at B-j last year.
Forget the performance....I was hugely disappointed. EVERYTHING has been compromised for the mid-engine design.
Trunk/Frunk positively useless as an everyday car. My C-3 has THREE TIMES the usable room.
Styling....usually Chevy 'cribs' Ferrari...might as well steal from the best.....so why 'steal' from the Acura NSX....ugly then,now and always.
Too many 'flap-i-doodles' all over the car.....the styling is not TIMELESS, its yesterday's NSX.
Big MASSIVE PASS...
Not to mention the dozen or so recalls....."silly wabbit you NEVER buy a 'first year Corvette'. (63 was the exception)
Trunk/Frunk positively useless as an everyday car. My C-3 has THREE TIMES the usable room.
Unkahal
...guessing you have a bubble back window. My ‘71 isn’t fitting 1 carryon bag, much less the three the C8 can carry between its front and rear storage compartments. I can fit a pair of laptop bags...
To the topic at hand: The rear of the C8 is a massive disappointment. Way too Camaro-like. The lack of a manual is disappointing but expected given the direction of the entire auto industry (no pun intended). But otherwise GM pretty much hit a home run. That much capability at that price? People have complained about every new generation of this car...they’ll get over it or be drowned out by the masses that come to accept it.
I wouldn't kick any of them out of my garage, but the C3 looks the best. The C7 is the best looking since 82.
With the mid-engine, the proportions look wrong for the C8, but it is not unattractive. They made compromises to meet a performance goal. Ditching the manual transmission for numbers on paper is unforgivable.
First, I agree that C3s are drop dead gorgeous. I was first drawn to corvettes by the C7 (bought a '15 Z51 and a '17 GS). Then we just happened on a solid '72 roadster for sale in front of a very rural home in south/central Utah while we were traveling. Wife said turn around and look at it. I did, it was super solid, bought it, and picked it up a week later. Then I wanted a bb and found a '68 427/435 in CA. Worked with the owner for about a year (great guy, and a CF member) and we eventually worked a deal. Really like that car a lot and am enjoying going thru most everything - - going through mechanical areas last winter and this winter is a nice covid relief.
On the C8s, we've seen only one - a few weeks ago. I think they are such a huge engineering feat and, for the $, they can't be beat. The side profile of a C8, IMO, is spot on. The front is good. The rear, IMO, not so much - - needs some work and I too think it will evolve. We're waiting on the Z variant of the C8 and we may sell the GS and get one - - if it will hold enough luggage for our long road trips together.
And I also want to say that I'm thankful for all the helpful members of this forum who help me learn the nuances of these cool C3s. Thanks, Paul
Don't we have a great hobby?! GS; CT6-V; and 'The Beast'.
How do you like the CT6V...almost bought one but decided on the CTS-V. Love the Blackwing exclusivity, AWD and the rear wheel steering!
And Ferrari did the interior much better. What is with all the little buttons on the divider between the seats on the C8? In the Ferrari, I can at least reach over and touch my passenger.
SteveG75, Thanks for the great side by side with C8 and 488, interior of the vette is pretty damn cool too. Just wish they had done a slightly diferent front end, maybe longer like the Ferrari? I had a 15 Z06 Laguna blue with Kalahari interior, 7 speed. Sold it and now wish it was still in my garage! In the end its a great car with awesome performance and value that can't be touched. Just wait till the Z06 and the Zora come out....that will be fun, and expensive !
It seems that the most recent 'string' of Corvette body designers just can't let go of the "stealth" thing... You know, where everything has angles with NO curves, so it won't reflect radar.
Well, if that works for reducing speeding citations, OK; otherwise, the car drives thru AIR and resistance is lower using CURVES. This 'squarish' body lines thing is passe'.
Get over with it!!
I thought the thread was about the C8 and the C3, the C8/Ferrari was played out already
Wow, sorry I didn't get your permission to post my comparison.
My point is the C8's design is derivative and boring. Aerodynamics and government regulations have driven auto design to the point where every vehicle in a class is similar. All trucks pretty much look alike. Every SUV on the road could be the same. My wife's CX-5 looks just like a Lexus or BMW in the parking lot. And all sports cars are looking the same. No soul. The C8 looks like a 458/488 and Ferrari did it better (especially in the interior). Sue me for having an opinion.
A C3 has soul and a rubber bumper C3 does not look old even today (chrome bumpers are nice but the chrome dates the car as old). When I tell people that my car is 45 years old, they are amazed at how modern the styling is.
Oh, and if I had to rank Corvettes in order how they appeal to me today:
C3 rubber bumper
C6
C7 (growing on me but only in dark colors to hide the huge ***)
C2
C3 chrome
C5
C1
C4 (the digital dash)
C8
Last edited by SteveG75; Dec 11, 2020 at 04:12 PM.
When the C8 was introduced, it looked like a poorly executed Lambo wannabe, and still does. When the C3 was introduced, it looked like nothing else on the planet, and the early, chrome bumper cars are still as sexy as hell.
When the C8 was introduced, it looked like a poorly executed Lambo wannabe, and still does. When the C3 was introduced, it looked like nothing else on the planet, and the early, chrome bumper cars are still as sexy as hell.
Doesn’t matter how much money you have for development, designing to a price point requires trade offs. You can give me a billion engineering hours, I still can’t make carbon fiber cost the same as steel. I can’t make hand sewn leather cost the same as mass produced vinyl.
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.
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