The upcoming mid-engine Corvette is arguably one of the most debated and mysterious vehicles from Chevrolet over the past two decades. Not only do we not know what will power it (though we may have an idea with the new Cadillac Twin-Turbo V8 engine), but we also aren’t privy to how it will be positioned or what kind of performance envelope it will have. Luckily, not knowing much about the vehicle hasn’t stopped anyone from making some (educated) guesses.
So, today, we’re asking what you think will be the starting price for the future Corvette. For reference, we’ve provided the starting prices of the current C7 Corvette family, and ask that you cast your vote for what you think will be the starting price of the vehicle in the poll just below.
| Model | Base MSRP – Coupe | Base MSRP – Convertible |
|---|---|---|
| Corvette Stingray | $55,495 | $60,590 |
| Corvette Grand Sport | $65,495 | $70,590 |
| Corvette Z06 | $79,495 | $84,590 |
| Corvette ZR1 | $121,000 | $123,995 |
About The Mid-Engine Corvette
Rumored for the past several years, the mid-engine Corvette has been spotted with increasing frequency undergoing testing with a heavy amount of camouflage. At the beginning of April, an attendee of the 2018 Chevrolet national dealer meeting was cited as saying that executives showed images of the future Corvette mid-engine sports car (aka Corvette C8), confirming the vehicle’s existence in future Chevy product pipeline.
The mid-engine Corvette C8 is expected to launch for the 2020 model year sometime in the 2019 calendar year. Stay tuned to GM Authority more Corvette news and Corvette C8 news coverage.
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Comments
The Corvette will be priced as to how fast you want to go.
Look for a base model to come in at $69,999 and go up from there.
the standard model will run from $69K to $80K.
The equal to the Grand Sport will go $80K to $120K.
The replacement for the ZR1 will go $120K -$175K
Chevy is not going to abandon the lower end and you will get a car much like today with an aluminum frame and ohv engine that cost very little more to put it behind the driver than in front of the driver.
Now as you go up the engines will get more expensive as will the use of more exotic materials like Carbon Fiber etc.
We will also see increases in price due to things just being better like interiors and features. AWD will fall in at some point along the way as well as a drop top.
The only reason many Mid engine cars are so expensive is because they make so few of them and often with one off parts. The Corvette at 30,000 units is much more than a Ferrari that runs less than 3,000 units. The Corvette also has made use of GM resources that are deep for transmissions, engines and even Heating, AC and Ventilation.
The Market now for mid engine has come down in price as Audi and even McLaren now are below $200K for some very exotic cars. If you think GM can not do it for less you really underestimate GM.
If you do not agree please post the reasons why moving a Corvette Engine behind the driver would be a lot more than the prices I posted here. The cooling system and some added length for lines on AC may add some cost but the engine is no more expensive. The Vette today uses a transaxle now. The Body on the base model will still be sheet molded as we have now. The brakes are going to be the same. Etc.
Volume changes the whole thing when it comes to prices. When you can build more than 1000% more units than Ferrari does on a $270.000 model and you use an engine from a Truck you can pass on a lot of savings and not give up much in performance.
I disagree on some things.
1. The transmission is a new DCT from Tremec, not a GM parts bin piece. This IS a fact, confirmed by multiple insiders from CorvetteForum.com.
2. It will not offer AWD. I Have looked and looked at the CAD drawings and have found zero evidence of an all-wheel drive system, and there’s no way that it’ll fit the chassis without major structural changes. There’s also no reason for it, as the Corvette team is aiming to shift weight distribution far rearward and improve handling. Only VW makes AWD supercars, and I don’t know anyone who thinks that a 911 Turbo S handles better than a 911 GTS.
3. A convertible will be available at launch, per multiple spy shots.
4. While there will be an OHV engine in the Stingray at launch, it will be replaced by a DOHC engine. That info comes from the CAD leaker ZERV on CorvetteForum. He also says that there will be a 4.6L Twin-turbo V8 and a 5.4L Twin-Turbo V8. One will be called the LT7. The engines will get more expensive, and that’s the majority of the price increase.
My Pricing strategy:
Stingray – $65,000 base price
Grand Sport – $80,000 base price
Z06 – $90,000 base price
ZR1 – $135,000 base price
The mules we see driving around appear to be Stingrays. Notice the lack of large brakes, carbon ceramic brakes, high performance tires, and the wonky ride height.
its going to be so badass with the DCT and the Coils vs leafs. the c7 is an amazing car but the A8 even tuned to the max like mine is still not a DCT. plus the hot air that blows through the vents and the tire skipping drives me nuts. All this should be gone with the mid-engine plus grip should be improved. Turn in and ride is amazing with the 17 MR upgrade but again we are still on leaf springs for 50 years which is a joke.
I think the C8 has a really good chance of blowing the lambos and ferraris and mclarens away
Why are the leaf springs a joke? ZR1 is demolishing track records as we speak.
50 year old technology dating back to the c2 and zora duntov. Do you seriously have to ask that. I have driven or been in more vettes then you care to know about dating back to the c1. The c8 will finally jump the corvette to the modern era.
The leaf springs time has come and go and we need to get a modern double A arm or double wishbone which we will.
We’ll Ferrari is a automaker and the Corvette is a car.
I expect the roadster will carry over as will the ZR1 for a year or two but both will be replaced by a C8.
I had a Buick Regal with a rear leaf spring instead of coils. It has a perfecty smooth ride.
Always a pleasure to hear from you Bob!
1. I never said what it was using for the trans axle and yes it is DCT that is part of the price increase.
2. The early models may not offer AWD but they will add it at some point. You have not seen all their plans yet.
3 A targa is going to be available but no soft top mules have been seen as of yet.
Yes there will be a TTV8 but to keep the price down on the base model the present carry over LT will be on hand. Vette s rarely introduce with new engines with new platforms.
The prices you have start well but come up short. On the high end. They will just under cut the Audi R at the top end.
There has been a mule spotted with larger brakes.
Also note the suspension is adjustable, the nose will be programmable to raise and lower with GPs so you will not scrape the nose. You can program it for common places like your driveway.
I think they will continue with a front-engined variant. Why not? Good enough for Ferrari!
I sure hope you are right Bob.
When you are young you dream of saving your money and buying a ‘Vette.
The C8 price range is getting exclusive.
Some ‘Vette fans are going to be turning the the Camaro.
That’s the GM plan. The Camaro has been moving upmarket and the Vette is taking a leap up. The world is swimming in money and are demanding high priced Supercars/Hypercars. Ferrari/Lambo/McLaren and many others are all sold out at much higher levels. They are cashing in big time.
That would be an interesting move on Chevy’s part. I do think there will always be an affordable entry-level Camaro, but if the styling is taken to the next level with the 7th gen then the SS and ZL1 could rise substantially in price. Especially now that the 2.7T I4 can produce a level of performance attained only by V8s a little over a decade ago.
In my view, since the Camaro chassis is already competitive with anything from Porsche/BMW, its future will depend on the styling and and practicality. What the next generation needs is original modern styling combined with acceptable outward visibility. Make those changes to the gen7 Camaro the sky will be the limit.
Or Chevy can just keep doing what they’re doing and watch their sales dwindle. The new 2019 Camaros that have borrowed their front end from Chevy’s trucks portend a dark future for the model. I’ve been watching used Camaros on cars.com for over a year and once the 2019 front end became widely known it seemed like buyers snapped up all the used 2016-17 Camaros. Could just be a coincidence but that’s what it seemed like.
I think you are spot on, very well said.
Base:: LT1/LT2, OHV NA PI/DI 5.5-liter’s or 5.2-liter’s, I don’t seeing it being 6.2-liter’s, I see it being smaller, for racing too.
I think it will start between 65k and 70k.
What I really hope happens is that the Corvette gets a set of engines that have a higher HP rating that will let the Camaro finally be able to have the same HP.
The Camaro will never be able to be as fast as the c8!
If they keep making a front-mid engine (C7) then they can price the rear-mid engine C8 higher. If the C7 and it’s low entry price goes away than they need something other than the Camaro to control that $50-90k market that they built
I agree that the new Corvette should not be “expensive”, and should sell below $70,000 to compete favorably against all the foreign “supercars”. If the demand is high (as a new Corvette), it may have margins added, but it must not go up much, or else Corvette fans will see it out of their reach and buy something else.
Far too many people commenting based on emotion, but Ford’s recent announcement to cease production on many of their cars should not be overlooked. GM has some of the worst days-on-hand inventory at dealers for cars, so the idea that Chevy will produce a low volume, limited market halo car is not only ridiculous, it would be downright suicide from a financial perspective. IT IS NOT HAPPENING. They’ve seen what’s happened with the NSX, and if a mid-engine Corvette is over $100K, that’s exactly what will happen – no one will buy it.
What we DO know is Chevy is a volume dealer. The Corvette is also one of their most PROFITABLE cars, and the historical run rate tells you everything you need to know. Estimates suggest a near 50% gross margin, and they sell 30,000 cars per year, as they have (more or less) for as long as anyone here can remember. WHY WOULD THEY DEVIATE FROM THAT NOW? There’s NO chance – they didn’t approve a business case that presented a $500M investment in Bowling Green and a move away from the FE platform (there will NOT be a new FE car – that’s pretty obvious) for a 1,500 unit / year run rate. That’s short sighted and if anything, GM is dominated by nervous bean counters that would have rejected that business case tomorrow.
Again, look at Ford and the success they’ve had with the Mustang, particularly in Europe, where GM has failed with the current Corvette. The Mustang is selling on par with the Porsche 911, and Chevy sees this. The purpose of building a ME Corvette is to a) keep the platform fresh and selling in volume; b) to ensure continued competitiveness in the racing world; and c) to penetrate Europe, where they have had ZERO luck.
We also know from the engine numbers leaked that Chevy is projecting a 40,000 unit / year run rate. That’s higher than they typically do, which means they need a new market to get that (Europe).
There is no business case on earth that supports GM producing a mid-engine Corvette at over $100K for a base model with the type of investment and profit this brand injects. Not in a world where Ford is cancelling cars in favor of trucks. Not in a world where wanna-be competitors like Acura’s NSX fail miserably. Not in a world where you can get 50% margins from a model with a completely predictable run rate. It flies in the face of all logic, and the historical moves Chevy / GM have made with Corvette and OTHER models in their line.
Expect C7 pricing. This car will base at $60-65K. Higher end cars will approach / exceed $100K, but only after a few years of production on the lower end models so they get a ROI on their investment.
Over at CF, a few folks have pointed out that every time Chevy introduces a newer generation Corvette, everyone runs around like Chicken Little “IT’S GOING TO BE MORE THAN $100K!!!”, and every time, it’s NOT. Chevy is not Ferrari – they sell SILVERADOS, CRUZES, and CORVETTES (VOLUME VEHICLES)!!!
This is a bit over dramatic. You even point out why the car will live.
Yes GM makes money with the Corvette. They will always make money on the Corvette and if they do not they will kill it.
The reality is going mid engine is not going to lower the profitability nor the volume sold.
We will see more variations of this car to suit more markets as they can entertain the entry level sports but yet take this car to much higher levels at a higher price in more limited numbers.
Things like two valve engines and sheet molded bodies can be changed out for TT DOHC V8 engines and carbon bodies very easily.
GM is not the only one who has played the field with models as even Porsche has made it a habit to have the sub $100K 911 all the way up to the $250K units that sell in the small numbers. They make money on all of them.
Ford is only killing the small FWD based cars in this country as they can not compete. They will still have them globally in Europe and can bring them back easily. GM may pare down models soon too. Both will just make models on the same platforms that are taller and have 5 doors.
The markets for the sedan in NA are declining for all and even the high volume folks will see major declines. Their global markets will sustain them at lower numbers that GM and Ford just did not carry.
The truth is if you can afford a Corvette today you will be able to buy a C8. The reality is on how fast of a Vette you get well be more wide spread and the faster you get the more it will cost. We ill this time see a model in the Audi price range that will see HP close to the Mega Supercars power in a few years. GM has tested over 1.000 HP and will move that direction at some point but you will not pay $60K for that model.
The base model pays for 90% of the Corvette development but the Z06-ZR1 make well over half of the profits. The Z06 at $100K is where most of the market is at this point.
It can’t be over 100K. Volumes would fall off so drastically in the next recession that the car wouldn’t be economically feasible. This isn’t Ferrari with the largest margins in the industry.
The rear- Mid-engine will not replace the current front-Mid-engine. Logically, pricing will be in the high six figures, maybe more.
This is fake news.
And you’re butt hurt about a car that was always going to be out of your reach.
ATP is always more important than volume, and if you think people aren’t already paying $100K for high end Corvettes, you’ll have the most to lose when the C8 is revealed formally.
The Corvette as an affordable supercar is a quaint memory that last held any real sway in the late 70’s, when the C3 more than tripled in price in the span of 10 years. How’s that for being an affordable blue collar supercar?
I can probably buy you and sell you on credit. My daily driver is a 2017 M5.
I’m saying that it will not start at 100 grand or over but well below. I’m very well aware that it may stretch to 200K in the higher end AWD/hybrid versions.
They need to move fast to an electric Corvette, electric super cars are the future, and this mid engine piston vehicle may be outrun shortly by rather pedestrian electric vehicles in GM’s own line up.
Word. Bring on the PHEV Corvette E-Ray or whatever they’ll call it in the second year, so maybe 2020…2021 at the latest. DOHC 5.5L V8 Twin Turbo with an electric motor to drive the front wheels (1000 hp total) and enough battery capacity for at least 20 miles of EV range under “moderate” driving.
This gives enthusiasts time to acclimate to a hybrid sports car while GM waits for battery energy density to reach the necessary level for a pure EV Corvette, which will be maybe 2024. They could do an EV Corvette right now but it couldn’t perform on a track all day without serious thermal degradation of the battery and the EVSE equipment isn’t ubiquitous enough to make recharges practical.
I’d bet good money that at least one of the prototypes seen in the wild has been the hybrid Corvette. It will require the most engineering R&D, more than even the EV, but it’s a necessary bridge between now and some time in the future when the energy density of batteries high enough to make a pure EV Corvette a reality.