C7pimp

If it doesn't have at least 500 hp then that would be a complete joke. Honestly.

525 hp should be standard right out of the box with the accompanying appropriate amount of torque.


The C5 jumped from 350hp to an eventual 438 hp n the C6. The C7 only increased that number by 22hp. The C7 is a far superior car other than just HP, but the power output left a bit to be desired.

VetteDrmr

Just as long as I can buy the duck!

Have a good one,
Mike

Atari_Prime

No one really 'needs' more than 460 HP, however a lot of it comes down to how it is put on the ground. Take a look at a Gen 2 Viper GTS, they came with 450 HP and weighed about 3300 lb. They had no bells and whistles, just a big a$$ engine, a tough tranny, and some fat tires to keep it all together. Those car are just about as fun and fast as anyone will ever need but by modern standards they are slow. Cars have gotten faster, but not due to drivers getting any better or more power being added. The car is doing most of the work putting the power to the road, keeping the thing from spinning out, and slowing you down though driving aids and good luck turning most of those aids off. Honestly, if someone tells you they need more power than that 450 hp, they are full of it as quite frankly they can't handle more hp unless the car does it for them, otherwise their name is Andretti.

Also, like most of us, cars have put on a few pounds in recent years. The average sports car is upticking toward 4000 lbs, and some are well over. The new M5 has 600 hp but its moving on up toward 4500 lbs and has all wheel drive now to help keep its tubby butt planted. And even with all that extra power its only barely faster than a twenty year old Viper. But it is so very easy to drive that 600 hp due to all the driving aids. Where a 450 hp Viper will snarl and try to throw you in a ditch at the first wrong move, a new 600 hp M5 can be driven with one hand on the steering wheel, the other hand stuffing some oreos in your mouth, and one foot on the gas. The car is doing thousands of calculations for you, all in an effort to keep you out of the morgue.

So, no one 'needs' more than 460 hp, and frankly most drivers can't handle more than that either. But if the car weighs a lot and has lots of driving aids to keep you out of a ditch and speed is the only goal, then sure, 500, 600, 700 hp, bring them on.

OnPoint

I'm waiting for one of the higher hp variants of the ME, so I don't really care what the base ME comes with as far as hp. I would be surprised, though, if the base ME hp rating doesn't start with a "5".

We'll find out in due course.

VetteDrmr

Yep, like I said earlier, in good conditions at NCM's track, in track mode (nothing more sophisticated than that), it's pretty darned intimidating going to the top of 3rd gear.

Have a good one,
Mike

WaxWeekly

I upgraded my coupe to a Z06 for several reasons, one of which being more power.

I don't get to peak power very often. As my daily driver, I don't get over 3500 RPMs very often. More power isn't always about peak power. I enjoy the low-end power and torque of the Z06 with every shift. It's just plain easier to drive as a manual.

If the C8 is only offered as an automatic, then I don't care as much what the power rating is as long as it handles like it's on rails. If I can get the manual, I hope it's at least 500.

If all I wanted was handling, I could get an MX5 or comparable 'tossable' car much cheaper than my Z06. I expect I'll be 'suffering' with the C7 Z06 until the C8 Grand Sport becomes available.

Zaro Tundov

500 pounds is a crap-ton of weight, dude! The thing about carbon fiber is that not only is the frame a bit lighter but it's also much stiffer. The Corvette's Targa top costs some weight but mostly it results in a substantial stiffness deficit compared to other fixed roof sports cars. It has great stiffness for being a convertable, but there's no option for a fixed hard top, so Chevy forces a sports car on buyers with less torsional rigidity than a Ford Focus Hatchback.

This is where Shaka busts in to explain that the flexibility is actually GENIUS because it uncouples front and rear independent suspensions to make them really really independent and also the FlexiVette can conform to any road surface while maintaining a great ride. The BEST ride. Not like all that million dollar Eurotrash with their fancy maths frames, book learnin' suspensions, and snooty Nürburgring times. Yet despite Shaka's expertise on the matter, GM engineers spend considerable time and money on improving Corvette frame stiffness for each succesive generation.

RapidC84B

+Rep

84 4+3

I probably could have worded that a tad bit better but, you are correct. 500 is a large difference but when you look in the grand scheme of power to weight and balance that can or can not be a deal breaker. A poorly balanced lack vehicle that is 500 lbs lighter with less motor should severely under perform compared to one that is well balanced laid out etc. Granted that 500lb difference is over the whole car so it is a moot point but depending on the circumstances, it generally makes a big difference. My bad. And as the car gets lighter that difference is more substantial. 500 lbs at 2500 has more impact than at 4000 and so on. All the weight talk makes me want to lose some lol.

Carbon fiber is fun but it does present other weight problems. While you could formerly use the frame as part of the electrical circuit you are now adding back in weight for electrical and you have to be a little more careful with routing things like exhaust and such. Not saying that negates its advantage but you are chipping away at a bit of the weight savings on a full blown vehicle...

Just my opinion. If it's under 3200 I'll be very surprised.

punky

The C8 will be without any question the greatest generational change in its history. 500 HP is a lock. Bet the farm on that one as they not going to lose the huge advertising angle that the 500(or more) gives them. 480 or 490 will not cut the mustard here. This is going to be so cool.

road pilot

Gee finally found someone that's like me. I always alter any car I buy, So a C8 would be no different. And I am not talking about putting a couple of stickers ,on ,like so many do and think they have a modified
Sell a C8 less engine. Now that I would like.

Darion

Wait, stickers aren't mods?!

PC

84 4+3

I used the work truck as the test dummy for the 383 I want to eventually to put in the vette. (I learned some things along the way that I would change when I do it with my money but it would be an absolute riot in the vette as it sits now.)

Dan_the_C5_Man

..except it's likely those days are gone.. We are entering into the era of un-tuneable vehicles. The end result is it will push more people into purchasing the higher-spec car from the factory, due to the significant challenges of adding power later.

RapidC84B

Exactly... the new ZR1 remains untunable. As OEMs lay the foundations for autonomous vehicles the computers will be even more untouchable.

Walter Raulerson

No I want 500-525

Big Lebowski

Even if I wasn’t in a 650hp Z06, that would be a no. Have to see improvements, however incremental. ME DCT is not enough.

Paul 68

Should have at least 500 Horse Power.

themonk

Back in '13 460 was adequate for a sports car, nothing spectacular, now it's a down right joke and for the Stingray to still have 460 after 6 model years is a bit suspect although I will take it, resale value won't go down as much if the 460 stays the same.

faninc

Has corvette (since the c5) ever had a new gen vette have the same hp rating in its base model? Why would they do it with a C8?