I think the exhaust really wakes the car up. My buddy heard mine and put an exhaust on his the next week.

 

Yup, swap in an LT6 and it will sound like a Z06

 

I’m good with the car the way it is. It’s a sophisticated sports car, not a fart-can red-light racer. I had a Cobra replica that was nice and loud and a raw ride. I like the C8 a lot more.

 

Not selling it. I do think I'm going Corsa, though.

 

You make a very good point here.

If you can only justify only 1 high performance sports car to be used for many things, the C8 is the runaway first choice. Porsche 911 is the only matched performance competitor that also does everything well, but to equal C8 performance specs, you have to go up in the 911 model line to about $150K (new) if you can find an allocation. They are now harder to find than C8s.

On the other hand, with Porsche's very generous Certified Pre-Owned program, you can purchase an older model at a Porsche dealer with similar performance for about the same money and still have a 2 year bumper-to-bumper warranty, but routine maintenance is much more expensive.

 

I think some are bored with the C8 mainly because of it not having a manual transmission, add in the fact that the car is not scary and is so user friendly even at high speed maneuvers. I owned a C7 manual Z06 in the past and I certainly could not say the same! The C8 is very refined over the past generation Corvettes and that refinement to some makes it feel boring!

 

I found what I am missing from previous sports cars I have had is the V in NVH. Having the exhaust run under you and the vibrations it makes adds a lot to the experience. At idle you could feel my Bullitt with Stainless works headers and H pipe in the driver's seat. The Vette being mid engine loses almost all of this character from the engine and exhaust. Its replaced by a lot of DI ticking...

My solution is ordering high flow cats instead of a catback system. I have heard a few cars with NPP and cats and it sounds a lot more raw with the cats. Power isn't my goal just make the car over all sound more aggressive.

These two youtube video's do a good job showing different sounds you can get.

 

I haven't driven any of the newer ones. Last one I drove for any decent period was a 2007. Never felt gutless to me. But that's so subjective anyways. Was loud, didn't ride the best, and was super basic. Would never want it as a DD, but honestly was the perfect weekend car.

 

We have an MX-5 along with a C8 HTC and and a 911 Turbo S Cabriolet. As an owner of two beastly performers, you might think I would be likely to dismiss the MX-5, but believe it or not, I love driving the MX-5 as much as the other two. It is an awesome little machine. You'll never win a drag race, but OMG is it fun in the twisties.

Unless you're a long-time enthusiast with track experience, you may not have the experience to appreciate the advantages of "lightness." If you you really want to learn how to drive fast on a race track, the MX-5 is by far the best to learn in. It provides, by far, the best driver feedback of any of the other two, and best traditional "sports car feel."

 

I agree with you but Chevrolet also has a CPO program. I bought my C7 Grand Sport as a CPO car. The Porsche is a great car but it is always going to be more expensive to buy and to maintain.

 

I'll be honest... I wanted to make this post so many times. I just didn't feel like arguing with the folks who look down on you for having a different opinion.

When I had my 2020, I loved it but within a few months I thought it was starting to feel boring. It was partly attributed to sound or lack there of (even though I had the Z51 package). It was also probably missing something due to the engine, exhaust, etc. all being behind me. One call out is that you really have to get on it in order to hear/feel the engine. In other cars that I've owned, sure you hear the roar of the V8 when you get on it, but you still hear/feel it when you let off and when slowing down/down-shiting. Perhaps high-flow cats and or headers fix that. I thought perhaps it was a built vs bought thing since my brother and I always build our cars to take them to the next level.

When my son was about to arrive, I got rid of the vette and picked up an Audi S5 Sportback. Strangely, that car was actually more fun to drive. It may have been due to some of the bolt-ons and exhilaration associated with a turbo car. Next, I decided to get an SUV and get back into a 2022 C8....this time convertible. I missed the exotic look of the car more than the driving experience to be honest. Having the back window that goes down in the HTC helped with the sound so I can say the HTC is more fun to drive than the coupe. It also seems to have more pops when in Z-mode, Sport, etc. I think the theory is that since the engine is insulated, you don't have as much of the unwanted engine sounds.

I had the HTC for about 14 months but I eventually got the same feeling; wondering why the car started to feel boring. I let my brother drive it more and he had the same opinion. Again, we just thought it was because we were used to faster, more powerful / raw cars.

Today I pick up my Z06. I totally expect that car to fill in the gap that's missing with the SR. If for some strange reason I end up having the same feeling, then I just have to assume that this platform isn't for me (in the long run).

It's good to see, from some of the comments, that I'm not the only one. That doesn't mean the C8 is a bad car or underwhelming for the average person. It all depends on what you're used to and or what you are looking to get out of the car.

 

Of course, but the point was not about who has a CPO program, but that you can find a CPO 911 with nearly equal performance that compares in price with a new C8, and still have a bumper-to-bumper warranty. Granted it's only 2 vs. 3 years, but I was able to purchase a 5-year powertrain warranty for $1500 at time of my CPO 911 Turbo S purchase.

Porsche will not qualify a vehicle as CPO if it has any modification and, most importantly, if it fails the over-rev test, and they do check them all carefully. Not all Porsches on dealer lots are able to get CPO status. Porsche corporate has to see all the data and approve them before a Porsche dealer can list them as CPOs.

 

maybe you are just not driving the right roads, with the right exhaust? try any of the roads around Woodsfield on the eastern side of Ohio, or any of the roads around Hocking Hills (during the week when traffic volume is almost non-existent), and really give it the beans. After trying those, if you still think this is not an exciting car to drive (in manual mode, of course), then I'm not sure what the problem is :-)

hearing my great Borla exhaust bellow on these winding, hilly roads through the hollers of southeastern Ohio is just intoxicating...

I too have had numerous, awesome 3-pedal sports cars in my time, but nothing I have driven gives the pure pleasure of this car on the right, uninhabited roads....the grip and power are just amazing.

 

It’s never boring when I am driving it.

 

It's a comparative thing with other cars you may own, have owned, or experienced. Of course, virtually everyone finds it to be an enjoyable car to drive.

 

To make the cat less "boring" is simple. Replace the exhaust with a Borla track exhaust, put the mag ride in track setting and turn off the traction control and use the paddles to exclusively control the transmission. You could also add a turbo or two if needed. Problem solved.! I love my '23, Z51,3LT mag ride "Boring C8".

 

My C8 is my 5th Corvette and by far my favorite. I don't have the Z51 package but I did add the NPP exhaust and Mag Ride.

I had a C7 A8 from 2015-2019 that had the Z51 package and I thought I had my last Corvette. I did nothing to it and I absolutely loved that car. It had enough electronics in it to make it more interesting that my C4 or C5. I went to Ron Fellows and learned my skills in it so I knew what I could and could not, or should not, do on the streets. My most memorable drive in it was the Tail of the Dragon both ways on a weekday in late March 2018. I drove it hard both ways because there was nobody else on the road. When I got back to the north end I could smell the transmission because I ran it so hard. My wife and I also took several road trips in it. I sold it because she had a back issue and it was just sitting in my garage.

I had to replace it so I decided I wanted raw power. I did my research and bought a 09 C6 that had a manual transmission. It went to Vengeance Racing for a build. When I went to pick it up I heard them start it and got goosebumps. It was loud and it rumbled sitting still. It had the raw power and I could easily scare myself in it. I thought I had a keeper but after 14 months I decided I just didn't like it as well as I liked the C7 so I sold it. I was going to buy a 18-19 Grand Sport but the Covid market had prices on those cars as high or higher than I could get a C8. I had never driven a mid-engine car but decided to take the leap.

The C8 does things none of my other Corvettes would do - like hang a curve 10-15 MPH faster without even coming close to feeling like it might break loose. It is also a much softer ride when I want it to be. If I decide I want to have fun into Z Mode it goes, I press the manual button, and have a lot of fun with the paddles. Many times when I pull it into my garage and cut it off the fans are running because I live on a rural road with a lot of twisties. I'm fairly frugal with my money so I am a one toy (car) guy. I'm coming up on two years with my C8 and even with some health issues that have kept me out of it I haven't even considered parting with it. A trip to Ron Fellows COS in late June told me I made the right decision - for me.

Good luck with your decision.

 

Yes, that something that it's missing is the manual which would have helped give it some soul!

 

C8 is a nice refined touring car. I prefer to row my own gears. It may be slower to shift, but I feel more connected to the road.

 

I came very close to pulling the trigger on a 2020 Miata Club RF, but opted instead to get the C8.
I still think it would be great to have the MX-5 too. If it's not fast enough for you, these have a super easy to install Eaton supercharger kit that will get you from 155HP to 250HP for under $7k. Wider tires, a little extra aero and spoiler/downforce in the back, upgraded seat belts/harness and it's a little track monster.