Bill Dearborn

Every company that designs hardware wants a first pass design. In a competitive environment you can't afford not to hit the nail on the head with your first shot. The automated design tools and testing processes they have now make it more likely they will get that first pass design. Just like the pilot that jumps into the first version of a brand new aircraft and takes it off the ground for the first time you have to have faith the people who built it knew what they were doing. The better the job done on the first model the lower the costs are for warranty repair and development of the next iteration.

GM pretty much did that with the C5 Corvette. The 97s were probably the best built of the series. The design tools are 20 years better now than they were then so I am pretty sure GM will have a very trouble free car right out of the box.

Bill

dcbingaman

I have a first year C7 Z51 and it has pretty much been perfect. Almost 5 years and no issues at all. As for the C8 ME, these guys have been working on this car since 2006-2007. My guess is that the C8 will be the most over-engineered car they have ever done. It will also be built in, essentially, an all new factory with extensive automation. From what I saw at the Bash in BG, they have solved their paint problems. Bottom line is I am betting the first year ME's will be very high quality and buyers should not hesitate to order one. They will go like hot cakes !!

CaliforniaJack

I waited until 2000 to order my C5. It wasn't long enough. The next year they improved the intake manifold, changed to an improved/ lower cost key fob/receiver, and many other fixes. I Pity the guys who got stuck with '97- '98 abandonments. My C5 still has the lousy hazard switch/turn signal failures, intermittent door modules with cold solder joints. Maybe GM doesn't source from the lowest bidder anymore, and the quality problems have been addressed, but I wouldn't consider a C8 until I hear at least two years of very positive quality reports.

jimmyb

I've had the first year of the last 3 generations:

1998 C5 Convertible: Easily the WORST car I've ever owned. Name a problem, it had it....multiple times. Column lock failure was a particular favorite.

2005 C6 Convertible: OK, but not great. 3 bouts of DBS in 18 months (the 2005 manuals had the "shut down in reverse" feature), the clutch plate clicking in the rear end, etc....

2014 C7 Convertible: Easily the best of the 3. Owned for 4 years now, ZERO unscheduled service stops.

Based on MY experience, I would guess the C8 will come out of the chute dialed in.

Red08Roadster

I'm not going to worry about quality problems in year 1. I'm in as soon as I can get the DOHC twin turbo motor. Love the LT1 in my '17 but it will take an all new powerplant to get me to move up.

C5Driver

You have a short memory remember the steering column lock?

Mr. Jones

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...un-2-47-s.html

Link to CF post on gran sport versus McLaren 570 ($191,000)

So my point is a don't expect the ME corvette to be a better car than a ZR1 for some years.
I will not buy a ME just to be the first on the block with one, not my style.
It's not like I don't have toys- vette 2016 Z51, A8, bike.
If I need more power a centrifugal SC will help that, ECS is very close.

My concern is with the issues that GM waits or ignores until most repairs become the owners problem.
Z06 over heating on track, A8 torque converters, the mystifying clutch fluid changes on C5, diff leaks on C5,

JerriVette

The c8 will be just fine from a quality standpoint although the first year the market adjustment will probably be impressive.

That's just the way supply and demand works.

The demand in the c8 will outpace supply for quite a few years in my opinion

lt4obsesses

This is certainly a valid point. Sometimes these things are engineering problems, like the Z06. Then there are those issues that come along with mass production, say torque converters, why some fail and the majority don't, who knows. The thing to keep in mind is that all of the testing, like the mule cars, are pre production. Once they start going down the line, perhaps the scenario changes a little bit. Of course, then there is supplier related problems. Much the same thing as previously mentioned.

Fortunately, with the exponential advancements in engineering software, computers can catch a lot of this before the parts even hit the mold. But for the most part, it seems that GM has been doing a decent job with first year models across the line as of late.

nyca

3rd model year.

dexterkatt

With my purchase of a C7 in Dec, 2013, I had the same anxiety about 1st year GM cars.
I was pleasantly surprised when I didn't have any problem until the 2nd year when the
screen took a dump. It was fixed under warranty and I haven't had any other issues (except the recall for airbags, when practically every other manufacturer did.) So, I'll take a chance with the C8.

sunsalem

Not really.
The C7.R is the current 2-time defending IMSA champion.
GM is NOT a race team, they produce cars for sales to the public.
Like many manufacturers, they have race teams as part of their marketing strategy for selling their production STREET cars.

This is common.
Engineers initially stand over the shoulder of assemblers to make sure everything is right before allowing the mechanism of mass production to take over.
I have seen this many times in the tech industry.

OnPoint

I expect the biggest areas of risk for teething problems to be the DCT transmission and thermal management (particularly for the high hp variant). The best DCTs on the market are ones the manufacturers have developed, tweaked and perfected over time. I hope GM spends sufficient time on the engineering and tuning on their unit. They'll need to nail thermal management for the high hp variant as well. I would think their work over the last couple years on the ZR will help them focus on that need.

TBIRD57

imo the way it usually works---the last model before the C9

Mr. Jones

"GM is NOT a race team, they produce cars for sales to the public.
Like many manufacturers, they have race teams as part of their marketing strategy for selling their production STREET cars."

So you think GM is building this ME because the current market-street car- wants this over a mid-mounted front engine which is really what the C7, C6 and C5 are?
I don't think so.

Why did Ford build the current GT ME car?

tbasco 6

Hopefully a 3 pedal model will still be offered so the DCT won't be a risk for some of us.

OnPoint

Yeah, I'd like to see that as well. Not sure we'll see it, though.

Michael A

People have short memories. I recall all sorts of problems with the first year C7, paint problems, panel gap problem, interior fit problems, electrical problems, the list was practically endless. There was even a sticky with all the problems. I recall pictures of C7s on flatbeds.

Year 1 problems
Year 2 major issues fixed
Year 3 many minor issues fixed
Year 4 generally pretty good

Mr. Jones

I don't expect the Tremec DCT to be such a big problem
This is a specialty company making the trans.

C5, C6 trans are by Tremec
Not sure about the C7 7 speed.

An example of what they build
• Seven forward speeds
all-wheel drive (AWD) and trans-axle platforms
• Torque capacity of 700 Nm (516 lb-ft)
or 900 Nm (664 lb-ft)
• 9,000 RPM maximum input speed
• Performance oriented gear ratio spread

tbasco 6

Took delivery Oct 3rd 2013 and with the exception of info screen needing replaced, zero problems.