Yep, understand!

See you're in SC from CT! So am I! We moved here from Ridgefield (corporate headquarters were in Danbury in an office the corporation could not afford-pic below.) We formed a leveraged buyout of a business that was part of Linde. Made headquarters in our largest plant here in Florence. Closed 3 in US, Canadian manufacturing and grew the German business 3-fold in 4 years. After consolidating locations had ~1000 folks in Florence. Sold it to the largest welding/cutting machine and filler materials company in the World at the time.

Headquarters moved for 50 story building in NYC since no one would leave to come work in the City. I moved to new headquarters from OH. Built this 1.2 million square feet 2300 office Headquarters in Danbury CT. Neat, you parked on your office level BUT too expensive!

 

It's not really about pushing the car to the limits. It's about experiencing the difthence in the DCT vs the auto. Additionally, given the transmission issues these cars have had, if it didn't feel smooth there is no way I'm buying a used car almost out of warranty.

 

The C8 is a lot more engaging if you put it into Manual in any drive mode. Shifting up and down through the gears will help minimize the boring feeling.
If I was younger I might install an exhaust upgrade but with the short exhaust piping it’s hard the get the tone I like.
If I decide to keep the C8 long term, I think a Turbo might keep it interesting😜😜

 

I ONLY drive it in manual, my mode. Base set to sport. It’s the only way to go. Auto just doesn’t do it

 

You guys are making me remove my name from the C8 list to buy my first ever corvette

 

@dohabandit Just FYI, in 2019, the MX-5 engine was upgraded from 155 to 181 hp, and the redline increased from 6800 to 7500 rpm. The 4th gen MX-5 has two model designations, ND1 and ND2. The ND2 (2019 to present) is considerably more fun, and it pulls hard all the way to 7500 rpm.

Ours is a "Club" w/ Brembo/BBS/Recaro pkg, which also includes an aero pkg, upgraded shocks, and summer performance tires.

 

I sold my 2LT htc after about 11 months. My toys are a massaged 67 big block that I have been perfecting for 43 years and a Honda S2000 with less than 10k miles. My original plan was to sell the Honda and have an old and new corvette. The c8 was just not exciting at least for me. I also did not think it was a great grand tourer- too much tire rumble, too hard to see out of, and not that smooth riding on calif roads. Anyway I sold the c8 and did loose quite a bit- ppf ,rad guards , sales tax’ courtesy deliv fees and 5k less than sticker. Took the money and bought the 670hp Tesla model s.
people say no soul… it reminds me of a modern impala with a big block- big, smooth And very fast. Plus I am not looking under it all the time for transmission fluid!

 

Yep after talking to a fellow who only had standard shifts (like me) then bought a Ferrari where also no choice, come only with DCTs, he said he always drives in manual. Did that 100% for the first month. BUT when break-in was over hit the rev limiter several times leaving the Stop Sign at the end of our rural road as I made the 90-degree turn and the upshift paddle was out of position. It's often heavy traffic (like it will be today with folks leaving their weekly rental from Myrtle Beach.) We're an hour from the Beach BUT no stop traffic going to I95 South, 1st place to do that is highway in front of our rural road. Since I make a left and the C8 does not allow me to park at an angel in the 4-lane highway divider I usually wait for gaps in both directions. Geting to ~60 fast is a big help BUT no fun when you hit the rev limiter with cars coming up fast!

I face this every time I leave my house, no option, only way out! Found Z-Mode set to Track and that issue was solved. No need to pull a paddle it's smart enough to shift at redline! Some complain that it shift rpm is too high. Not for me it's exactly where I shifted my two C7s 7 speeds. What I find most fund is downshifting. Since my 1st standard shift 63 years ago and all since (until the C8 every DD was a standard shift) I always downshifted and heel/toe rev matched for turns. Eevn slow ones in town. With my two C7s usually was in 5th (don't use the Interstate so never used 7th and found no use for 6th.) I would skip a gear and downshift to 3rd. With the C8 I just apply the brakes aggressively and it downshifts several gears rev matching each (BTW, if Tracking there is a way to have it skip a gear but I love the multigear rev matching sound.) Even Jaun Fangio could not downshift thru multiple gears that fast! If behind someone going 55 on a rural road I can pull the upshift paddle and have in go into 6th or 7th.

 

I find these Z Mode settings as well as having the Soler Throttle Controller set to Sport 4 provides more than enough driving excitement for me...I also find no need to go into manual mode when I'm in Z mode with Engine / Shift set to "track"....These Z Mode settings also disable AFM...

 

I just checked a few complaining and find they are youngsters, >40!

This old timer (80) has only had standard shifts as DD's since I was 16. Downshifted every turn, even when the lower gear was not at high rpm. (Frankly anyone can learn to mash the throttle with heel/toe or toe/side of foot in well-spaced pedals to bring the rpm near red line.) BUT when making a turn in town from 5th to 3rd with my C6 Z51, I prided myself being able to modulate the throttle to match, say the 3000 rpm lower gear. Not as easy and I didn't get it perfect every time. With my two C7, 7 speeds it was always perfect! The computer could take it from cruising in 7th at say 65 mph for an off-ramp where you wanted to be in direct drive 4th- it matched perfectly!

Now as an old timer I hate using my iPhone with thumbs! No need to have anyone contacting me anytime they want! Even my wife! When I'm in the C8 have my iPhone set not to receive calls or beeps when moving. Plenty of time when I stop to answer foolish text messages! Expect some of you young folks who are addicted to a cell phone can learn some new tricks! I have!

 

Interesting but i get it. Thats exactly how i felt about the C7...just never grew to love it and frankly found it boring to drive....made me miss my C6 every time i got behind the wheel. Feel the exact opposite about my C8.

 

That’s a shame. I’ve owned four generations before my C8 and the C8 is by far the best.

Go with percentages. Math doesn’t lie. If you look at the percentages in just this thread a far higher number love their C8 vs another sports car.

The first C8 that I saw on the street belonged to a neighbor. We all had three car garages and two of his were always occupied by two very expensive Porsches. The other was occupied by his wife’s Cayenne. When I saw him I stopped him. He told me that while his wife’s SUV wasn’t for sale he had sold one of his Porsches for the C8. He hung onto his other one to buy either a Z06 or an eRay. He hadn’t made up his mind.

Don’t let a few negative reviews rob you from owning what I consider - after owning one of each of the last four generations - the best Corvette ever built.

 

get it. I wouldn’t sway anyone. I just think it all stems on personal preference and prior cars. The C8 is a great GT and a great car all around. It’s just not at all raw and to get the drama you gotta go looking for it .

 

Having had this car for 3 months and a previous C6 & a C7, this is the best Corvette ever. I absolutely love this car. Boring? Not a chance!

 

So this is a good example of how a boring car can be woken up. I had a SL55 and we enhanced it greatly. My SL55 became very fun. We got the HP well over 700 by doing the following:
Supercharger pulley
Custom Exhaust
High-flow cats
Headers
Aftermarket Intercooler
Eurocharge tune

That made the SL55 a BEAST!!! The ABC suspension however was extremely irritating lol.

So maybe that means the C8 can also be woken up with the right enhancements. Of course it's not forced induction but these days you can add that to it.

 

Don't do that. Get it. Better yet, test drive one since you can do that nowadays. It could be perfect for you. It all depends on what you have owned previously and what stimulates you.

If you've never owned a muscle car or exotic, you will absolutely LOVE the C8. If you have experience with previous "drivers' cars" it could go either way.

 

We're going into the 4th model year. I think any talk of being the first is long over.

 

Maybe not 1st but it's still special.....i live in Charlotte NC and im lucky to see one c8 a day

 

Time flies, it’s going into year 5 of production. Going in a straight line it is boring, but isn’t that the philosophy for a comfortable cruise? Getting on it in the twisties Is far from boring IMO.

 

I thought the same as you and when I did floor it a few times, I changed my mind. It's a Jekyll and Mr.Hyde kind of car.