The C8 Corvette breaks from tradition as the first-ever production mid-engine sports car to wear the Corvette nameplate. With exotic-style performance and a price tag that starts just under $60,000, the new eighth-gen model brings broad appeal, something which is underlined by the fact that most C8 Corvette buyers are new to the Chevrolet brand.
During a recent meeting attended by GM Authority, vice president of Chevrolet Steve Hill discussed the new C8 Corvette and its buyers. According to Hill, two out of three C8 buyers are new to Chevy.
Interestingly, General Motors also indicates that the Porsche 911 is the most cross-shopped vehicle for C8 Corvette buyers.
According to the latest sales figures, General Motors sold 8,992 units of the Corvette in the fourth quarter of 2020, with 21,626 units sold year-to-date in 2020. That’s a significant increase compared to 2019, during which 3,491 units of the Corvette were sold in Q4, with 17,988 units sold year-to-date in 2019.
Previously, production of the new C8 was anything but smooth, with significant delays incurred during the UAW labor strike in 2019, and a production shutdown resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, however, as GM Authority reported last month, C8 Corvette production is holding steady at two shifts, with an average of 186 cars produced per day at GM’s production facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the only production facility in the world to produce the new C8 Corvette.
With its naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 engine, the C8 Corvette produces 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque right out of the box, with the optional factory Performance Exhaust system upping output to 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. The sprint to 60 mph is accomplished in less than three seconds, while top speed is pegged at around 194 mph. Add in mid-engine handling and styling, and it’s easy to see why the new C8 Corvette is so popular, even among buyers new to the Chevy brand.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more mid-engine Corvette news, Corvette C8 news, Corvette news, Chevrolet news, and 24/7 GM news coverage.
Comments
That is me! I was planning on a Porsche but when the C8 came out, I bought my first GM, or American car. Love it!
Same here!
Do you still like the C8?
I don’t think he has changed his mind in last one hour fifty minutes.
I am totally pleased that some non Corvette owners are purchasing the new C8. However I would really like to see the hard data on how many new Corvette owners are new to the Chevrolet/GM brand. Two thirds of C8 owners are new to Chevy? Seems incredible. Show me the data!
I am a first time corvette owner. 67 years old and just retired. I ordered and put down deposit on a 2020 on 12-19. I was informed I had to wait for 2021. Good news is the dealer charged sticker price. It did go up $1500 for the 2021. I picked up my Z51 HTC on 12-26 and on 12-27 the HT would not close and latch. A warning says “top not secure” and the car is limited to 58MPH. I took it back to the dealer an hour away and they contacted GM then ordered parts. When they were installing the part they found a 3-4″ phillips screwdriver had been left at the latch area. Had to order more parts from the damage. The top was out of alignment and ordered more parts. Car has been in the shop 20 days now. I went to the dealer yesterday and was told the car has a scratch on it from working on it and they ordered more parts. I am waiting to see if I get any compensation? The top worked the one time at the dealer when I picked the car up. No problem with Eric’s Chevrolet in Kokomo. They have kept me posted on all the problems. All because someone dropped his screwdriver in the top and was too damned stupid to stop the line and get it! The car was great to drive for 2 days! $97,580 out the door price!!
They don’t use manual screwdrivers on the line. Would be facing millions of dollars of carpal tunnel lawsuits within a month. The guy doing the PDI at your dealer dropped it and forgot about it.
I cannot wait to get mine. Ordered 09/ February / 2020, for a 2020 C8. GM phoned me about a month ago and I was told I would get a 2021 guaranteed , by May.
Not new to Chevy, we own a Volt, but a Corvette , yes, never had one.
Congrats on the Vette, keep it in the garage and when you’re ready to sell it in 15-20 years let me know 😁
How many of them were just speculators looking to flip the car? I see numerous ads with 20-30k markups at used car dealerships with only a couple hundred miles on them. If 2/3 are new to Chevy, that means the C8 did not resonate well with the traditional Corvette buyer, including myself.
A lot of traditional vet buyers are probably waiting for the day when supply exceeds demand a lot of the buyers now have nothing better to do with money and when the novelty wears off they will be in the used market. when supply exceeds demand some will do the smart thing and play with it a little and flip it for a profit and buy another. have seen some overpriced “demos” dealers owner or management driving it and selling it at a mark-up at least the buyer gets the full warranty.
I ordered a new 2021 C8 Convertible and I’ve owned five other Corvettes including a C7 Grand-sport convertible. My 2021 is currently at a status 3000.
ordered mine in jan 2020 and it is paid for in full and still no one can or will give me any clue when i might get it, getting really discusted, the new mustang gt500 looks better every day, checked one out today.
why pay in full, you could have put a little down, bought some amazon or zoom and you could add an escalade, trailboss,and a hog to your fleet plus something for the mrs. in exchange for some extra special.
Going from a Porsche 911S cabriolet, to a C8 HTC. Should have by May.
Hello. magnificent job. I did not expect this. This is a splendid story. Thanks!
I’ve never bought a Cheverolet before yet upon watching the grand preview online I went to the dealer the next morning and plunked down 5K.
Any car guy should know that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get an LS Under Glass. These whiners were either too dumb or too broke to buy one. How long they decide to enjoy it is their prerogative. Stop blaming other for your own inability to succeed.
ordered mine in may 2020 .i to have no idea when or if i will get it. i am 64 never bought an American car before . i have a Porsche now. it is a very long time to wait for a car we will see if my patience can last.