sunsalem

Regarding the P80, it is important to note the it is a purpose-built Track Car and is NOT suitable for the street.

Truth.

However, paint on Exotics is often not any better than on a Malibu.
Rick at Ultimate Auto Detail here in Salem tells me he often finds crappy paint on Exotics in his shop.
http://rawultimateautodetail.com/
He sees orange peel and other issues on Ferraris, etc. and often has to do wet sanding and color correction.
He is one of the best in the state and has been in the business for 30 years and taken care of my vehicles for > 2 decades.

Tom73

Remember the old adage, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. To me most of the exotic designers are a hodgepodge of different design elements and are not unified. An exotic may emphasize aerodynamics at 180 mph. That does not matter to me. I do not track the car so I will never be driving it that fast. For me the aerodynamics at 80 mph is what matters.

Just give me me a nice looking smooth design that functions at driving speeds, not race speeds (the C8R can have the race design option), and one that has doors that you can get in and out of, plus can carry a couple of pieces of luggage (no need for golf bags) and I will be happy.

Racer X

I appreciate the thought. However GM is in business to make a profit. Ferrari can sell a $1 million car because they are Ferrari. GM does not have the same reputation. Could they do the same as Ford with the GT? Maybe, In part it was a success due to the GT40 race car as a retro model. Ford did not really manufacturer either Ford GT, it was mostly outsourced.

Dodge could not sustain the Viper as it was outside the price range people were comfortable with paying for a Dodge.

I think the new Corvette will be world class as it relates to the things that are important to me. I do not care if the leather in the seats comes from cows that only ate Irish clover ad were massaged daily by Japanese Geishas. I want a car that performs, on the street and sometimes on the track, and looks good.

jcp911s

As they say, beauty is only skin deep... but UGLY goes all the way to the bone.

Seriously, great design is often also very cost effective... many of the most iconic Mid-century modern furniture designs were originally intended to minimize production costs.

That said, design is totally subjective... I think every Lambo after the Miura is hideous, I have too much pride to even be seen farting in one, regardless of cost... but others willingly pay house money to own one... go figure.

I actually think the Ford Maverick is a very good design (ok, throw eggs... I can take it)... and this is a car who's only redeeming feature was a $1,999 sticker price.

Fiberglass is remarkably easy to shape... if the car turns out ugly, its not because of cost.

IronV

Not true. Highly aerodynamic and aero efficient cars can be extraordinarily ugly. It costs no more to make a beautiful design.

Foosh

You're suggesting GM do a design and engineering demonstration, and hand build a few copies of a "supercar" like Ford has done with the GT. That's a decision that is made with no expectation of making a profit and purely a marketing exercise. It's fairly common knowledge that is what Ford has done with the GT, and they've spent far more on that project than they will ever get back from the handful of sales. Moreover, they have no long-term intention of continuing GT production.

Doing what you suggest would essentially signal the end of Corvette as an actual street driver. Cars in that price bracket will never sell more than about 2K annually in the US, which is about what current ZR1 sales have been.

sunsalem

I wonder how many were exported?
It's interesting how much and how long internet hype was around the car.
At times, it seemed like every member of this forum was going to run out and buy one....

gthal

Said no one, ever...

gthal

GM could build a stunning C8... like the new Ferrari F8 Tributo or other exotics. They won't... not because of cost... but because people will whine about lack of storage for cross country road trips and golf clubs. That is the design compromise of the C8 relative to being a mass produced and mass selling vehicle. You have to design it as a compromise.

As long as it is beautiful enough...

gymdoc

Not sure how people here track their exotic cars with the golf bag in it, but if you need it to lug around a golf bag, then its definitely NOT the right car for you!

Tom73

You also have to design it for how it will be used. I have always used mine as a road car, a car to travel in, make road trips, as a GT car. Never had it on a track. Chevy has to come up with a compromise between those that track their car, those that use it as a GT, those that only drive on weekends to car shows/cruise-ins, and the daily drivers. Quite a balancing act. How many Ferrari’s are daily drivers? Don’t think that is something that Ferrari has to worry about when designing their cars.

IronV

I've heard about this golf bag nonsense for years but never seen any statistical evidence to back it up. I participated in a GM Corvette focus group around C5 time and while we peppered with lots of questions, the golf bag and storage capacity thing was only addressed very generally. The language referred to (as I recall) groceries and weekend getaways.

sunsalem

Truth.



There are guys around here who SWEAR TO GOD they take their Vettes to the range all the time.
If they truly do and are not trolling, it's the stupidest use of a Corvette I can think of.

Supermassive

See all those sharp creases and dangly bits all over the car, yeah those cost extra. In order to make those beautiful creases that look sharp enough to cut with, you need vacuum formed and auto claved carbon fiber. It is the only way to get those. Fiberglass and resin could technically do the same, but would require a similar process which is not cheap amd has to be hand laid. Sheet molded composite, or the "plastic" in our Vettes, simply doesnt do too well with extreme creases as it becomes a weak point in the body and could crack easily. Of course carbon fiber can also crack easily too, but the expectation of Ferrari when it comes to their designs is that their cars are not daily driven...and most never see the pavement of a racetrack, so sacrifices in durability are made for a higher aesthetic.

So yes they could make the Corvette just as sexy as a one off Ferrari, but it then becomes even less practical than the car it is imitating. So GM has to make an attractive car, that is also useable, which rules out the crazy designs seen in Ferraris. Some people will say that, that is what they want...but I am not one of them...I like to use my toys daily, and that has been the biggest draw for me towards Corvette.

Warp Factor

What excuse do you use to drive yours?

MsEllie

I loved the Maverick. What a good looking car.

638HP

Check out this super cool video narrated by the Ferrari design team. WOW a one off customer track car... wish I was that customer

https://blog.dupontregistry.com/vide...e269d3-7075041

jefnvk

If we want to get into that logic, I'd venture a guess far more Corvettes have had golf clubs in them than have been on a track.

Again, the "two golf bags" thing serves two purposes: for those that golf, allows them the knowledge that their equipment will fit, and for everyone else, gives a quick good way to visualize exactly how much contiguous space is available in the car. I guess they could likewise label it in "sacks of groceries", but then people would just whine about how silly it is that people drive their high performance sports cars to the grocery store.

Racer X

When I had Corvettes as an only car, yes, I took them to the range and course with a walking bag of clubs. I also to it to the grocery store, hardware store, the mall, restaurants, everywhere. I did the same thing with a Fiero, and a Firebird, a Lotus Elise, and a Camaro. That's what a daily driver is. I also took most of those same cars to the track. Not everyone has multiple cars.

Hauling drywall is a stupider use of a Corvette. You don't have much of an imagination. I can think of a lot more.

jcp911s

Ford Mav love on a Corvette forum... Sheesh!... we'll probably be suspended for 6 mos. ...

Like old joke...

"How many strippers does it take to screw in a lightbulb...?"

"The answer is one, but I like the way you think"