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Driving my new Corvette home to Arizona from Bowling Green, KY
Notes: Museum Delivery of my 2022 2LT HTC Red Mist Metalic Tincoat Corvette
This is my first Corvette. I purchased it from Ciocca, waiting 11 months for delivery.
We arrived 30 minutes early and met Ed, our guide to my Corvette C8. This guy was terrific, and obviously a very knowledgeable Corvette fan. He spent 4.5 hours with us, and was willing to go longer. Some of this time was spent on a guided tour of the museum. We thoroughly enjoyed all of it. Oh, I got to meet Shane!
I read the owner's manual before museum delivery, but still learned more than a few things.
Here's a few that surprised me.
1: Valet mode limits the top speed of the car to 85. On our trip, valet parking was required at several stops, so this speed limit was of interest. I knew about the PDR recording and the locking of storage spaces, etc.
2: DON'T RUN THE CAR OUT OF GAS! If run out of gas, the car will stop dead right where it is. It can't be coasted to the shoulder. Adding gas will NOT fix the problem. The car would need to be repaired at the dealer. This problem has nothing to do with fuel injectors. It's the DCT that needs the engine running to shift, even to neutral.
I kinda wonder if I misunderstood this, because it seems that adding gas, and starting the motor would allow you to shift. I'm not about to experiment.
3: Not really a surprise, but Ed said DO NOT use track mode on the street because if you hit a pothole or speed bump with suspension so stiff, you can break a wheel.
Luggage space
Having never been able to try our existing luggage in a C8, we purchased ClubGlove official Corvette luggage because we knew it would fit and would make efficient use of space. Also, we flew to Nashville / Bowling Green with our luggage, with no opportunity to make adjustments to our cargo at home. We would be on a 3 week trip, so it needed to be right. It was. We did have to do some laundry twice.
Off we go
I started driving the car, and discover that it's just a car. I've driven a few semi-performance cars, which darted around, had touchy acceleration and required deep concentration. A car like that is fun to drive, but not for 4,500 miles. In Tour Mode, the C8 just drove like a car. Ed at the Museum showed me how to set up the car for the various driving modes. Cool.
We visited 12 States
One early leg, at less than 300 miles on the odo, I found myself driving in pouring rain for 6 hours straight. From Eastern Maryland to Western Pennsylvania, we had rain! Much of this was in heavy traffic around DC. I was not amused. With the car in Weather mode, it drove just fine. The rest of the trip was dry.
Comfort
The GT2 seats were very comfortable. After driving long distances, I was ready for more. The AC kept up with 100+ degree outside temps in Texas easily.
The sound system is quite good. Before I got the car, I thought it would drive quiet enough that I could tell the difference between Apple Lossless and lesser quality sound. Ha! I defy anyone to tell the difference at any speed above 35 mph. While the Bose sound is quite good, there's too much road noise for the sound system to overcome. Maybe I just don't have the volume up loud enough. This system can get REALLY LOUD with no distortion. I don't like it "headbanger loud."
But, the car DOES ride quietly enough. Someone on these boards said once "It's a sports car, not a limo." He was right. Having a normal conversation with my wife was easy at any speed we traveled. Someone else on these boards said he wished the exhaust was louder. I think I agree.
Apple CarPlay
We listened to Apple Music, KEXP, audio books, podcasts, my roadtrip playlist and news. CarPlay worked seamlessly. Siri commands worked well, too.
Tennessee potholes
Less than 100 miles into our trip, we hit two very nasty potholes at 65 mph. No busted wheels. Whew! I opted for Magnetic Ride Control, which might have helped.
Gas mileage
We averaged 27 mpg over the 4,500 mile trip. There were some stretches where we got over 30 mpg, and others where we got 24 mpg. I got 29 mpg in Sport Mode driving a twisty mountain road for over 90 miles. Surprised me.
Valet parking, lot parking
Before the trip, I freaked out about valet parking. It turned out to be OK at every valet parking place. Two places had very young valet parkers who seemed afraid of the car, and allowed me to park it in the valet lot. Cool! I also had no problem with regular parking lot parking. Perhaps people respected the car.
People appreciate the car
When stopped for fuel, to park the car, and other stops, people came up to me to tell me the car is beautiful. Always a grin on their faces, and mine too. Some people were just thrilled to see a C8 in the flesh. The car seemed rare in the places we traveled. Honestly, I think we saw two other C8s the whole trip. All of this attention was really fun!
Navigation
We used CarPlay and Apple Maps most of the way. The "Speed check reported ahead" alert was nice to have. When we went out of cell coverage, the map just kept going, but without the ground images of lakes, and landmarks. Turn by turn worked just fine. However, Apple Maps misdirected us once and we ended in a place with no cell coverage. The in car navigation saved the day.
Problems
Yes, my car has the "headlights on during the day" problem that so many others have. The car was built April 13,2022.
The driver's side window does not seal up perfectly. There's a whoosh sound apparent at speeds over 55 mph.
My seat stopped returning to my preferred driving position, the mirrors stopped returning to their proper adjustment, the steering wheel stopped going back to its correct position. These adjustment problems turned out to be RTFM problems. I hadn't properly set up my Profile, which is where these settings are stored. Facepalm.
After 4,500 miles, I love the car. It's pretty great.
Before I got the car, I thought it would drive quiet enough that I could tell the difference between Apple Lossless and lesser quality sound. Ha! I defy anyone to tell the difference at any speed above 35 mph.
Great story, packed full of details. But this made me laugh, and it takes a real man to admit it. The environmental noise floor is going to obscure any subtle differences between ALAC (lossless) and regular AAC, not sure why so many insist that their golden ears will distinguish the finer details when the engine is running.
Well, that answers one of my questions: Does getting NCM delivery have any advantages with regards to additional QC or PDI? It sounds like the answer might be "no."
Thank you for this honest and interesting review of your trip. I am doing museum delivery hopefully in July and driving back to Pennsylvania. This was good insight.
Did you have PPF or a Novistretch Bra or some other front end protection applied before trip home and if not did you get any paint chips along the way?
I'm sure you followed the 500 mile break in procedure...Did you find it tedious varying speed and rpm for first 500 miles on the freeway or really wasn't a problem?
I'm in AZ and considering driving mine home from Museum as well when mine is done....
Did you have PPF or a Novistretch Bra or some other front end protection applied before trip home and if not did you get any paint chips along the way?
I am also interested to know how the car's paint held up. Sounds like a fun trip!
I didn't do PPF or Novistretch bra or other front protection. I didn't see any paint chipping when I washed the bugs off. It wouldn't surprise me if there were a few.
The break in was somewhat tedious. On some stretches of interstate, when the road was empty, I was driving 40, then 80, then 40. Side roads were easier. I did my best.
Museum tour complete, happy owners beside the new Vette! I also made sure to park in the Corvette Only parking spaces while there. Another lifetime goal achieved. The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC At first stop, Biltmore Estate. Lunch in Staunton, VA. Very nice town. Falling Water, in South West PA Still needs a wash, but the lighting was great in Slippery Rock, PA Brew Haus in Emlenton, PA. My brew was iced tea, since I was driving Very large baseball bat in Louisville. The factory tour was fun. Fifth largest pyramid in the world is in Memphis. Inside find Bass Pro Shops, Cabellas, and a nice hotel. Not crazy about the restaurants there, however. Sun Studio. Really great tour here. Graceland Driskill Hotel in Austin. Way overpriced, and noisy too. We hated this place. Santa Fe, NM Car museum on Route 66 Parking lot note in Santa Fe We're home 4,500 miles and it still looks new!
Road Trip Completed
