Corvette C8

[MPD]

The C8 lost me at “asymmetric side mirrors”. Once you see, you cannot unsee…

hhahah, you know it bugged me at first but honestly I had forgot until you just said )) I'm sure I'll forget eventually again

 

[ksegg]

I have a V6 FE on order, was meant to be next month but have changed my spec to Nimbus / Tour from Verdant / Sport which means a delay of a few months.

So I started looking around at alternatives. Looked at the C8. Now delivery is 2 years away so not a viable replacement but they do look like epic value and great reviews. Plus will be very rare in the UK.

Anyone been in one?

Delay of few months? You should just stay in it, and not worry about alternatives.

I got out of it and got a refund on my initial deposit because it would have been 2 more years for me.

 

[Vanman1936]

Delay of few months? You should just stay in it, and not worry about alternatives.

I got out of it and got a refund on my initial deposit because it would have been 2 more years for me.

I am still in (on the lotus), just the C8 piqued my interest (so much so refundable deposit down on it but 2025 delivery).

 

[netsinah]

I have a V6 FE on order, was meant to be next month but have changed my spec to Nimbus / Tour from Verdant / Sport which means a delay of a few months.

So I started looking around at alternatives. Looked at the C8. Now delivery is 2 years away so not a viable replacement but they do look like epic value and great reviews. Plus will be very rare in the UK.

Anyone been in one?

Having read all the above posts, I'll enter the fray. First up, I'm now driving my second C8 Corvette, another convertible due to my past days as a motorcycle rider for some 10 years and enjoying "the great outdoors" during that time.

I was fortunate enough to land a first model-year 2020 allocation when relatively few came to Canada due to the long Bowling Green (Kentucky, USA) plant shutdown from COVID. I drove that C8 for 14,000 km+ and the only problem was a burnt out headlight which was quickly replaced under warranty. I was surprised it was in stock locally, being a brand new model...however that shows one of the benefits of driving a "Chevy product" with readily accessible parts. One friend who also got a 2020 and several others who bought 2021's and 2022's, have had zero problems with theirs. So based on my personal experience, the C8 issues aren't common although those who have had issues have been rather vocal on the various Corvette Forums.

I know this won't compare to most on this Forum, but my only other sport car before the 2020 C8, was a 2005 BMW M3 cabriolet with a stick. I loved its ride, 50/50 weight distribution and had gobs of fun taking it on a long w/e driving school at a local race track with tons of curves and a chicane. The only downside was the need to replace a set of next-to-new tires afterwards, but the cost was worth it for the experience. I owned it for 4 years and 40,000+ km; summer-driving only. But I was hooked on acceleration and cornering, from my years on motorcycles, which attracted me to the M3.

I'd driven several front-engine Corvettes and liked them, but not enough to buy one. That changed with the new mid-engine design of the 2020 C8. I'm now a mid-engine convert, with its superior (in my opinion) weight distribution and resultant handling. In January this year, I attended the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Nevada for new Corvette owners (subsidized by GM, so a fabulous deal) and had way more fun driving a C8 supplied by the School, compared to my past M3 track experience. That experience was admittedly improved since they'd set up their C8's for track use.

Knowing the Corvette C8 Z06 would be a potent track car, I planned to buy one for increased track use. I thought I'd be driving one by now and with that in mind, sold my 2020 near the end of 2021 to get funds ready for the Z06. Then GM unexpectedly drastically cut back Canadian allocations, which caused me to look at other sport cars and that led me to plunk down a deposit on the Lotus Emira. Before that I test drove a 2017 Porsche Turbo S with less than 15,000 km on it. I was shocked when it didn't blow me away during my one-hour test drive, mostly accelerating on a freeway and cornering at speed with the on/off ramps (I was alone in the car, so w/o any salesperson constraints). I much preferred the mid-engine ride, compared to its rear-engine weight. I'm now eagerly waiting for my dealer to get an Emira so I can test drive it and compare it to the C8. I know it won't have the same torque but I'm hoping it will have the great handling that Lotus is famous for. My main test is whether I'm left with a stupid grin on my face, during the test drive. I already love its styling and prefer its looks over the C8 and the available standard transmission is a real bonus for me.

Warranty work, as others have mentioned, will be more challenging given my 3 hour drive to the nearest Lotus dealer but my research suggests that more recent Lotus are far more reliable than their predecessors, so that's not a game changer. I like to do my own oil/filter changes and all other non-complicated maintenance (ie. I no longer do brakes for safety reasons and won't rebuild any more engines) and expect that shouldn't be too difficult with the Emira and the Toyota engine in the V6. I doubt however it'll be as easy as the C8 with a hole in the under-plating for both the filter and oil drain plug, so super easy access on the Corvette making for cheap maintenance costs for anyone paying for this.

Knowing I'd not see an Emira for at least a year, I missed the mid-engine drive too much so relented and bought a 2023 C8 that was for available for immediate sale in a local showroom. For the first time and despite vowing never to do so, I paid over MSRP. I'm now back with that stupid grin as I drive to/from work each day and everywhere else.

For those C8 nay-sayers, I'd suggest you drive one before you judge it. As with most vehicles and people having different taste, not everyone likes the looks however the side-vents are needed to cool the mid-engine, the rear-end design incorporates the trunk that can hold 2 sets of golf clubs (albeit 2 small bags/sets...or my one ++ huge bag), with a "frunk" in the front lengthening the car to create more luggage space. I'm curious to try my set of golf clubs in the Emira, since that's another of my criteria for any vehicle.

So yes I'm biased about the C8 Corvette. But I've an open mind for the Lotus Emira and will reserve judgment until I drive it, after which I'll decide what will be parked on my 4-post lift.

 

[Green]

Having read all the above posts, I'll enter the fray. First up, I'm now driving my second C8 Corvette, another convertible due to my past days as a motorcycle rider for some 10 years and enjoying "the great outdoors" during that time.

I was fortunate enough to land a first model-year 2020 allocation when relatively few came to Canada due to the long Bowling Green (Kentucky, USA) plant shutdown from COVID. I drove that C8 for 14,000 km+ and the only problem was a burnt out headlight which was quickly replaced under warranty. I was surprised it was in stock locally, being a brand new model...however that shows one of the benefits of driving a "Chevy product" with readily accessible parts. One friend who also got a 2020 and several others who bought 2021's and 2022's, have had zero problems with theirs. So based on my personal experience, the C8 issues aren't common although those who have had issues have been rather vocal on the various Corvette Forums.

I know this won't compare to most on this Forum, but my only other sport car before the 2020 C8, was a 2005 BMW M3 cabriolet with a stick. I loved its ride, 50/50 weight distribution and had gobs of fun taking it on a long w/e driving school at a local race track with tons of curves and a chicane. The only downside was the need to replace a set of next-to-new tires afterwards, but the cost was worth it for the experience. I owned it for 4 years and 40,000+ km; summer-driving only. But I was hooked on acceleration and cornering, from my years on motorcycles, which attracted me to the M3.

I'd driven several front-engine Corvettes and liked them, but not enough to buy one. That changed with the new mid-engine design of the 2020 C8. I'm now a mid-engine convert, with its superior (in my opinion) weight distribution and resultant handling. In January this year, I attended the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Nevada for new Corvette owners (subsidized by GM, so a fabulous deal) and had way more fun driving a C8 supplied by the School, compared to my past M3 track experience. That experience was admittedly improved since they'd set up their C8's for track use.

Knowing the Corvette C8 Z06 would be a potent track car, I planned to buy one for increased track use. I thought I'd be driving one by now and with that in mind, sold my 2020 near the end of 2021 to get funds ready for the Z06. Then GM unexpectedly drastically cut back Canadian allocations, which caused me to look at other sport cars and that led me to plunk down a deposit on the Lotus Emira. Before that I test drove a 2017 Porsche Turbo S with less than 15,000 km on it. I was shocked when it didn't blow me away during my one-hour test drive, mostly accelerating on a freeway and cornering at speed with the on/off ramps (I was alone in the car, so w/o any salesperson constraints). I much preferred the mid-engine ride, compared to its rear-engine weight. I'm now eagerly waiting for my dealer to get an Emira so I can test drive it and compare it to the C8. I know it won't have the same torque but I'm hoping it will have the great handling that Lotus is famous for. My main test is whether I'm left with a stupid grin on my face, during the test drive. I already love its styling and prefer its looks over the C8 and the available standard transmission is a real bonus for me.

Warranty work, as others have mentioned, will be more challenging given my 3 hour drive to the nearest Lotus dealer but my research suggests that more recent Lotus are far more reliable than their predecessors, so that's not a game changer. I like to do my own oil/filter changes and all other non-complicated maintenance (ie. I no longer do brakes for safety reasons and won't rebuild any more engines) and expect that shouldn't be too difficult with the Emira and the Toyota engine in the V6. I doubt however it'll be as easy as the C8 with a hole in the under-plating for both the filter and oil drain plug, so super easy access on the Corvette making for cheap maintenance costs for anyone paying for this.

Knowing I'd not see an Emira for at least a year, I missed the mid-engine drive too much so relented and bought a 2023 C8 that was for available for immediate sale in a local showroom. For the first time and despite vowing never to do so, I paid over MSRP. I'm now back with that stupid grin as I drive to/from work each day and everywhere else.

For those C8 nay-sayers, I'd suggest you drive one before you judge it. As with most vehicles and people having different taste, not everyone likes the looks however the side-vents are needed to cool the mid-engine, the rear-end design incorporates the trunk that can hold 2 sets of golf clubs (albeit 2 small bags/sets...or my one ++ huge bag), with a "frunk" in the front lengthening the car to create more luggage space. I'm curious to try my set of golf clubs in the Emira, since that's another of my criteria for any vehicle.

So yes I'm biased about the C8 Corvette. But I've an open mind for the Lotus Emira and will reserve judgment until I drive it, after which I'll decide what will be parked on my 4-post lift.

If it didn’t make me want to throw up every time I had to look at it I would definitely buy one

 

[Vanman1936]

Having read all the above posts, I'll enter the fray. First up, I'm now driving my second C8 Corvette, another convertible due to my past days as a motorcycle rider for some 10 years and enjoying "the great outdoors" during that time.

I was fortunate enough to land a first model-year 2020 allocation when relatively few came to Canada due to the long Bowling Green (Kentucky, USA) plant shutdown from COVID. I drove that C8 for 14,000 km+ and the only problem was a burnt out headlight which was quickly replaced under warranty. I was surprised it was in stock locally, being a brand new model...however that shows one of the benefits of driving a "Chevy product" with readily accessible parts. One friend who also got a 2020 and several others who bought 2021's and 2022's, have had zero problems with theirs. So based on my personal experience, the C8 issues aren't common although those who have had issues have been rather vocal on the various Corvette Forums.

I know this won't compare to most on this Forum, but my only other sport car before the 2020 C8, was a 2005 BMW M3 cabriolet with a stick. I loved its ride, 50/50 weight distribution and had gobs of fun taking it on a long w/e driving school at a local race track with tons of curves and a chicane. The only downside was the need to replace a set of next-to-new tires afterwards, but the cost was worth it for the experience. I owned it for 4 years and 40,000+ km; summer-driving only. But I was hooked on acceleration and cornering, from my years on motorcycles, which attracted me to the M3.

I'd driven several front-engine Corvettes and liked them, but not enough to buy one. That changed with the new mid-engine design of the 2020 C8. I'm now a mid-engine convert, with its superior (in my opinion) weight distribution and resultant handling. In January this year, I attended the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Nevada for new Corvette owners (subsidized by GM, so a fabulous deal) and had way more fun driving a C8 supplied by the School, compared to my past M3 track experience. That experience was admittedly improved since they'd set up their C8's for track use.

Knowing the Corvette C8 Z06 would be a potent track car, I planned to buy one for increased track use. I thought I'd be driving one by now and with that in mind, sold my 2020 near the end of 2021 to get funds ready for the Z06. Then GM unexpectedly drastically cut back Canadian allocations, which caused me to look at other sport cars and that led me to plunk down a deposit on the Lotus Emira. Before that I test drove a 2017 Porsche Turbo S with less than 15,000 km on it. I was shocked when it didn't blow me away during my one-hour test drive, mostly accelerating on a freeway and cornering at speed with the on/off ramps (I was alone in the car, so w/o any salesperson constraints). I much preferred the mid-engine ride, compared to its rear-engine weight. I'm now eagerly waiting for my dealer to get an Emira so I can test drive it and compare it to the C8. I know it won't have the same torque but I'm hoping it will have the great handling that Lotus is famous for. My main test is whether I'm left with a stupid grin on my face, during the test drive. I already love its styling and prefer its looks over the C8 and the available standard transmission is a real bonus for me.

Warranty work, as others have mentioned, will be more challenging given my 3 hour drive to the nearest Lotus dealer but my research suggests that more recent Lotus are far more reliable than their predecessors, so that's not a game changer. I like to do my own oil/filter changes and all other non-complicated maintenance (ie. I no longer do brakes for safety reasons and won't rebuild any more engines) and expect that shouldn't be too difficult with the Emira and the Toyota engine in the V6. I doubt however it'll be as easy as the C8 with a hole in the under-plating for both the filter and oil drain plug, so super easy access on the Corvette making for cheap maintenance costs for anyone paying for this.

Knowing I'd not see an Emira for at least a year, I missed the mid-engine drive too much so relented and bought a 2023 C8 that was for available for immediate sale in a local showroom. For the first time and despite vowing never to do so, I paid over MSRP. I'm now back with that stupid grin as I drive to/from work each day and everywhere else.

For those C8 nay-sayers, I'd suggest you drive one before you judge it. As with most vehicles and people having different taste, not everyone likes the looks however the side-vents are needed to cool the mid-engine, the rear-end design incorporates the trunk that can hold 2 sets of golf clubs (albeit 2 small bags/sets...or my one ++ huge bag), with a "frunk" in the front lengthening the car to create more luggage space. I'm curious to try my set of golf clubs in the Emira, since that's another of my criteria for any vehicle.

So yes I'm biased about the C8 Corvette. But I've an open mind for the Lotus Emira and will reserve judgment until I drive it, after which I'll decide what will be parked on my 4-post lift.

Great post, thanks! I know the looks can be challenging to some but I think it looks great in certain colours (silver / grey for me). I would love to try one, however no UK demo cars

 

[GetawayDriving]

I have a V6 FE on order, was meant to be next month but have changed my spec to Nimbus / Tour from Verdant / Sport which means a delay of a few months.

So I started looking around at alternatives. Looked at the C8. Now delivery is 2 years away so not a viable replacement but they do look like epic value and great reviews. Plus will be very rare in the UK.

Anyone been in one?

I test drove one back to back with Evora GT and vastly preferred Evora. C8 felt like a pointy Cadillac. Great GT car, lovely ride and plenty of comfort & performance on tap but the Evora was much more special. Evora had more drama in the engine note and induction noises, drastically better steering feel, and a manual transmission. The C8 made me feel nothing. I appreciated the car logically, but it didn’t excite. The Evora got my heart racing.

Evora also has much more presence. As random people who weren’t in the market for a sports car walked the lot, all took a triple take at the Evora while walking right by the C8.

 

[lion shf]

Having read all the above posts, I'll enter the fray. First up, I'm now driving my second C8 Corvette, another convertible due to my past days as a motorcycle rider for some 10 years and enjoying "the great outdoors" during that time.

I was fortunate enough to land a first model-year 2020 allocation when relatively few came to Canada due to the long Bowling Green (Kentucky, USA) plant shutdown from COVID. I drove that C8 for 14,000 km+ and the only problem was a burnt out headlight which was quickly replaced under warranty. I was surprised it was in stock locally, being a brand new model...however that shows one of the benefits of driving a "Chevy product" with readily accessible parts. One friend who also got a 2020 and several others who bought 2021's and 2022's, have had zero problems with theirs. So based on my personal experience, the C8 issues aren't common although those who have had issues have been rather vocal on the various Corvette Forums.

I know this won't compare to most on this Forum, but my only other sport car before the 2020 C8, was a 2005 BMW M3 cabriolet with a stick. I loved its ride, 50/50 weight distribution and had gobs of fun taking it on a long w/e driving school at a local race track with tons of curves and a chicane. The only downside was the need to replace a set of next-to-new tires afterwards, but the cost was worth it for the experience. I owned it for 4 years and 40,000+ km; summer-driving only. But I was hooked on acceleration and cornering, from my years on motorcycles, which attracted me to the M3.

I'd driven several front-engine Corvettes and liked them, but not enough to buy one. That changed with the new mid-engine design of the 2020 C8. I'm now a mid-engine convert, with its superior (in my opinion) weight distribution and resultant handling. In January this year, I attended the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School in Nevada for new Corvette owners (subsidized by GM, so a fabulous deal) and had way more fun driving a C8 supplied by the School, compared to my past M3 track experience. That experience was admittedly improved since they'd set up their C8's for track use.

Knowing the Corvette C8 Z06 would be a potent track car, I planned to buy one for increased track use. I thought I'd be driving one by now and with that in mind, sold my 2020 near the end of 2021 to get funds ready for the Z06. Then GM unexpectedly drastically cut back Canadian allocations, which caused me to look at other sport cars and that led me to plunk down a deposit on the Lotus Emira. Before that I test drove a 2017 Porsche Turbo S with less than 15,000 km on it. I was shocked when it didn't blow me away during my one-hour test drive, mostly accelerating on a freeway and cornering at speed with the on/off ramps (I was alone in the car, so w/o any salesperson constraints). I much preferred the mid-engine ride, compared to its rear-engine weight. I'm now eagerly waiting for my dealer to get an Emira so I can test drive it and compare it to the C8. I know it won't have the same torque but I'm hoping it will have the great handling that Lotus is famous for. My main test is whether I'm left with a stupid grin on my face, during the test drive. I already love its styling and prefer its looks over the C8 and the available standard transmission is a real bonus for me.

Warranty work, as others have mentioned, will be more challenging given my 3 hour drive to the nearest Lotus dealer but my research suggests that more recent Lotus are far more reliable than their predecessors, so that's not a game changer. I like to do my own oil/filter changes and all other non-complicated maintenance (ie. I no longer do brakes for safety reasons and won't rebuild any more engines) and expect that shouldn't be too difficult with the Emira and the Toyota engine in the V6. I doubt however it'll be as easy as the C8 with a hole in the under-plating for both the filter and oil drain plug, so super easy access on the Corvette making for cheap maintenance costs for anyone paying for this.

Knowing I'd not see an Emira for at least a year, I missed the mid-engine drive too much so relented and bought a 2023 C8 that was for available for immediate sale in a local showroom. For the first time and despite vowing never to do so, I paid over MSRP. I'm now back with that stupid grin as I drive to/from work each day and everywhere else.

For those C8 nay-sayers, I'd suggest you drive one before you judge it. As with most vehicles and people having different taste, not everyone likes the looks however the side-vents are needed to cool the mid-engine, the rear-end design incorporates the trunk that can hold 2 sets of golf clubs (albeit 2 small bags/sets...or my one ++ huge bag), with a "frunk" in the front lengthening the car to create more luggage space. I'm curious to try my set of golf clubs in the Emira, since that's another of my criteria for any vehicle.

So yes I'm biased about the C8 Corvette. But I've an open mind for the Lotus Emira and will reserve judgment until I drive it, after which I'll decide what will be parked on my 4-post lift.

Funny you mention golf I play 3 days a week.