I wonder how many folks that are/were dead set against a mid engine Corvette have changed their mind and are NOW thinking of buying one if it ever comes out.

 

I am looking forward to the C8. But can't say I am looking forward to buying one. That will wait until they are out and the reviews start coming in AND I can see one in person.

 

Probably the same exact number that swore they wouldn’t purchase a C6 because of the fixed headlamps. Or the same exact number that bragged they wouldn’t purchase a C7 because the tail amps weren’t round. Or, possibly a completely number!

 

Nope. ��. ��. ��.

 

There will be converts and not just among the ranks of traditional Corvette buyers. This C8 offering will appeal to a wider range of sports/performance car guys and cannibalize sales from other manufacturers specifically Porsche. The nay sayers here are going to be absolutely shocked by the demand for this car as it is not an evolutionary step or a warmed over version of a previous generation.

 

Same thing I heard when the C6 came out and the C7 came out. Going to overwhelm Europe, etc. Sales were not any better than the C5 outside of the USA and Canada, as the Porsche people just yawned.

I don't recall seeing any Porsche sports cars in the Chevrolet dealer's used car lot near me.

 

Cannibalizing Porsche sales is going to happen...they priced the 911 out of reason for people hoping to jump onto the P-car train. I just optioned a Carerra S and it came out to over $150k and that is without checking all the boxes. A fully optiined Carerra 4S will tip over into the $200k range...which is just silly.

The Corvette will likely become the only real choice for a sports car for many and compared to a Cayman (which is also grossly overpriced) it is way more car for the money. If the interior is only slightly nicer than the C7 it will be amazing.

 

I've lost touch w. the Porsche "new car price" and just looked. While I don't know if they really sell for this, the lowest 911 price is $91.1K. I doubt if there will be a lot of "conquest" Porsche owners trading in their 911 for a C8 ME, there may be a few. But, if anything, there'll be more who'll take a look and buy a C8 as an additional car.

I look forward to seeing this big-evolution Corvette.

 

sure ...

a porsche

 

I know that you are a lifelong Corvette guy and I respect that. Keep in mind that the C8 will be radically different than the C7, C6.... This is a totally new performance vehicle. No one ever predicted or is predicting that the C8 will "overwhelm" the European sports car market. Current nose bleed level 911 prices will provide serious incentive to the traditional Porsche faithful to take a hard look at a mid engine, Euro style C8 configuration that is capable of profound acceleration and cornering abilities. Will the C8 swipe some 911 buyers, absolutely.

The Corvette traditionalists and members of the old guard need to accept the fact that we are entering Chapter II of the Corvette saga. The FE book is rapidly closing and will be filed on the shelf as the ME C8 takes center stage and begins a totally new era of Corvette performance. The FE fist pounders and C8 nay sayers need to lighten up and accept this change or just continue on with their C5s, C6s, and C7s as they are great cars but just not the direction where GM going at this juncture.

 

That $91k Porsche 911 is the 991.2, it won't be there come 2020. The 992 starts with the Carrera S and 4S, and the Carrera S starts at $114k and there is no more manual option. The issue comes down to the fact that the base 992 Carrera S has a far more featureless base interior which almost forces people to add options just to get the car to feel like a Porsche. Also if you want to have any of the tech that makes the 911 actually hustle around a track like PASM, Torque Vectoring, etc., prepare your wallet. When I optioned a Carrera S with all the bells and whistles is came out to $185K if you're curious here is the build: http://www.porsche-code.com/PLAKV865

This is for a car that makes less power than a Mustang GT, I know its Porsche and P-cars are all about handling and feel, but this seems a bit ridiculous. The build options totaled to over $70k...in options...on a Porsche. I am genuinely afraid to see what absurd number they are going to attach to the Turbo and GT3 models. Perhaps there is a sizeable market for these cars, I could be wrong, but I seriously think that with GM coming out with a mid-engine car that doesn't have to worry about stepping on the toes of a higher tier car in the GM lineup, that it will attract potential P-car buyers and woo them with a list of standard options that makes the base 911 seem Spartan in comparison.

 

Part of the reason Porsche sells is because it is exclusive. It's just like a luxury watch or the like. The Car mags admitted back in the C6 days that the Grand Sport was a better option for the Porsche buyer, half the cost, forgiving handling, etc. but no one came. The reality is 99 percent of buyers of all these vehicles will never use the performance that they provide. I know most Corvette sit in garages and go to car shows. Same with Porsche. You get to a certain price point and people will spend more just for the brand even if the product is not as good. This is also why Porsche has so many models of the same car. Look at production numbers for 911... only a couple models sell over 1000 units worldwide. most only sell a few hundred. That level of exclusiveness helps people who want to feel exclusive spend the extra money.

It's like comparing a Rolex to a G Shock. Sure the G shock is going to keep better time, do the job better, etc. but that isn't going to stop people from buying a Rolex over one.

 

I'm very much looking forward to it, but the lack of manual option 99% rules me out.

 

Not really, the 911 has never had constrained production. They have limited production variants of the 911, but they sell more 911's globally than GM sells Corvettes. Porsche quality is decent, but honestly, a base 911 is nothing special materials wise, technology wise, or performance wise. The argument then comes down to interior quality and fit and finish. The 911 seems less sporty from the inside, unless you start checking off the option boxes.

Regardless, you may be right, people will be stupid with their money when it comes to perception, and if they perceive that the 911 and Porsche as a brand is worth the added cost, then who knows. I think Porsche is just raising the price like this due to the fact that the Macan and Cayenne are making all the money now, and they think that moving the 911 further up market will increase brand value for the lesser SUV's.

 

I also think the above makes some sense. And it's one reason I wrote that real performance Porsche people have bought Corvettes in the past, and probably will for the C8 ME. I also think there is a reason why some low-option, thus low-cost, Corvettes sell in fairly large numbers. It's a good "buy." It has say, 85% of all the benefits of a Corvette but without the added "frills." And added cost. Obviously, if Supermass is correct, and I have no reason to doubt him, Porsche doesn't seem to worry about not having a lower-price, entry-level car. Fine with me, and probably fine with Porsche buyers. May be all the more reason that some Porsche owners will consider a C8 for their garage----in addition to, and sitting next to their Porsche.

 

Well I never purchased a C6 or C7, see the reasons you provided above. I have no issues with a mid-engine Vette though and in-fact think it's a great idea. My only reservation is that it shouldn't look like a Camaro and shouldn't look boxy. Right now it seems to do both, but a few extra bits of camo could be the whole difference between bad and good. So we'll see what we get.

 

Like me for instance.

 

$185,000 for a fully boat Carrera S is absolutely ridiculous and flatly laughable. What's a Country Club boy to do? Going to get real painful trying to impress friends and golf buddies with a new 911. I guess there is always the used market for a 911 if you are that desperate for validation via the car you drive.

 

My position is to see the real car. I am not opposed to the mid-engine concept so there is no conversion for me. At this point, since my left leg works, is a manual transmission-no stick-no buy. If it has a manual, how well do I fit. I had to sell my '03 Z06 because I didn't fit. My C6 works well. I am not comfortable in a C7 so I don't have one.