Been reading as everyone here about next generation Vette to be mid engined. Clearly a major departure from current technology. Was chatting with a fellow yesterday, has opinion that mid engine version may cause jump in C5, C6, C7 resale value. Premise is front engined V8 cars will be desired. I guess if the new car is a Turbo'd 6 then maybe he has a point.

Whats opinion of you folks...

 

I don't think the C5/6 was ever meant to last. The mid engine will appeal to the euro crowd and open up a new market. This will allow me to buy my C6Z for a huge discount and that way I won't feel bad driving the wheels off it.

If you bought your car as an investment, you made a poor investment.

 

No effect, just more euro-trash appointments, with Camero taillights. True Corvettes are rear wheel drive, fire breathing V8s, manual transmission and crapola seats....

 

One thing many people haven't considered, including those at GM, is that many people enjoy long distance traveling with their Vettes. The fact is that mid-engine cars notoriously don't have luggage space, especially to the degree provided by our traditional Vettes. Corvettes provide enough space to take a good amount of luggage for a long trip. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I'd bet a lot of people will stick with "trunks" over mid-engine cars for that reason. It's not as if modern Vettes are such lousy handling cars compared to mid-engine exotics. They're already just as fast and handle and ride excellently.

 

It's all just pure speculation at this point as to what will happen should a mid-engine Vette appear. I don't see any current Vette going up in value anytime soon so I'm not too worried about it.

 

I simply do not see this mid engine car GM is supposedly putting out being called a Corvette. It would completely trash can the heritage of the car. I see it being more of a supercar type of thing like the Ford GT, appropriately priced and low in production. As such, I doubt it would have any impact on used Vette prices.

 

In addition to my C5, I have a MID ENGINE 375 HP Fiero and it runs 11.8 @114 in the quarter. Traction is no problem at all with cheap street radials. I can pull a 1.75 60' time all day long vs a 2.22 with my C5.

For decades, with power levels below 400HP, rear wheel drive was sufficient for the Corvette.

Times have changed. With today's horsepower levels, if the corvette is to continue to progress as a sports car and compete with the worlds best, it has to be either mid engine or front engine with all wheel drive. When horsepower gets above 500 rear wheel drive (without the traction advantage of mid engine) it is like trying to accelerate on an icy road with a 150 horsepower car - not very effective and without traction control, dangerous. If the Corvette does not advance, it will fall into the bottom of the pack as compared to all other exotics.

I love the Corvette, but want to see it advanced (without making the price tag 200k) so that it can remain competitive with higher end sports cars.

 

A mid engine corvette. Haven't they been talking about this since the 80's? Zzzzzzzzzzzz

 

 

Some models will always be desirable.
C4ZR-1
C5z
C6z C6ZR1
C7z

Regardless if the new car has a mid mounted engine I think as with everything the main driver of desirability is LOOKS matched with performance.
As a side note if they go with a v-6 engine (even if its turbo'd) they would have made a massive mistake.... I would avoid that car even more than a C7 regardless how good the C8 may look.

This is coming from a guy that has a C5z and C6z..... if they screw the pooch on the C8 my next car is going to be something OTHER than a Corvette.

 

Even if one is built, how exactly would it make a C5 more valuable?

 

As long as they have a clean example in the museum, I will drive mine the way god intended. I will eventually upgrade to the C6z and do the same, if I win the lottery, I will buy a C7GS, and maybe some day I'll get a C8, whatever that might be.

I'll let someone else maintain a garage queen, I will continue to enjoy my car and not worry about its monetary value.

 

I'll drink to that !!

 

It's all about marketing. If GM thinks it can design and build a better updated performance car with a bigger PROFIT margin or bigger DEMAND than you will see one in the future. As for the value of older versions it's all about supply and demand and there are tons of C4 and C5 cars, your choice of color, condition and mileage so don't buy one as an investment.

 

The intro of the mid-engine car from GM will have zero effect on the C5 values. The C5 remains one of the best buys as a fun toy. Low mileage cars are available under $20K. In my opinion, the C5 will remain fairly static in value over the next few years and won't follow the C4, especially low mileage, newer examples. The LS is extremely reliable, the C5 has not been a problematic car, it rides like a dream, easy to get in and out of and it's good looking. Even though the declining value of the C6 seems to be invading the C5, under $20K price range, it doesn't seem to be having much effect on C5 prices. Corvette magazine in their last issue just stated the C5 Z06 is the best kept value secret in the Corvette world strongly recommending anyone looking for a toy to consider one of the lower mileage examples. But none of these cars will match putting money into a sound, low risk investment. Strictly a fun car for enthusiasts.
One last comment, the C7, the one I moved to, will continue to decline in value, as expected. If the future Vettes eliminate the manual transmission, then maybe, mine will slow down in decline because I have an M7, but that's about it. BTW, GM does NOT plan on replacing the C7 until 2022. There are many indicators out there that the C7 will be marketed along side any mid-engine GM car, be it a Corvette, Cadillac or just a GM with a new name.

 

Buying ANY car as an investment, other than one that is already a pristine classic AND a rare model as well, is never a good investment, anyway.

Assume the average C5 sold new for $ 45,000, and a used one w/ less than 30,000 miles is today about $ 25,000. That car might take another 20 years to get to its original purchase cost. But ONLY if you never drive it, keep it up on jacks, etc. I have a very small chance of living another 20 years.

So- 20 years of paying insurance, space in the garage, etc. plus maintenance needed, to grow 80%- 4% a year.

A 1957 C1 sold new for $$ 3176, and today (60 years later) is worth in show condition- about $100,000 according to Hagerty. That's 214% value growth over 60 years- 3.56% a year.

Over that time, inflation would have eaten up $ 24,000 of that growth- the stock market (S&P 500) would have grown 6% average over that same time.

Buy a car you like, take care of it, and drive it every chance you get.

 

GM made about 100,000 C5s, over the 1997 - 2004 model years. They made 6000 1957's. About 69,000 C1's from 1953 - 1962.

Chances of a C5 being a rare collectible?? Close to zero.

Chances of a C5 being a grin-inducing kick in the pants every time you drive it?? 100%.

 

 

 

Only C5s that "might" be collectible are the rare colored ones like Aztec Gold or maybe a Speedway White Z06.

Just my two cents