I've owned many fast cars in 63 years driving. Built a few like my 1st a '41 Ford Coupe and the ProStreet Rod I built when I retired (well semi) 22 years ago. The C8 is my 6th Vette, 1st DD in 63 years without a 3rd pedal! Takes a little time to "learn" how best to drive on the street aggressively. I have mine set like two different cars. This is a video that a poster shows why he always drives in Z Mode Powertrain set to Track. It, like in all modes, is as aggressive as your right foot. Modest throttle pedal and it shifts, although higher up and down than in Sport, aggressively. Still as he shows in the video, in casual cruising it's civilized BUT not boring car. Set it up and use the Loud Pedal the way you like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI9M...annel=jrock702

Have had a number of fast cars! Pics, my 1st built when in High School and my current ProStreet Rod built when I retired 22 years ago. Yep with only Posi, no nannies it can scare you at WOT off the line IF one of the 16.5 section width tires looses traction!



8.2 Liter BB, very ridged TCI tubbed chassis, adjustable coilovers and disk brakes on all 4 corners etc.

 

I don’t disagree at all with @rawbar . Super fun if driving aggressively but almost too refined when just driving down the road. I have been to Spring Mountain and it was a blast but that’s not how most of us get to drive in normal situations and many aren’t ready to track after spending as much as the car costs until it gets a few years on it.

in order to try and pump up the “feeling” of more, I just ordered a Borla Atak to make me believe I am getting a bit more of that raw power although I know that’s mostly psychological.

Still love the car and not looking to jump into something else yet (Z06 waiting list and probably 2 years out) but I think many of us feel the same. But I still don’t want some exotic foreign that is cost prohibitive to me and all the upkeep costs that go along with it so will enjoy my ownership experience and just see how it goes.

 

I can’t speak for any of the cars you mentioned but the C8 is very easy to drive fast. It’s also very safe to drive fast unless you decide to bypass all the safety nannies. If you do the car will be anything but boring especially if you try to drive it fast and go all out.
I had muscle cars back in the late 60’s and early 70’s and those cars were anything but boring and even though they felt out of control fast they weren’t. The C8 will drive circles around any of those old cars and not kill you.
I love how hard I can drive my C8 without getting myself into trouble.
I was at Spring Mountain this past week and the car is incredible and it’s amazing how fast you can drive that car. I never thought you could drive so fast through turns without losing control.
The C8 is a marvel when it comes to modern sports car technology and I for one have no desire to go back to any of my old performance cars.
My advice is to enjoy probably the last of its kind and embrace its abilities because if anyone thinks this V8 beast is boring just wait till the electric self driving sports cars take its place.
Like I said before unlock all the traction control and stability nannies and go make a YouTube video. I’ll bet it would get lots of views. I know I’ll watch it. Even the instructors at Spring Mountain said the C8 will be an all out race car if you disable all the computer controls. They said the car will become dangerous for the non professional and that’s when it would be a good time to make that video.

 

@rawbar Thank you for sharing your honest feedback.

How is your Z mode configured?... specifically PTM. Have you tried Z Mode PTM set to Sport and after achieving operating temps, dial PTM to Race1 or Race2 where the nannies are off?

Good news now is the C8 values are still holding up, if you decide to let it go.

 

Great observations. Same here. I have a FR-S also and it’s more raw. Steering is better than my C8, but my C8 is so good at everything. So smooth, so powerful, so refined. Had a 21 Supra also. Great car. But the C8 is on another level. The DCT shifts so smooth and fast. And the C8 is a exotic looking car. Draws so much attention.

 

Lotus Emira is probably the only analog sports car that you can buy new. 911 GT3 kind of fits that model too but they're quite literally $100k+ over their $160k+ MSRP and even then are fairly digital. Some of the insane supercars from McLaren and Lambo are very driver focused but they're unobtainable. Companies just don't make these anymore. Look at the prices of E92 M3s, Dodge Vipers, Ferrari 458s, GT3s, etc. says all you need to know.

I am wondering if I will hate the electric steering after driving a great hydraulic steering car for the past 10+ years. Although I did really consider the Emira since it is hydraulic steering, manual option, light, etc. but I think the C8 is a better value and daily driver. I'll just have to get used to it and appreciate all the positives. If it's not pure enough then there's always the Z06 option.

 

So sad for you. Thank you for sharing your opinion.

 

The C8 can be easily configured to be anything from a grand tourer to a full blown race car, but it’s not going to turn into a manual Miata.

As said earlier, wait till all your choices are only electric sports cars with no transmission.

 

The steering being electric or hydraulic is irrelevant to driver feedback. Those 70’s era land yachts you could turn with your pinkie, were all hydraulic assisted steering. Both hydraulic and electric assisted steering just provides boost to make the steering feel heavier or lighter. The actual connection to the road depends on the steering components and suspension themselves.

 

I understand what you are saying but I love my C8. It's my 5th Corvette and it's so much more refined than the last four I've owned. I could feel the speed in my other Corvettes but not in my C8. That doesn't bore me - it makes me feel safer because it's so planted to the road. I was going to an appointment in it last week and was running a bit late. I was on a state highway with a 55MPH speed limit and was paying more attention to my music - using my steering wheel controls - than I was the speedometer. I saw a car coming from the other way in the distance flash it's lights at me. I thought they were warning me about a LEO ahead so I hit the brakes and looked at my speedometer - 73MPH and I didn't even realize I was going that fast. As it turned out it was a State Patrolman who flashed his lights at me. He waved when he passed me.

With everything I've read about it I think you'll love the Z06. If you don't when you get it make sure you post it for sale here first!

 

Sure hydraulic doesn't imply it will be inherently better but practically speaking 2000s-2010s hydraulics are way better than the junk electric units of same era. Bunch of engineering reasons hydraulic gives more "feel" but EPS can feel good with proper engineering. Only a few companies have figured out the right EPS tradeoffs.

 

My two C7s had electric assisted steering. They were fine and unlike the C8 "feel" was not adjustable. You get to test and pic from 3 steering settings, Touring, Sport or stiffest, Track. AND don't have to drive in those Modes. Set Z Mode and MY Mode how you like. My Z Mode, where I often drive, has Powertrain set to Track (never goes in V4 and only shifts to 6th at ~72 mph never in the last 2 or 4 OD ratios 7th or 8th) but steering feel can be set at any of the 3 settings as can the electric not vacuum assisted braking!

Now will the car feel like my 2400 lb modified 260Z manual steering- NOPE!

 

I totally get what you're saying OP, as it being a "digital experience." The C8 is a great car, but you don't have to do much of anything to drive either spirited or tame. I wouldn't call it boring, but it isn't as satisfying to drive it well as a traditional sports car is. However, I do like it a lot.

When I get back in my manual transmission, Cayman 718S, the differences in driver involvement and feedback are clearly apparent, the sense of driver involvement returns, and I wouldn't be happy with just the C8.

 

Interesting feedback about the shift smoothness. The thing I liked best about automatics was modifying them with transgo shift kits and feeling the hard 1-2 shift at WOT. The 3-4 shift was boring because it didn't put you back in the seat with a hard and fast shift.
I think GM would get a lot of complaints if it wasn't butter smooth.

 

A strong take on this car’s character. I agree with @449er , this thread may illustrate that GM accomplished what it set out to do with the C8, which is sales to others who may otherwise never have considered a Corvette.

It feels to me like OP’s observations reflect similar reactions to the demise of the manual transmission across virtually the entire landscape of cars offered these days. There is a loud but small minority who decry the loss of the third pedal, and now I think there is a loud but small minority of those who miss the older, more raucous sensations that pre-C8 Corvettes delivered. GM, looking to sell cars, developed the C8 to cater not to those in this loud minority but to a different buyer.

I loved my manual transmission with the Mild-2-Wild switch that increased the aural sensations even more, but I am very pleased with my C8 and won’t be going back. I can see, though, how some would find it as OP has expressed.

 

Just last month I was feeling the need to row through the gears like I did in my C7 M7 and was wondering if indeed I was going to regret this DCT on my 8. Then I went to Spring Mountain and used the M mode during most of the driving. I now feel much more satisfied with the C8 transmission and can’t wait to get back home to drive it again. I think I was getting lazy and keeping it in auto mode most of the time. Now I feel like I will drive it more in manual mode from now on. The fact that it’s so easy to just drive it in D has probably resulted in my lack of being more involved in driving my car.

 

I’m not really sure what you’re complaining about. The car is exactly what you want when you’re doing spirit driving. Meaning it handles great steering is good, engine is excellent and the shifts perfectly. But when it’s called upon to do it daily driving or civil duties you are complaining that it’s not “on”.

I have had cars that were always “on”. And believe me you get very tired of a car that is always in “on” mode. A daily drive to work will become exhausting with a car that is always on. I’ve had a Porsche GT3, 458 Ferrari and others that were always in that on mode. I drove a friends Lamborghini Diablo and Countach. And believe me after a day of driving it, I was ready to give back to keys. Although it was very fun exciting and engaging, the car was always on. It never gave you a moment to just relax and not be so engaged and aware of all of your surroundings and what was going on with the car. I almost didn’t get to enjoy the car because I never got to relax.
I think the z06 Will be even worse because it will be more extreme the difference. Because it’ll be exactly what you want under spirited driving and on a track if you do that, but when you drive it on a highway or around town it’s basically a C8. With all of the things you are complaining about now. In other words to civil.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your C8. Different people see the car different ways, with some just head over heels crazy about it and others with a lukewarm opinion about various aspects of the car. It won’t satisfy everyone. GM did a great job with its first attempt at a mid-engine platform, and perhaps future versions will improve from there. The Z06 has all the earmarks of being a beast - and time will tell if that rings true.

 

My C5’s hydraulic steering felt like my jaw after a trip to the dentist.

 

I can agree with much of what's been said, the C8 loses some of the appeal of my C7 GS. Manual, significant NPP exhaust sound. But it also is a much more enjoyable ride, handling is so much more refined. Interior materials and comfort and leg room is much better for me. The trans, even in manual mode, is too much in control. It downshifts at a certain speed, almost like its trying to be a CVT. That's all good when looking for max response on track but can be annoying when cruising the rural roads. Visually its a great looking car, although so was the C7, just a different category. The exhaust to me is the most disappointing, it has no bark, muffled, and can hardly be heard while driving windows down unless WOT or warmup. Likely will be purchasing an AWE exhaust. I think I will eventually learn to appreciate the trans, if I can hear it work.