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btw the silver looked very nice. are the optional larger? are are the stripe options a decal vs painted?
Crossed 500 miles today and took it for a ride.... Just to be clear, my car has the Z51 option with Mag ride, front lift, and is a convertible. 3Lt with full leather and alcantara, Heads up display, Sat Nav, Sirius XM, and cooled seats. I paid $89,500 plus $1900 to ship it to Vegas. In case you don't know the Z51 has bigger brakes, extra cooling, an electronic Diff, and wings. I got the car from Mike Furman at Criswell Chevy in Maryland. I put down a $1K deposit the day after Chevy had their first event in Tustin. First, this it the most unAmerican American car I have ever driven. Sitting in this car, aside from the obvious GM touchscreen (which is excellent BTW), you wouldn't know its from Kentucky. No ugly plastic. Excellent front view. Very good steering, brakes, and engine sound. I'm honestly shocked. Is it a Ferrari 458? No. Not even close. But its just a darn good car and worth every penny. This car is so different than the C7 its impossible to even try to equate them. First, let's talk about fit and finish over the C7. Its like 1000% improved. It has better panel gaps than my 458 did. Second the creature comforts are remarkable. HVAC, cameras and safety warning devices, comfortable seats, complete adjustability of the cars dynamics from mild to wild, and honestly-- really good looks. I think the convertible is much better looking than the coupe, especially with the top down. I'm not sure I would say that about the 458. About the driving experience. Well, its plenty fast. I floored it once and let it hit the redline to shift. When it shifted into 2nd I thought something was wrong. The car just leaped and snaps your head back. The engine has so much torque. Yet its so easy to just putter around town. But if you put their foot into it -- woosh! Mag ride: Worth it. I've adjusted it several times to see if there is a difference. In touring mode its comfortable, in sports mode you get the feeling its a sports car, and in track mode you feel everything as it appears stiff. Steering. Really good for an American car. Not quite as good as Ferrari but sooooo much better than the C7. The C7 seemed artificial to me like a programmer tried to figure out how to make steering feel. This one reacts I would say normal and is very responsive. Engine: You can tell its a big American V8 back there. It sounds like one but a bit more refined. IMO, the 458 V8 is probably the best modern sportscar engine ever made. Running it to 9000 RPM is something you can't replicate. But this car has power on demand and is easy to modulate. It beats the 458 motor in low end torque. Exhaust: In tour mode its probably too quiet. I put it in the loud "sport" mode and this thing has a large "POP!" out the exhaust at most gear changes. It also burbles when off the gas decelerating. This was the one thing the 458 lost from 2012 to 2013. And when it starts up, the noise is really impressively loud. It has several exhaust loudness levels -- at least 3 I can see. Front lift: OMG how did I live without this before? What's cool is you can raise the car about 2 inches in like 3 seconds and then store the information by GPS. Then the next time you approach that area it raises automatically. It makes transitions from parking lots to the road worry free. I haven't scraped the car yet. DCT gearbox: I have said before that the 458 gearbox wasn't as interesting to me as the F430. In the F430 I felt like actual gears were slamming together back there. The 458 seemed a bit too smooth and even artificial at times. This Tremec box is darn good. Shifts down immediately. Shifts up are pretty smooth. It does "creep" at a stoplight which I don't like (McLarens do also) but I think its to get a harder acceleration. Honestly -- a darn good box if they don't break over the long haul. Acceleration: Its in the OMG territory. Frightening but not squirrely. Very stable. I think the eDiff is keeping it straight. Brakes: Honestly this was my biggest surprise. I really worried about the electronic brakes but they are really, really good. I don't feel them as artificial. The brake is hard and the throw small. I've nailed it a couple of times and it stops really well with no drama. Impressive. Handling: I really haven't given it its all yet but I drove in some twisties today trying to get a feel for it. Compared to a C7 I have complete confidence in this thing. It has a real bite to it coming out of the corners. Dash TFT screen: IMO, overly complicated with too much information. It looks like someone saw what McLaren does and just kept adding more and more stuff. I do like the tach graphics though. Easy to read at a glance. Daily driving: You can certainly drive this car all day long and not feel stressed out. But I love the cameras. Yesterday I parked it in a small lot and I used the front cameras. I saw in the camera a concrete block that without the camera, I surely would have hit it. It has a "overhead view" system that makes it look like you're above the car looking right over the front end. I see this concrete block and I'm like: "WTF is that?" I get out and see the block about 6 inches from the front spoiler. I just saved my first "ooops". And the back up camera is excellent, even in low light levels. But this is no way a "small car". It fills up a parking space pretty easily. Cowl shake: None. No seriously -- none that I've seen. I haven't tried to drive it over railroad tracks at 50 MPH but I see no cowl shake at all anywhere. No squeals or rattles either but most of my driving has been top down. Maybe the mag ride helps with this. Storage: IMO, the back trunk is a bit of a joke. My Alfa 4c has a more usable trunk. The C8 rear trunk is pretty thin so you can't put a bag back there. And it does get a bit toasty so don't put any ice cream back there on the way back from the market. The front trunk is OK but the 458 has more space. I can put one airline overhead bag in there and a thin laptop bag on top -- but that's about it. So if you go on a long trip, pack light and use soft luggage for the rear. Convertible driving: Driving at highway speeds has little buffeting unlike the coupe version. I really like that you can start the car top down while pulling into space. But you have to hold the button so you have to pull in with one hand. It does seem a lot like the 458 but with the 458 you had to be at a complete stop. You can do this up to 30 MPH. Like the 458 you can lower the rear glass with the top up. I really like this feature on both cars if you want to drive with the top up. HVAC: IMO the biggest downfall of the 458 spider was the HVAC system. There was just not enough airflow in hot weather. The C8 does not have that problem although the vents are a bit bizarre. Still you can drive around in warm weather and the AC will keep you comfortable. And it has so much heat if you want it you could run topless in Fairbanks on Christmas day. Information system: Pretty impressive but its standard Chevy. The screen is large and easy to navigate. It has Apple car play built in for running your music or Waze. I used the phone and had no problem talking even with the top down. I like that it gives the speed limit of the road I'm on and alerts for School Zones. Almost everything in the car is adjustable on this touch screen. Gives all kinds of data on the system in real time (G force, tire pressures, etc). This beats Ferrari by a mile (if you care about this stuff). AND, on top of all that, the touch screen is a new material that doesn't leave ugly fingerprints. My C7 used to look just plain gross from smears all over it. Heads up display: Not bad but I really don't use it. Certainly readable even in strong sunlight. Its also adjustable for different information, brightness, and location. HVAC: IMO the biggest downfall of the 458 spider was the HVAC system. There was just not enough airflow in hot weather. The C8 does not have that problem although the vents are a bit bizarre. Still you can drive around in warm weather and the AC will keep you comfortable. And it has so much heat if you want it you could run topless in Fairbanks on Christmas day. I was worried that the aluminum vent details would constantly reflect into my eyes -- but it hasn't happened. Looks: I have to say I love my color combo. That being said, the tan dash does reflect into the windshield and can bother your ability to see in some situations. People who see the car know its a Corvette but compliment the looks. Most say it looks like a Ferrari or Lambo but know its a Chevy. The seats: Very, very comfortable. And unlike Ferrari they come with every imaginable power adjustment standard. I get the feeling the seats are higher in the C8 than the 458. The C8 is a little easier to get in and out of but the door is really wide. Did it come with any problems?: As far as I can see, the only thing that isn't working is my "Home" button on the Info screen. Because of this, when using Apple car play there's no way to get back home to exit out. So I have to unplug the phone. I'm waiting to see if anything else pops up before taking it in to have it fixed. Does it have "soul"? Kinda. When you drive a Ferrari, you really get the idea you are in something special. The C8 doesn't give you that feeling but it does have its own personality. As I said, you forget this car is American after about 10 minutes of driving it. Fun to drive?: Absolutely. This is no Camry. Its a luxury sports GT with an awesome kick in the pants when you want it to show off. And I love driving topless again. This is the first convertible I've had in 5 years. If the C8 did not come as a convertible, I would not have bought one. Its the best $7 grand option ever. Things I like: The convertible top is a marvel (so was the 458 spider though). The drama when putting your foot to the floorboard. The creature comfort stuff. The safety stuff (I already had the side warning go off in a parking lot saving me from backing into a car coming from the left that I could not see). The square steering wheel (I was sure I would hate this but I actually like it). The radio is pretty amazing. Even top down at highway speeds you can blast it and the sound quality is great. Again I think this is one thing the Americans do best. The lack of a blind spot when looking over your shoulder (only in the convertible -- the coupes seem worse than the 458 coupe). The "wall of buttons". Actually it looks stupid but works really well. Much easier to adjust than using the touch screen menus. Lastly, amuse your friends by making the top go up without you being in the car and then start the car remotely! Its like a magic show to most people. Things I don't like: IMO, the paddle shifters are too far away from the wheel and the throw is too long. I've moved the paddles not enough some times and nothing happens. You really have to move them all the way down to make a shift. Also it has the paddles attached to the wheel like McLaren's do. IMO, I prefer the Ferrari method but its not a deal breaker. My Alfa 4c has the same set up attached to the wheel. I replaced the tan carpets with black ones from Lloyds. The first footstep into the car the mats looked horrible. Not sure why Chevy didn't make the mats black in the first place. As I said, the tan dash can reflect and obstruct vision at times. C8 is a bit big and thirsty. It goes through gas pretty quickly even if just puttering. I'm getting like 16 MPG in the city and 27 on the highway -- even in 8th gear. The stripes to me look cheap. Too thick and obviously vinyl. I thought it should be more like a decal. AND I don't like that you have to drive it 500 miles before the car gets all its power. Seems like a waste to me. All in all, its a great daily driver Sports GT. Better than a Porsche? Probably not but certainly no slouch. Is it a replacement for a used Ferrari 458? No way. But for 90 grand and low maintenance (the first oil change is free at 7500 miles) as well as a 3 year warranty, its a hell of a bargain. And believe me --- when you put your foot down it gets up and GOES!
Bob your C8 convertible looks wonderful. Very nice of you to again share your latest Corvette experience here and with lots of useful information!
Faulty Valve Springs - GM Extends Build Window for Affected Engines The new end date for affected 6.2L engines is now Oct. 7th, 2020. Date references the build date of the LT2 engine and not the production date of the car. https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2020/10/29/more-c8-corvettes-dealing-with-faulty-valve-springs-as-gm-extends-build-window-for-affected-engines/ https://gm-techlink.com/?p=13855
new additions not on configurator. -tow hook -jake floor mats -B pillar carbon fiber panels -carbon fiber high wing -carbon fiber boomerangs not sure if its real carbon fiber or carbon paint
Thank you Bob for your review, I looked forward to hearing your views and appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
Interesting stats on the first 21K cars. IMO you'll see the amount of money spent on accessories trending downward over time. I'm pretty sure dealer ordered cars for their inventory are all maxed out. Over half the cars were made with Z51 and mag ride and almost half were 3LT interiors. I think one dealer told me the average price is around $82K Image Unavailable, Please Login
One of the cool things you can do with the C8 is have it record constantly the road in front of you. You put in an SD card and it records video as soon as you turn on the car. A kind of announcement is on the screen when you start up telling you its recording. You can tell it to record video and audio or just video. When the SD card is full it overwrites automatically. I have 32GB and its something like 12 hours of video Anyway, here's how it can be used. A deer jumps in front of this guy. Pretty easy to explain to an insurance agency if there's some kind of doubt how an accident happened or who as at fault.
I’m really starting to believe that the C8 Z06 will be a viable alternative to an F8 for what I like to do...road trips, and packing on the miles in a car that a) has high performance, b) looks good, c) sounds great, d) reliable for many miles, e) can get serviced on the road in a pinch, f) enough creature comforts to not make experiences aggravating, and g) cool enough that you can share the “car guy” joy with people you meet along the way. You all may laugh and mock me but I am seriously thinking of cancelling my F8 Spider deposit to make garage space for a Z06 Convertible.
I haven't put a deposit down yet. I'm still waiting for more information. If it has turbo's I'm less interested. If they make an American 458 I'm very interested.
Here's a design critique. Anybody can post a comment https://**********.com/2020/11/design-commentary-proposing-the-next-generation-corvette-like-2023.html