The C8 Corvette is a marvel of mid-engine performance, focusing on fun and speed as the top priorities. Naturally, this focus means that efficiency is something of a secondary consideration, and as such, certain C8 variants are subject to a Gas Guzzler Tax. However, this tax isn’t applied to every C8 variant, which begs the question – what does the Gas Guzzler Tax mean for the C8 Corvette?
To begin, let’s briefly revisit what the Gas Guzzler Tax actually is. In short, the Energy Tax Act of 1978 implemented a new Gas Guzzler Tax targeting the sale of cars with poor fuel economy, with trucks and SUVs exempt from the tax as, at the time at least, these body styles were used primarily for work. The Gas Guzzler Tax is collected from the manufacturer, with the amount collected indicated in the fuel economy section of the window sticker.
The amount of tax collected varies between $1,000 and $7,700 depending on the vehicle’s unadjusted average fuel economy, which ranges between at least 21.5 mpg, and less than 12.5 mpg. That said, the EPA employs a different set of test cycles when determining a vehicle’s average mpg for the Gas Guzzler Tax versus a vehicle’s average mpg for the fuel economy sticker. Essentially, the EPA employs a more comprehensive list of tests for the sticker than it does for the Gas Guzzler Tax, with a total of five test cycles used for the former and two cycles used for the latter.
Long story short, the C8 Corvette Z06 has a combined fuel economy rating of 15 mpg without the Z07 Performance Package, and 14 mpg with the Z07 Performance package, per an adjusted rating based on the EPA’s five-cycle test procedures. However, when it comes to the Gas Guzzler Tax, the C8 Z06 gets a $2,600 tax, placing it in the 17.5 mpg to 18.5 mpg range, and a $3,000 tax when equipped with one of the Carbon Aero Packages (RPOs T0F and T0G), placing in the 16.5 mpg to 17.5 mpg range.
Meanwhile, the C8 Stingray and C8 E-Ray are not subject to a Gas Guzzler Tax, while we can be sure that the 2025 Corvette ZR1 will be, with the government likely collecting at least $3,000 due to the ZR1’s 1,064-horsepower twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 LT7 gasoline engine.
Twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 LT7
As a reminder, all C8 Corvette variants ride on the GM Y2 platform and are produced at the GM Bowling Green plant in Kentucky.
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Comments
A Jimmy Carter tax. It cost more to implement and monitor it than it brings in. Probably not needed now days. We’ve come a long ways in the last 46 years.
I’m glad that you believe that it’s not needed, Freddy. But I did have to pay for one with my Z06.
Vadim,
. . . and to reinforce your point, I also have a Z06, actually a C7 Z07. Yesterday I drove it on a 300-mile-round-trip to assist an old, (quite elderly), friend with some computer problems. As usual I pushed the car hard, frequently using all of its 650 HP, paying no attention to fuel mileage. Upon arriving home, I checked my fuel mileage in the dash display. Yup, 24 MPG. So despite hitting 150 MPH on a number of occasions, (passing tourist traffic), I still got decent mileage and had a hell of a lot fun in the process.
Based on the foregoing I have to question the method of computing the GG tax. Perhaps its more of a luxury tax, rather than a penalty for high fuel consumption.
Let the flaming begin from the lower-case gm trolls!
Montana Bob
Hi Montana Bob – it is not a luxury tax – if it were it would only apply to luxury cars – although most cars with poor gas mileage usually are these days. But is a Camaro ZL1 a luxury car? Or a Hemi Barracuda? You seem to enjoy driving at speed – join me in Europe with your C7 and my ’18 CTS-V and I will take you to the de-restricted portions of Germany’s motorway and you can spool it up to its top speed. My CTS-v reaches 320 kph (200 in funny money) and I am sure your C7 Corvette will not be far behind.
But I can promise you that your fuel consumption will drop from 15 liters/100 km to 25 liters/100 km and you will be filling up your fuel tank every 120 minutes. But you will feel a sense of automotive freedom like you never have before. If you are lucky you might even pass the highway patrol in the right lane going 130 km/h while you are at 260-270.
Okay, gogmgo, I’ll leave it at this: I’ve been to Europe on numerous occasions. I’ve even participated twice in a sporting event held each June in a sleepy little French town called Le Mans. The race is called the 24 Heures du Mans. You may have heard of it. (For the uninitiated, it’s the premier endurance road race in the world.) When I was last there there were no chicanes on the Mulsanne straight, so we exceeded 210 MPH on every rain-free lap.
I have also driven on Germany’s Autoban driving an ultra-high-performance car, so no biggie there.
As for your Cadillac, should we be by chance on the same stretch of road on which we would be safe driving at elevated speeds, you’d be viewing the the azz-end of a C7 Z07 disappearing into the sunset, so, once again, slide back into the kitchen for another glass of that progressive-supplied Kool Aid.
Montana Bob
Montana Bob – tsk tsk – you are a bit of blow hard and you like to exaggerate. You have mentioned that you have a C7 Z07 – I dont have to remind you that the big wing for little men reduces the top speed to just under 300 km/h – 298 km/h to be exact – and as you know sports cars and sports sedans that break the 300 km/h limit is what separates the big boys from the little men. The C7 Corvette with the low wing goes much faster and yes faster than my CTS-V but you did not drive that one nor do you own that one. You own the C7 that makes you appear faster than you really are whereas the smaller wings make you faster than you appear. And your quote about the Mulsanne straight seems to come right out of the mouth of the actor Matt Damon from the movie Ford vs Ferrari – just a guess. I know it is tough to talk top speed in the US because we cannot do top speed the way we can in Europe. And if you have participate in Les 24 Heures du Mans please do tell – it will be much more interesting to everyone on this discussion panel than listening to you bloviating about immigrants and dictators lunching with our former President.
You know Montana after reading your self inflating essay a term comes to mind, “Stolen Valor”
iceman,
Your comment is an insult to the core. Everything that I have stated in every comment is fact, particularly that of a personal nature. You don’t know me nor will you ever, so calling me a liar regarding my experiences and my family history is pure nonsense at minimum, but worse yet a massive insult.
There is but one typo which I discovered where I mistyped the horsepower of my car. I said that it is 650 HP. That’s a mistake. A stock Z06 is 650. Mine has been modified to 850 so my claim stands, that is unless gogmgo has, likewise modified his CTSV. I should never have “bit” his challenge to a race. His comment was childish and I took him on, a mistake on my part and, for that, I apologize.
In any case, I will not lower myself to continue this discussion as you and gogmgo have reduced it to a level where you both are speaking in a condescending manner, including a feeble attempt to lecture me with lessons in aerodynamics, topping it off by tossing epithets, insults, etc. Doing so is undoubtedly due to your inability to refute that which I have stated. I will not lower myself to that level of issuing disparaging remarks, as the both of you have done, to the point of claiming that I am lying. You have a crossed a line. I will not.
Have a good day.
Montana Bob
Montana Bob iceman and I are not insulting you and I never said you lied. You are projecting. I simply pointed out that the stats given by Chevrolet on the various C7 Corvettes clearly state that the bigger the wing the lower the top speed. Not me saying it – GM giving you FACTS. I have no reason to modify my CTS-V because 640 hp is more than sufficient and driving at 300-320 kp/h is fast enough for me. But I do stand by my statement that your comments on Mans were lifted straight out of the movie’s dialogue.
B___S__T! By claiming that I am lying when I say that I have participated in the 24 Heures du Mans, but merely parroted some movie script, you are calling me a liar. (BTW, I’ve not seen the movie to which you refer.) I’ll not attempt to convince you of anything that I have said, as that merely worsens the insult.
As for your condescending attitude, you are continuing to be as such by extending your lecture, but what the heck, you’ve done that to most commenters in this thread! Why stop now?
Here’s another one about which you will more than likely claim I am lying: I participated in racing for many years so I do understand that mounting a billboard above the rear of a car has a detrimental affect on terminal velocity, but how do you know what aero I actually have on the car? Lastly doncha think that an extra 200 HP will overcome a whole bunch of that drag? (Oops, now I am lecturing!)
Right about now would be good time to insert some insults, but as I said earlier, I won’t get down in the mud with you. Sufficeth to say that you are not as knowledgeable as you consider yourself to be!
Montana Bob
Hell with epa
Words of someone who doesn’t know what the EPA has done to protect citizens from criminal acts committed by corporations. Google “Love Canal” if you’re not familiar.
I’m well aware of what the epa does and I’m well aware of Love Canal. The epa has done more to hurt Americans then anyone and Love Canal was a government cover up.
Guys – wake up. The US used to be the world’s regulatory superpower – the world looked to the FDA on pharmaceuticals; the EPA on environmental issues; the FAA on plane safety; the NHTSA on car safety; the FTC; the CIA; the FBI and on an on. But not anymore – we have continued to deregulate to such an extent that we have left these agencies as skeletons of their former selves and the EU has moved in to take their place. When the Boeing planes dropped out of the sky and the FAA took time to ban them from the skies the European air agency had already done so and the whole world followed them. European auto safety rules are followed by the entire world including China and India – only Canada and Mexico follow ours. I can go but hopefully you all get the point.
Blah.. blah.. blah. Europe is a museum and Europeans are unwashed peasants.
As I said before all government mandates and regulations required on all motor vehicles by the federal and state governments, should be paid for by said governments. The consumer should not be required too pay for something they do not want.
Sorry Bob but the government doesn’t pay for anything we do.
Paid for by your Tax Dollars, so, if you don’t buy one you still pay!
Hi Hank1946 I may be a bit slow but I am not sue I understand your statement, ‘If I don’t buy a Corvette I still pay for it’! Can you please explain it a bit more in depth?
That old saying “you play, you pay” seems to be appropriate here. So it’s no big deal really, while some of us “average Joe’s” might scoff at those with the cash on hand that’ll be paying the Gas Guzzler Tax on top of the higher MSRP on top of the crazy “Fair Market Value” addendum sticker that dealers are salivating at the mouth to add to each and every one of these ZR1’s, most prospective new owners will simply write a check and take delivery ASAP! It’s called Capitalism and for what it’s worth…it seems to be working out quite well for those who know how to work the system or are gifted wealth from birth. No big deal, either way, more power to ‘em! I just want to see this vehicle up close in person, read about its capabilities and see videos showing it off in public, oh and dream about maybe owning one.
All the comments here have missed the fundamental point – rather than a gas guzzler tax and CAFE avgs for cars, trucks and SUVs the US Government should have simply increased the Federal tax on gasoline every year – that is why the rest of the OECD countries have much more efficient fleets of vehicles than the US – there is nothing like paying $8/gallon for gasoline to concentrate the mind and ask ourselves ‘Do you really need that bloated Hummer or F150 pickup truck just to pick up a gallon of milk? The answer is no and as a country we remain the most profligate and polluting country in the world. But our politicians are scared to tell us that we need to change our ways without changing the fundamental way we live. For those of you who have lived, worked or travelled to Europe understand what I am saying. And the last time I looked Europeans have more fun in their cars than we do – they drive on much better roads at faster speeds and with much lower deaths!
Okay gogmgo, I’ll do what you say.
I’ll get one of those mobile electric roller skates to pick up that gallon of milk, which BTW, merely transfers the fuel source from gasoline or diesel fuel to the electric grid which more than likely burns fossil fuels and is already incapable of supplying sufficient energy. Then I’ll buy one of those horrible F150s or Sierras, (cuz we all know that you’re lower-case gm based on your username), to pick up those 2 x 4s and sheets of plywood for that weekend project. Of course I’ll need that Suburban for that vacation with the family. Finally some of us would like to have a toy so we’ll buy a Z07 Corvette for weekends. To you, maybe, but to those that possess a little common sense, your scenario is wasteful and horribly expensive. BTW, where in the heck are you going to park all of those rigs? Oh, maybe you’ll build a six-car garage to store them all in, again wasteful and expensive!
Montana Bob
Hi Montana Bob – I did not say anything about electric cars – reread my post. I simply said that we do not need F150s and Hummers to get milk. But because we have a very distorted energy market in the US we waste an enormous amount of fossil fuels with the concomitant rise in pollution that we could easily avoid if we incentivized American drivers to use more efficient means of conveyance and use those funds to rebuild our infrastructure. And tell me again how my scenario is horribly expensive again. I will congratulate you on highlighting my name – no one else ever mentioned it. And no, I have nothing to do with GM other than the fact that I love Cadillacs, Corvettes and Chevrolet.
I think the Jeeps and Broncos of today fits into the bracket of “efficiency is something of a secondary consideration” don’t you? I don’t think they are used primarily for work. My Jeep Gladiator was getting 15 -17 MPG stock with no modifications. My Z06 is getting 18 mpg mostly city driving.
The Gas Guzzler Tax only applies to passenger cars. It does not apply to super gas guzzling SUVs or P/Us. Therefore, the Gas Guzzler Tax is a joke/farce/hoax.
Hi CIgna Once again, we get what we pay for – we have poor rutted roads and highways in America; our bridges and tunnels are rotting away; we have ver high death rates on our roads and all because we don’t want to pay for the externalities that cars and trucks impose on society. THERE IS NO FREE LUNCH – you get what you pay for; you are perfectly entitled to say that the GGT is a joke – who am I to disagree. But then don’t complain when our bridges collapse or our roads become congested and impassable.
gogmgo,
. . . and if we’d stop supporting every tin pot dictator that shows up at the Whitehouse with his hand out, and closing down our borders to the millions of illegals WHOM WE ARE TOTALLY SUPPORTING, then maybe, just maybe, we could afford to maintain our own infrastructure!
Montana Bob
Hi MontanaBob not sure how we got from the GGT to economic and political refugees who want to come to the USA as all of our relatives had done in various times in the past 200+ years as a country but here goes: The Fed, the Treasury and the various think tanks that look at this kind of economic event all say that the arrival of millions of refugees to the US has been beneficial to us because they take up jobs that native born Americans wont do; they pay taxes; they buy homes; they eat food and they increase overall demand – it is the easy explanation for why our economy continues to perform well. And no, our infrastructure is poor because our states and Federal Government do not prioritize this spending until the IRA came along – again another reason why our economy is doing well. We have millions arriving over the border in California, Arizon, and Texas and we are spending and spending and spending such that our budget deficit is reaching $3 billion/DAY!!! But remember this is just paper money – there is nothing behind it. So even if we have to spend $300 million/week to support new arrivals – so what – its just FIAT currency. Don’t believe me – research it yourself.
Oh my God! You can’t be serious!
That is so ridiculous I won’t even take my time to respond.
Go back to the kitchen for another glass of Kool Aid supplied by the progressives, of course.
Montana Bob
PS: BTW, my father and mother both emigrated to this country, but contrary to the illegals presently being ushered into this great country by the millions, they assimilated, supported themselves and immediately LEARNED ENGLISH! So don’t give me this crap that the illegals come in and become assets to our economy! In the vernacular, that dog don’t hunt!
Yawn – you are as predictable and consistent as the sun rising every morning – every generation says the same thing and every new wave of arrivals assimilates and becomes American and fight in our wars and pay their taxes. This is no different but stay with your views – they suit you.
The gas guzzler tax is unfair. Corvettes and other high performance vehicles are treated to long garage naps and stay indoors door bad weather.
Hi Frank – why would you keep your car indoors with bad weather? It is just as much fun to drive in the rain as it is on a sunny day. And that is why most European sports cars have AWD versions – because Europeans dont keep their cars indoors – I cannot tell you how many European ski resorts I have been to where I see the parking lots filled with 911s, AWD Lambos, Jaguars, Range Rovers etc etc.
I love the epa. My C8 gets great gas mileage. I love having someone making car manufactere try to engineer better products. Today’s engine last longer and get better milage with all the crazy tech they have. Don’t care what any old timers says your 1970 sbc was easy to fix but was not as reliable as today’s sbc.
Yes Adrian – spot on. Adrian has highlighted from a different angle what I had said previously about the US losing regulatory power to the EU. We are constantly obsessing in America about deregulating everything except the prurient interest in controlling people’s lives. But when you deregulate for the sole purpose of reducing the price of energy some think that is a great benefit to Americans. But it is not when we have to compete with the rest of the world. If our inputs are so much cheaper than the rest of the world we become lazy and do not increase our energy efficiency and our quality and then Americans will gravitate to better made products from Europe and Asia. And then when we try to sell our energy-packed goods in Europe the Europeans will slap on a carbon tax because our products were not made using the latest energy and climate sensitive technology. So yes Adrian is happy and rightly so that the EPA forced US manufacturers to increase the gasoline mileage of our car fleet because we don’t use the price mechanism to do it. If we simply raised the taxes on gasoline to European and Japanese levels then we would have no need for CAFE requirements or GGTaxes.
Gogmgo
If government regulation is the only thing forcing progress, we never would have invented the automobile to begin with.
Hi HairyMuffler – has anyone ever told you that your name does not really trigger fantasies? But on to your reply. Ill attempt to answer the first part of your sentence; the second part makes no sense. I never said that government regulation is the be-all and end-all. I am simply saying that government regulation lays down guard rails for private companies to flourish. US Govt regulation is responsible for quality standards in pharmaceuticals. Would you prefer no govt regulation? Govt regulation lays down standards for emissions and safety features in cars – would you prefer no standards? We have govt regulation on food borne diseases – would you prefer no regulation? I could go on and on but my point was that the US has abandoned its leadership role in setting standards (you call it govt regulation but it is simply setting standards and levelling the playing field – dont let billionaires confuse you through a word salad – you are being lied to) and if we are not setting the standards then the EU is and we have to follow their standards because all other countries get on their side and by then it is too late. Do you know what GDPR is? If not look it up and that is a classic example of the US falling out of the race and the EU taking over and now US media companies all follow GDPR.
My 2012 ZL1 Camaro and my 2023 ZO6/ZO7 both had Gas Guzzler taxes. For the most part cars like these are toys. The Camaro has 5,500 mi and the Vette has 1,400 mi. I really don’t feel that I’m ruining the world. Maybe my 2023 2500 Silverado should have had had one. Trucks and SUVs are no longer for work. If ur going to tax the cars they should be taxed too.
I have to disagree on tax on large vehicles. While I do agree they are not all for work. Alot of trucks and large suv are needed i.e. work or large families. Now you drive escalade V, you deserve gas tax or 6.4 hemi grand wagoneer you need gas tax and stupidity tax for wasiting your money. This is such a heated argument but any car epa is hitting with gas tax is expensive toy that we can afford. If you couldn’t afford it then you shouldn’t have bought it. Every car built for the average American is not seeing gas tax. It’s like Texas let’s you do what ever with your cars, California does not but if you actually live in Los Angeles and see what smog looks like there is a reason California pushes regulations hard. This thread has turned into well off people complaining about government taxing them a couple grand because they made choice that was solely up to them.
You are correct but if you look back at the history of these ridiculous and misapplied taxes they were put in place because US politicians were scared to do the right thing. The right thing would have been to raise the tax on gasoline and that would have been more equitable and would have dramatically reduced our consumption of gasoline over the past 50 years. Instead they came out with these CAFE requirements that applied only to cars (because SUVs and pickup trucks were not a thing in the late 70s and 80s). So our cars got downsized but our trucks did not and then Americans did the logical thing and started buying SUVs and pickup trucks because they were not downsized and still came with big gas guzzling engines. But then they decided to also put a GGT on big engined cars but once you pay the tax you have forgotten about it and continue to be wasteful. Whereas if every time you filled up your tank with high priced gasoline you were reminded about how expensive it is to maintain a big V8 next time your behavior would probably change. It certainly changed behvior in Europe were V8 cars are very rare – which is also sad because Europe is where you can push your Camaro to its limits and see how well it handles at 250 km/h. Can’t do that in the USA.
So were back to square one except that we were now buying poorly handling heavy and polluting trucks instead of cars. And so nothing changed except that American car manufacturers slowly lost the ability to compete in cars and left that market to the Europeans and the Asians and focused on trucks and SUVs because they are very profitable but only work in North America and Saudi Arabia. The rest of the world thinks they are stupid and wasteful and the ROW is right.
I would say ford ecoboost program is a success story coming from regulation. I have 2.7 in my f150 and 3.5 in my expedition and they both get decent milage If I stay out the boost but when I want power it’s there just at price of gas. GM perfected the 5.3 just underpowered when going up against ecoboost For truck and suv The 6.2 is a little thirsty. But the truck community finally got their dream trucks with 1500 diesel option. How many are being actually sold I don’t know.