With its naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 LT2 engine mounted behind the cabin, the Corvette C8 Stingray offers exotic mid-engine performance and proportions, going toe-to-toe with some of the world’s finest sports cars. However, the new Vette can do more than just beat up on European nameplates – it can also perform well in the real world as, you know, a car. As such, we’re taking a closer look at the Corvette C8 Stingray’s available cargo room, specifically how it compares to the available trunk room of the front-engined Corvette C7.
To find out, GM Authority Executive Editor Alex Luft is putting the Corvette C8 Stingray alongside a Corvette C7 for a direct, hands-on comparison test. The whole thing is captured in the following 4-minute, 17-second video.
First things first, we get a look at all the cargo packed into the rear of the C7 Corvette, where Luft has two carry-on bags, an enormous sports bag stuffed with hockey gear, and two hockey sticks (incredibly, Luft still has all his teeth). Notably, the hockey sticks don’t intrude into the passenger compartment, and all the gear mentioned fits neatly under the C7’s hatch.
Taking the gear out, Luft then lifts the rear engine cover on the Corvette C8 Stingray and attempts to fit as much of it as possible into the mid-engine sports car’s rear cargo area. Unsurprisingly, only some of the items make it, specifically the two carry-ons, while the hockey bag and hockey sticks do not. While there is some space leftover around the two carry-ons, the majority of the Corvette C8 Stingray rear cargo area is occupied. Meanwhile, the front trunk (or “funk”) isn’t large enough to fit the remaining pieces.
Nevertheless, the Corvette C8 Stingray’s frunk is far from useless, offering enough space for some ski boots or a standard carry-on bag.
To note, the Corvette C8 Stingray offers a total of 12.6 cubic-feet of cargo room (including both the front and rear cargo compartments), whereas the Corvette C7 offers 15 cubic-feet of cargo room.
Check out the full hands-on cargo comparison test by hitting play on the video below:
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Comments
To note, the official capacity measurements are made with square boxes. The C8 is much closer to the total capacity of the C7 if you use soft bags. No, it won’t hold long items like hockey sticks, but the entire 7 piece Corvette luggage set for the C7 will fit in the C8, too.
Having both a C7 and C8 in the family, I can say that the actual usable space of the C8 is much less than that of the C7. It seems that this video demonstrates exactly that.
Advertised cargo spaces; C8=12.6 cu ft, C7=15 cu ft, C6=22.4 cu ft, C5=24.6 cu ft. Don’t care whether using square boxes or duffle bags, to measure, the C8 doesn’t have a lot of cargo area.
Albeit, the cargo area in the C6 and C5 is much more versatile.
We don’t plan on replacing our 2013 C6 Grand Sport any time soon for a C8.
And passenger area; the C5 is more comfortable than the C6, which is more comfortable than the C7,
which is more comfortable than the C8, in terms of usable shoulder-to-shoulder passenger space.
I’ve heard more than just a few people say the C8 is claustrophobic.
GM/Chev/Corvette Team should have included a Class 1 trailer hitch option for the C8, as was available for
1977-1981, RPO-ZN1, and have a Callaway Shooting Brake style trailer option available for purchase,
or one could always purchase a motorcycle style luggage trailer.
This guy gets it.
Total USABLE cargo area is down substantially on the C8 compared to C7.
Having gone from a C6 to a C7, I disagree and find the C7 to be much more comfortable for both driver and passenger, and my wife completely agrees. Although subjective, this is our view, going from owning our C6 for 9 years, to our C7, for the past 3+ years..
I thought this was a discussion on storage space between the C7 compared to the C8.
The C8 is not an SUV? Shocking!
It will fit a full size golf bag and plenty of luggage for a couple of days. You defiantly have to learn to pack differently. You can put hard luggage in the C7. The C8 does much better with soft sided luggage. Small concession in my opinion.
Easy fix. Switch to soccer.
Use a longer narrow taller duffle style bag for your hockey gear . Leather ones from Mexico work fine for me. A buddy can bring your sticks to a game. Adaptive thinking solves problems.
Screw golf bags and hockey sticks, I’d shove a 6 foot ladder, a few 2x4s and a gaggle of EMT in there poking straight out the removable roof panel and tie a red shop towel around them. Consider redressing colonialist standards and measure cargo carrying capacity in more inclusive terms such as how many bricks or kilos it’ll hold…
Drive a different vehicle to the games… like the Hummer, Escalade, or whatever other luxury SUV you have. I certainly would not purchase a C8 … or any other Vette because of it’s luggage carrying capacity. Buy a Bolt and fold the seat down… LOL 😂
…how many stolen, unregistered firearms can it move into Chicago? How many illegal ballots cast for the ever popular Joe Biden by people who’ve been dead 20 years can it transport on election night? 🤣
Wish the c8 didn’t have much of a trunk because the rear end of the car is borderline hideous with it.
Took my mother-in-law to the eye doctor with my C-5. Folded her wheel chair and put it in the trunk. Even had the top down. She enjoyed the ride a lot.
I love my C8, but must admit it is tight in the cockpit and neither me nor any of my passengers (so far) are overly large people. It’s basically adequate, but with the firewall right behind the seats it leaves only the small console compartment and glove box for stowing anything. There’s no mentionable room at all to stash incidentals like purses, briefcases, computer bags, lunch, etc with two occupants. A little more room would be nice, but then, I just remind myself that it’s meant to be a sports car – not a serious touring or even commuting vehicle. It serves the purpose intended.
More important to me is the temperature of the rear storage compartment. I put a wireless temperature monitoring device back there to “see” just what’s going on. On a “normal” 75 – 80 degree day – the rear storage area may get to 100 – 105. That’s pretty acceptable. But one day last week it was 110 around here. I intentionally put the car through it’s paces to assess the engine cooling systems. I first took the car out to the interstate to get the engine fully heat soaked. Based on oil temp and coolant temp, the engine cooling systems did well. With the engine and compartment heat soaked – I pulled off into a parking lot sat there for about 15 minutes – engine running. Temperature coming off the pavement was 108. The engine temps remained pretty reasonable – topping out at only 200. Engine oil temp approached but never exceeded coolant temp during this test. Drove home – about 6 miles – in very slow traffic. When I got home the rear storage compartment temp was a toasty 133 degrees. That is not a typo. 133 F Wow.
So my point is, if you put something in the rear area during summer temperatures, be sure it’s not temperature sensitive and expect it’s going to get warm. It seems like the airflow through the engine compartment is pretty good cause temps back there stay reasonable until you stop. Then, with the engine and exhaust components heat soaked – and no air movement the surrounding areas, especially the rear storage, start to get heat soaked as well. So if you can and it’s practical – your best to remove any sensitive stuff right after the ride – or at least open the engine cover.
If you’re wondering why I cared so much about the rear temps, it’s because I was was trying to determine the best location to store a NOCO Lithium Ion battery booster. Max recommended storage temp is 122 F, and since it’s Li-Ion I didn’t want to overheat it. Under more normal temps in the 75 – 85 F range – the rear compartment would probably suffice. But knowing it can get much higher – I keep mine in the frunk. BTW – it seemed like the heat never impinged upon the cockpit area.
Thanks, JRF, for this important input re trunk temp. Never really considered it before.
My computer thanks you. This information should have been put forth by Chevrolet.
My pleasure Bobert. Important to emphasize is that the temps back there don’t start really rising until you stop and it begins to heat sink. If you get the sensitive stuff out of there right away on really hot days – you’ll be fine. And… with more “normal” temps – the rear compartment rarely goes above 105 – 110 even after heat sinking, which is pretty acceptable – unless it’s perishables. Enjoy your C8 – I know I am.
Hey JRF. We just completed a 2500 mile trip CA to TX on an NCRS Road Tour.
Lots of spots along the way were 110 degrees plus especially when back in
Palm Springs. Was trying to check temps in trunk but was too high for my laser thermometer to work. I had an aresol can of window cleaner back there and I nearly burned my hand when I grabbed it– to hot to pick up. We’re very careful what we put back there now. Surprisingly, no extra heat or discomfort felt in the cabin (convert).
Try taking a C8 to the golf course with two golf bags. You can’t. I’m very happy with My C7 Z51 thank you
Actually you can. You just have to use carry bags.
Right on Mark we are talking about a 2 person vehicle mainly used for pleasure, so how much luggage space do you need for a weekend Away,? If you are picking up 6 Bags of Lawn Fertilizer Please use use you brain and take the SUV .
You say that the Corvette is “mainly used for pleasure”. Please provide data or evidence that supports this line of thinking.
I have not seen any hard evidence that supports that claim. In fact, many Corvettes serve as daily drivers for their owners, including my C7. This is particularly true for city dwellers where parking is a particular luxury.
Please understand that no one is saying that the Corvette should have the storage capacity of an SUV or that it should carry fertilizer, etc. What is being discussed is how usable the C8’s cargo space actually is, especially for a daily driver. Nothing more, nothing less.
Chill
Who goes away for just a weekend [2days/nights]? Our trips usually last at least 1 week, and sometimes three,
even more. We’ve toured thru 32 of the lower 48. One trip was from our hm in MD to OR via the northern tier states,
visiting Mt Rushmore, and a number of state and federal parks, and national forests; Badlands, Glacier, Kootenai,
Black Hills. We go to Watkins Glen/Finger Lakes usually twice a yr for a week. ME/NH/VT for a week.
The MIchelin NCM Bash is a week, NCM KY One Lap is a week.
B-t-w, ever try to get a case of Wine into your C8 with all your duffle bags? You have to put it in the frunk,
as the heat in the rear storage area is not good for the Wine, or any other perishable.
And, yes, my Suburban daily driver is used for exactly as you describe; 24 bags of top soil, 20 bags of mulch.
8 5gal pales of driveway sealer.
See the USA in your Chevrolet….Corvette…..C5, C6, C7. The C8 is not travel friendly by any means.
IMHO I would assume that more people go away more often for the weekend than go away for extended vacations.
Am I the only one who can see that this is just a comparison (although a very late one and one that has been done to death already) of the usable luggage space. I didn’t take it as a knock against the C8 just a comparison.
What I wanna know is when did Alex get so buff?! That weight looks great on him. Lol Don’t mind me. Not hitting on him. I have a boyfriend. Just a complimentary observation. 😂🤷🏽♂️
I bought mine because it was at the top of my bucket list.
My first and only Corvette is my C8, it’s fun to drive, great to just look at the storage was the last concern having a Corvette.
Our 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT (bought new) didn’t have anymore trunk/frunk space as our C8 does, we did just fine traveling to Vegas and Sad Diego.
If your really that desperate to try to compare I’m pretty sure the C7 doesn’t have any front cargo space, but they do have roomy trunk space.
All the years before 2020 was nice and look nice but they can’t hold a candle to the awesomeness of owning a C8.
Maybe because it’s my first corvette at age 68.
If we want to travel and load up a vehicle with stuff we’ll take our truck, SUV or Motor Home
This is not my first Corvette, but it’s the first in a while. I went back to sports cars after decades of long distance motorcycle riding. At 73 I just decided I should get away from two wheels. I’ve ridden the perimeter of the US twice, coast-to-coast six times, and ridden in all fifty states. I always made the luggage space work and never complained about it, because it was simply “what it was” for the vehicle I chose to travel with. I see the C8 as no different. When I consider all the miles I traveled on a motorcycle, even the limited storage space of the C8 can be adequate and acceptable. I accepted the limitations going in but I still bought the car because I liked it. Now that I have it – I love it. For those that tend to travel light and want to travel in a sports car – it’s not issue. If it’s someone (like my wife) that needs a Suburban size vehicle to accommodate luggage for weekend – it will be an issue. Storage was never my intent nor a priority for the car. That’s why we have choices.
Alex
Apples and oranges.
You might as well compare it to a Ferrari or Mc Laren for storage.
Exactly 👍 I didn’t buy mine for storage.
It’s a corvette to corvette comparison. Apples, oranges or watermelons makes no difference. It’s corvette to corvette. No one forced Chevy or GM to go mid engine and sacrifice cargo capacity in the process.
If the cargo room in the C8 isn’t sufficient for your needs, then don’t buy it! Find another car! It really is that simple.
I play beer league hockey, I like driving my expensive sports car as much as I can. I miss the extra rear space of my first C5 even compared to my C7. Therefore a C8 will not work for me. I, much like the video presenter utilize my Corvette for normal things. I also enjoy showing people these cars don’t melt in the rain either. I still use my Corvette as much as I can, these cars are made to be driven, not rot under a cover on carpet squares in a garage. The C7 GS MN7 will be very hard for me to ever part ways with because of the actual usable space and well, manual.
Yeah, it should have stayed as a RWD car and added more storage. That’s the mark of a great sports car as everyone knows.
Great sports car something like the Vega or Pinto.
How about that trunk space in the mid engine
McLaren 👍 a true very expensive sports car.
I find the C8 to have enough room for my needs.
My trips are typically a week long and involve a fat garment bag and a laptop back-pack. It sounds like the garment bag will not fit in a C8. Perhaps the passenger seat? If my wife travels with me, even if just to the airport, we’ll have to take the truck or Gen 6 Camaro. Maybe the C9 will be a couple inches longer and allow for more luggage room.
One thing for sure and that is that this article has sparked more comments than I’ve ever seen before. It kind of looks to me like a front-engine vs mid-engine controversy. That is, those that do not accept the C8 for any reason vs those that accept that in order to stay competitive in the serious sports car world – change was necessary. Can’t have it both ways – the Corvette cannot be “America’s Sports Car” if it doesn’t stay competitive. Just look around. It is what it is – don’t buy it if you don’t like it. I wouldn’t buy a Bolt – but I’m not going to trash-talk it.
When we travel on NCRS Road Tours that are usually 4 to 7 days, my wife takes enough stuff to outfit a small army. I think she’s been taking the same amount of stuff as she did in our C4, C7 and C8.
So far there has been no capacity complaints on the C8. In fact, the Frunk is a real boon.
But, of course, I started sportscarhood with an MGA so I learned early how to pack.
OMG what do us C8 owners do now ??????
I’m pretty sure we really didn’t need another waisted time YouTube video to know this, it was pretty obvious when I was able to actually check out a C8 in person before I bought.
Maybe this video wasn’t made for you then, eh? Perhaps you’re not the target audience… have you considered that?a
Considering I own a C8, my point was I personally don’t care, target or not going back and forth over and over.
I didn’t buy a C8 worried about how much stuff I could load up, I bought one for the pure joy of owning one.
If I want to travel with more stuff than I could fit in my C8, I’d just take my Yukon Denali, Sierra 3500 HD or my Motor Home.
I had the experience of being a co-pilot of this car and feeling the power of its takeoff caused me a pleasure to drive it.
This post could be the #1 Whiners World winner. If you need an SUV go buy one. My wife and I put both our clubs (in stand bags) along with hats, balls, gloves, etc. in the trunk. And enough stuff in soft sided bags for an entire week in the frunk. What other supercar can come close to that? Answer: None…not even close. So, please, just quit the empty-headed, Karen- sounding complaining.
AMEN!
Don’t want an SUV. Want a sports car with decent cargo space. The C8 provides less than decent cargo space.
There is no whining involved… just common sense.
Sounds like whining to most of us.
Simple solution don’t buy a C8, problem solved.