BluegrassMotorsport

But see, there is the problem. You are correct that many Corvettes and Mustang never see any kind of race track. So even if the new GT500 is faster than the "base" C7, why does it matter? If one is not being raced against the other, who cares which one is faster? If you aren't going to a race track, then you will not have the opportunity to "prove" your car against another. The only thing the numbers will be any good for is bragging rights at the local car show.

If you think you will like the Mustang better, there is nothing wrong with that. I think you should buy one and have loads of fun with it. It is one heck of a car. But you can't discount the C7 for the amount of horsepower you think it will (or will not) have. It doesn't make sense and really isn't fair to the C7 engineers. They pride themselves in building a quality sports car that the common man can own. They aren't worried about Mustangs, that is the entire reason why Chevrolet has the Camaro.

OnPoint

You're worried about the top rung Mustang against the bottom rung C7?

None of us know the power to weight ratio of the C7. I predict it will pleasantly surprise many.

And what's the 'stang going to do with the C7 Z or ZR - it can't hang with my two C6s.

At the end of the day the GT500 is a fabulous pony car. I'm glad it's here, and hats off to Ford. Job well done.

These are good times to be a performance car enthusiast.

Big Phil

Just look at history:

Base LT1 C4 corvette = 300 hp

Base LS1 C5 corvette = 350 hp

Base LS2 C6 corvette = 400 hp


my guesstimate on the base L?? C7 corvette, Just add 50hp to current LS3,

thus a base C7 corvette = 480 hp.

LS1LT1

Possibly.
But if the C7 comes out with a true 470hp and weighs even just 75-100 less than the current base C6 that race will be a bit closer than you think.
Few people realize just how fast the current bone stock 430hp C6 really is (11.71 at almost 120mph in good conditions), still slower than the 2013 GT500 for sure but now imagine a base Corvette with 40hp more and less weight than that.
I too would like to see the base Corvette have 500hp (or more) but I'm not counting on it, nor will I be too upset about it if it doesn't happen as I know the car can still be an amazing overall performer even with only 460hp if they do it up right (weight, gearing, traction etc.).





Neither one of those are actually facts yet.
Personally, I don't think it will have a smaller engine at all.

LS1LT1

Good point as well.
Does Ford worry about the their base Mustang V6 getting beaten by the top of the line Camaro ZL1 or even the SS? :confused?
No, they have the GT, Boss and GT500 models to deal with those cars.
Same thing here, a base C7 should really have to worry about the top shelf Mustang performance model being (potentially) faster, that's what the future ZR1 model will be for. Heck even the 2012 GT500 was damn fast and 'performance threat' to the base C6 but again, that's comparing entry level to max effort/top of the line.

gatti-man

Not worried. But saying its bottum rung vs top rung isnt really true. It will be the only c7 available vs the top rung mustang but that doesnt matter. To me its a 55k competitor vs the c7 at whatever msrp it is at.

I agree the power to weight will be great I am concerned that it wont be enough to beat the gt500 and if the gt500 is already touting this power now im sure ford will figure out a way to add a few more tricks come 2014. It is unpleasant to see the mustang as a competitor in any way to the corvette for me. Ive always considered the mustang to be a camaro competitor for entry level sports car. Times are changing and chevy needs to step it up. It used to be the only real sports car in its price bracket, now there is another legitimate contender.

gatti-man

That argument makes zero sense. A zr1 is a 100k msrp car. The gt500 is a 55k msrp car. Saying top rung vs top rung makes as much sense as comparing a 7 series bmw vs whatever the top rung bentley is. MSRP is what makes a comparison, not rung on a certain company's product list.

gatti-man

That would be ok but imo not enough especially since I have my doubts the c7 will be a sub 60k msrp car.

LS1LT1

No offense but logically speaking, comparing a 2013 model year car that's out now to a 2014 model year one that is still almost a full year out makes zero sense as well.





Current base Corvette is $49k, for it's shortened and final model year of 2013 it will likely MSRP a little higher of course.
It's not at all customary for GM/Chevrolet to jack the car up over $10k in the course of just one single model year, even if it's the debut of a brand new generation.
I think one time the new model came in at an even lower MSRP than the outgoing one (that won't happen this time though I'm sure).
If the base 2013 C6 MSRPs for $50k or $51k then the base 2014 C7 will come out at $52k or $53k tops.
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Aozora

You're dead on! People shouldn't worry so much about the HP but overall performance. We don't know what type of new technology will be utilized in the c7, but you can bet it will be much lighter and have more HP ..490-500 IMHO. Throw a 7-8 speed transmission and get more power to the ground, you're talking one badass ride. The new interior will be a big plus but the c7 overall will be undoubtedly better in all regards compared to the c6 performance in base form will be somewhere between the
Grand Sprort and the z06.

Not exactly a pushover..However this is all conjecture, subjective criticism and speculation. Give it a few months and people will begin to see how silly we've been, The c7 won't disappoint.

Jinx

You know this for sure? And so what if it's true? It still won't spell doom for the base Corvette. It's a $62K limited-production Mustang. See previous post.

Honestly, if a Mustang costs more than a base Corvette, shouldn't it be faster?

.Jinx

thebrander

Yep

jb_va2001

We've seen some world-class hand-wringing for sure. Some people don't handle the thought of change very well. Then they'll rush to be the first ones in line to buy a new C7.

Cheers,
JB

CRABBYJ

There are many Corvette enthusiasts that are not as concerned as those posting in this thread that the C7 must have a base engine starting with horse power substantially higher than the current 430hp. But likewise there is strong support for ever increasing output to weight for those demanding top performance at a reasonable price.

With the future demands for fuel economy and a point in time when too high a HP base point becomes too much to handle on the road, we are fast reaching what I feel is a deflection point in the Corvette as well as other performance car offerings.

With that, The C7 should offer at least two engines, one based on what we have loved and become used to such as an LS3 with a 20-50 HP bump along with what is probably the future with something like an LS? 5.5 with VVT, direct injection, etc that is at least 430hp but has substantially better fuel economy. I would even venture that that LS? could be 400hp if the fuel economies are even more dramatic, especially if it could use regular gas.

These two engine choices could be both offered in the base C7 with only badging to tell what's under the hood, or as a sleeper with only badging on the engine. No need to make the GS at the start of C7 production but introduced later in 201? again with a 427? That is a stretch, maybe, but wishful anyway. Let's hope they release both the coupe and vert close together.

Than we all can be satisfied as Corvette enthusiasts.

GARYFINN

Agree 100%

gatti-man

Its 55k, 62k is fully loaded. Its not limited production svt is on record as saying they will build as many as orders they receive. The boss is limited.

No what i know for sure is that unless the c6 gets around 500hp it will be slower than the gt500. I mean the base isnt going to magically drop 300lbs and im sure the gt500 will get a tad faster next year so its pretty easy for solid conjecture.

Another thing, yes i get that corvette enthusiasts dont care about the gt500 but gm needs to sell to sports car enthusiasts. The hardcore are buying no matter what. Im a sports car enthusiast. I prefer the vette but not to the point of choosing the lesser road car.

S'vette

here is a nice youtube on the GT500, its a beast of a car for guys who dont do tracks. slightly faster than the SC camaro and slightly slower than the currrennt ZR1 in straight lines. Its a 200 mph stock car at 55K. Not bad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRuE38Bl5Mo

LS1LT1

It's actually closer to $66k fully loaded, the convertible is almost $70k fully loaded. And that's before some of the dealer gouging that's going on right now.
The current base Corvette MSRP is $49k before discounts/incentives/rebates. One could actually get a brand new Corvette, a 190mph, 11.7 second at 119+mph car, for under $44k right now.

S'vette

190 stock C6 in a mile? Now I havent seen it at the track but i think stock 1/4 is more like 12 secs too but again I dont go to the track so I cant say that a stock C6 has gone 190 or done an 11.6 1/4. Or were you meaning a Z06?

Jinx

It's $55K stripped. It's $62K with only the essential performance options that actually make it dangerous to Corvette in anything but a straight line. Here's what your $55K doesn't buy you:

TORSEN differential
Bilstein adjustable dampers
Uprated rear springs
External engine oil cooler
Differential cooler
Transmission cooler

Perhaps if you're just a stoplight threat you'll be happy with the base car, but if you want the "faster than Corvettes" track cred, that'll be $62K, thank you very much.

Of course we'll have to wait to see where Corvette lands in the following model year to make a fair comparison. Shall we table the falling-sky discussion until then? And then see if there's even a 2014 GT500 to compare?

We care. We just haven't all tied our personal sense of manhood to the base Corvette's numerical superiority over every other car available every single model year no matter how many or few might be sold. We don't all see the Corvette's identity as "the fastest for the cheapest no matter what sacrifices it requires."

I get it. You're thinking about a 2014 C7, but how can you spend all that money on that car and then have some dork in a grocery store parking lot taunt you with, "how's it feel to be slower than a Mustang?" If a better interior, still far more performance than you're likely capable of exploiting, more exotic looks, and likely more rewarding road feel aren't enough of a salve, then yes, Chevrolet has betrayed you and you should buy that Mustang. Then you'll have your factory-stock price-performance tarmac superiority, and the only bench racing inadequacy you'll have to worry about is every single theoretically faster-for-cheaper build-up of every decent sporting platform sold in the last 25 years. "How's it feel to be slower than a $5,000 old Camaro with a twin-turbo LS7 build? Hahaha, you suck, factory boy!" It never ends.

The 2015 model year will likely bring higher-performance Corvette variants. It'll also bring an all-new Mustang, and the GT500 probably won't be available OMG Ford's DOOMED.

.Jinx
PS GT500 fuel economy is TBD. Surely it'll outperform C7 there too...