10 GT3

I am extremely disappointed in this car from the first pic. That is the ugliest back end ever put on a production vehicle. The rest of the body is just hacks from other manufacturers design. Now that reviews are coming in, the disappointment grow. It is almost 200 lbs heavier than the model it replaces. The extra weight completely soaked up what should have been a performance improvement from the C6 LS3 that it replaces. There are other mistakes like the digital tach. Everyone other auto manufacturer on the planet knows the tach is the most important gauge and hence even Ferrari, who was the first to do a video cluster, even keeps the tach and a traditional instrument. If they treat the tach as unimportant, that probably indicates the intent of the car.

Although I am disappointed, there are some positive things to note:
1. They finally put a good set of brakes on a Corvette model under $100K. Even the Z06/Grand Sport fixed caliper brakes are junk when hitting a road circuit. Now you get Brembos instead of the GM made cheap junk.
2. They have a real manual transmission with a clutch pedal. Yes, just like the Corvette that proceeded it the majority of these cars will be autos. Even though the entire point of this cars existence is for elderly man to try to recapture some of their youth (average ago of a Corvette buyer is now several years above the middle-age crisis crowd), you still at least get a choice (Porsche, what about that GT3?)
3. They did what appears to be a nice copy of Porsche's Sport Bucket seats with harness pass-throughs (Porsche...?)

BTW, on the other side I think GM made fantastic improvements with the new Camaro and particularly the Z28 model. The finally were able to get the ugly stick away from the Camaro's back (of course it landed and multiplied on the Corvette). Other than a price that is probably $10K high for the performance, they did make it into a good package.

bccars

True no matter how good or bad the c7 will turn out to be is irrelevant. It's downright hideous backside kills it for me. And I liked vettes ever since I saw the faceman drive it on the a-team when I was a kid. I liked the c5 and c6, although not enough to buy it over a European car, but it was on my short list for cars to buy. My previous car choice was boxster (that won), z06, lotus exige. The c7 now is no where near the list !

it is clearly designed by a 15 year old that just morphed a c6 pic with a Ferrari and Optimus prime. So that effectively makes it a car for 70 year olds that have serious regression issues, for people that have no taste whatsoever, or people with a very strong character that appreciate the performance and icon value and be strong enough not to care about its looks.

It's butt ugly ;-)
I wouldn't want it soiling my garage nor my life. Imagine having to look at that *** every day !
(I still go out to the garage and take a peek at my lovely 991 every morning and evening, 1.5 months into ownership)

Suzy991

^^ Totally agree!

Car looks like it drove right out of a Fast & Furious movie and just like those movies, the Corvette gets worse with every attempt. Good thing is that it will be pretty expensive over here in Europe and that means they won't sell much Corvettes, so I don't have to look at it too often

FWIW... Due to its eco-tax the C6's price in the Netherlands is 139,000 euro...($185K)!!!! Which is a lot for car with the reputation of being a pimp&hooker car.
Average price of the C7 in Europe is estimated at about 80,000 euro ($106K) before taxes according to some magazines I've read.

Suzy991

Carrera GT

Totally agree with what?
The Corvette is irrelevant? ... okay ... hang on ...

Carrera GT

If you find the Vette irrelevant to you subjectively, that's fine. It's a bit "out there" to me, too, but it's far from irrelevant and in the world, in terms of "relevant" sports cars, there's the 911, and the Corvette, and that's about it; and not necessarily in that order.

Age groups aside, I think you're right to observe that enthusiasts will have to overlook the shortcomings of the Vette (or the 991 GT3) to enjoy it for what it offers.

But irrelevant is not the word for the Stingray. If anything, it's arguably the most significant car to be built in the US for 2014. No car built in the US is of any earth shattering significance beyond contrived ideas of rejuvenating the sickly and decrepit auto industry in the US. The Stingray is the first time since the Ford GT that a US built sports car might compete in the market as an alternative to the 911. That's not irrelevant (it might end up being a realistic alternative to the 911, but it's too early to rule it out, at least until the C7 Z06 arrives.)

I think tou have to look at the history of the Vette beyond subjectively dismissing it as a low-revving pushrod engine in a but-ugly muscle car. Like the 911, it's all too easy for uninformed criticism that would relegate the 911 to a closed chapter in history as some irrelevant anachronism that happens to still sell to a few misguided devotees.

bccars

I never said vette is an irrelevant car. I said its performance is irrelevant because it looks unbearably ugly.
and don't get me wrong, I acknowledge its performance and its function as an American icon!

But its not the complete package the 991 is, and is clearly aimed at another demographic.

Manifold

The new Vette looks fine to me, and I'm cross-shopping it with the 991 GT3. My demographic is middle-aged and driven MBs, BMWs, and Porsches almost exclusively for the past two decades.

SanibelSpeed

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the majority of people seeing the new Corvette think it is gorgeous. Many people find the 911 to be boring and dated because its design changes are so subtle. I'm not sure anyone would call the 911 unbearably ugly but most would find it boring, dated and not beautiful.

I think there are plenty of buyers who cross-shop the Corvette and the Porsche as well as the GTR, the Jaguar XK and F-Type. Each has his/her own needs and wants so there are buyers for each car.

None of the aforementioned should be considered "irrelevant" for any reason, IMO.

Carrera GT

I guess I read between the lines of "will turn out to be irrelevant." : )

While the 991 and Stingray are aimed at exactly the same buyer demographics, it's aimed at someone other than you (or me) as the target buyer. But I consider myself to be one of the types of buyers you identified: willing to look past the shortcomings (of the Stingray, and the 991 GT3 for that matter) and enjoy driving the thing rather than fretting over what others might think of me for driving such an ostentatious statement of phallic inferiority.

Whether I take the time to play with a 2014 Stingray (that's really a matter of hours in the day and the fact I already have more than one other very well suited track car) there's little doubt that given all the C6 variants and the new Camaro Z/28, Chevrolet has every intention of offering a C7 Corvette targeting track day drivers; and probably in both naturally aspirated, and a forced induction variants.

We'll be revisiting this same comparison, 911 versus Vette, several times over the next couple of years, but I think each time it will be much the same issue: The Vette isn't so appealing as a 911, but it's half the price and delivers the same levels of performance, car for car.

Porsche is about to "shoot its wad" with the 991 RS. Then Ferrari with have 458 Scuderia. McLaren will have a GT3 variant of the 12C with mechanical LSD. Three cars identifying each other as competitors. I think it's realistic to include the Corvette in that competition.

What's really interesting to me is that for the first time, I think the Corvette could well be the outright winner of that competition.

I think the 458 won't have the performance over the 991 RS, the Macca 12C GT3 will still be a Lambo-doored Lotus.

The Corvette in some sort of C7 Z06 could bring horsepower and torque to match the Ferrari, at similar weight, with equal handling and outright equal performance in terms of power to weight, acceleration, braking, lateral G.

I think the 991 RS is the logical "winner" of this competition, but the Vette could pip the 911 at the post. I think Ferrari has gone "digital." McLaren started as a digital car and they're trying to make it more "analogy." The 911 is swaying to the dark side, too.

The only car that will bring a third pedal is the Corvette. The only car that will not be relying upon electronics to change direction.

As for cars that one can realistically drive at the track, the 458 Scuderia will be, what, $350K base msrp? The C7 Z06 will be maybe $150K tops?

And when the C7 ZR1 brings the gold chain and hairy chest, it will be comparable to the GT2 and F12 in terms of rear wheel horsepower.

I'm certainly in the demo of buyers not interested in buying a Ferrari for some ineffable quality and I'm put off by the pretentiousness of the whole Ferrari scene and ownership experience. It's a bit of a leap to this conclusion, but I have to think all these new cars make me think I should go back and experience two cars, the 599 (maybe with manual trans) and the 430 Scuderia.

kosmo

991 is a complete car? LOL what a joke.


at $350k, the Scud better be faster and lighter than a Cup car.

bccars

I wonder if the appreciation of the vette is correlated with nationality, Europe vs USA for example.

bccars

Scuderia is a focused car, not a "complete car"

Carrera GT

The 991 is a very complete car in my humble. It's lighter and a bit less powerful than the Vette, so the numbers are line ball the same. It's approaching twice the price. Plus the cost of things like the Power Kit, if you want a tad more oomph. And the 991 is available in AWD, Cabrio, wide body, wider again body turbo, with or without sunroof. The Corvette will be a Cabrio or Targa for the foresseeable with the expectation of hard top version as a 2015 model.
The 991 is 2+2 and looks better (to me) than the Vette, plus it has the refinement and technology, and brand value of its price point.
The 991 has the option of carbon brakes, lowered "sport" suspension or luxury amenties like distance-keeping cruise control, three seat options from basic to ultra-plush. I like the pricing approach of "buy a base Carrera and get 90% of the 911 or check as many boxes as you see fit, all the way up to a Turbo S Cabrio, if that's your cup of meat." I dislike pricing from Aston, McLaren, Ferrari, where the proposition is "here's all this expensive stuff, you pay for it, like it or not, but if you want the car lighter and more enjoyable to drive, it'll cost you extra."
As "complete package" cars go, I don't think there's been a more complete car on the market since the 2009 997.2, which I think is still a more complete complete package than the 991.

Carrera GT

I'd say that's likely. I'm Australian and I like the Vette; and I normally have to take anti-nausea medication to even look at an American car. : )

bccars

Cool an Aussie. You guys know and love your v8 stuff I hear :-)
Must say its a hiatus in my car knowledge. I'm ashamed to say I only know the Holden cars :-(