Who is considering the 2020 Corvette?

[Fuller]

Originally Posted by geminibgb

I'm considering the 2020 Corvette, because BMW will not and has not gotten their head out of their ass. Specifically, with the M4. For instance, most new cars and some sports cars are equipped with a digital dashboard, that allows the driver to configure. The 2019 M4 still has the analog dash with the "absolutely ugly and outdated" orange background. BMW has installed the digital dashboard on the 8 series. Therefore, it's unbelievable that BMW cannot get hardware and software engineers and those who write software code, to configure the digital dashboard for the M4. At least offer it as an option, and I'll gladly pay for it. I wanted to purchase a 2019 M4, but I don't want to pay $90,000 plus and receive antiquated technology. A 2019 or 2020 M4 with the digital
dash would be bad ass. The 2020 Corvette has a digital dash, and it's amazing, and sweet to look at day or night. BMW....please consider the digital dash for the M4 in 2020, 2021 or 2022.

BMW won't "remove their heads from their asses", so your answer is to buy a GM? Take that BMW. That otta' learn ya!

[2 SLOW]

Originally Posted by sna66

You corvette guys need to chill out, it's really not that serious. Must be all those testosterone injections. Glad to see you leaving Bimmerpost soon though, don't let the door hit you on the way out

Most of us can afford our M3/4 and a Corvette Florida boy. You debadged your wife’s X4 cause you are so vain

[Obioban]

My last 15 cars have been BMWs, some purchased new, some purchased used, some purchased as CPOs. They no longer make a single car I have any interest in... and I suspect my next car will be a 3rd year of production C8 Grand Sport.

Originally Posted by Fuller

BMW won't "remove their heads from their asses", so your answer is to buy a GM? Take that BMW. That otta' learn ya!

Pretty sure BMW only cares if you buy a BMW or don't-- not what brand you go to once leaving them.

Originally Posted by BluM4

Z51+2LT will bring it closer to $80k... still amazing price though for a sub-3-second car. Just need to talk wifey in

It's amusing how Porsche/BMW owners are convinced the options will make it expensive. The Z51 and 2LT packages are very analogous to the C7 Z51 and 2LT packages, so I see no reason to think the prices will be far off. 2LT + Z51 on the C7 adds 9455 combined, and that Z51 includes dry sump on the engine-- which is already standard on the C8. So, I'd expect those to combined to be <$10,000, for a total of <$70,000.

And that's before the massive discounts the will exist after the first couple years.

[Fuller]

Originally Posted by Obioban

My last 15 cars have been BMWs, some purchased new, some purchased used, some purchased as CPOs. They no longer make a single car I have any interest in... and I suspect my next car will be a 3rd year of production C8 Grand Sport.

Pretty sure BMW only cares if you buy a BMW or don't-- not what brand you go to once leaving them.

It's amusing how Porsche/BMW owners are convinced the options will make it expensive. The Z51 and 2LT packages are very analogous to the C7 Z51 and 2LT packages, so I see no reason to think the prices will be far off. 2LT + Z51 on the C7 adds 9455 combined, and that Z51 includes dry sump on the engine-- which is already standard on the C8. So, I'd expect those to combined to be <$10,000, for a total of <$70,000.

And that's before the massive discounts the will exist after the first couple years.

My point was that, in the post I replied to, the member stated he was tired of bmw "having their heads in their asses", so his answer is to go with GM. It comes across dripping with irony.

[Powerslide]

Regardless of which side of the fence everyone above considers themselves on - I have to say:

1. I've loved BMW M's since the 1980's.
2. I've absolutely enjoyed every minute of every BWM M I've owned (E93, F80 and F80 ZCP - the latter of which I'm daily driving and driving on the track);
3. I literally look forward to driving my 2018 M3 ZCP every single day, and every track day that I can; and
4. I'm super excited about the new 2020 C8 Corvette with the Z51 package.

As for point #4 - my kids are growing up - and my need for a high performance 4-door sedan that can seat 5 with a full trunk is diminishing as time goes forward. Have no regrets about my current F80 ZCP on the street and the track - but once I don't need the 4 doors and 5 seats anymore, why the heck wouldn't I consider the 2020 C8 'Vette with Z51 package for a DD and track duty???

[Obioban]

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2...-configurator/

Thursday, July 18, marked a day that many auto enthusiasts and car industry watchers thought would never happen: After decades of rumors and innuendo, Chevrolet finally introduced a production, mid-engined Corvette. It's fair to say the 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray's Tustin, California, reveal was a blockbuster event by the numbers. You may have already committed the key metrics to memory: 495 horsepower, 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 3 seconds, pricing starting at under $60,000.

The C8 Corvette wasn't the only thing to generate impressive stats that night: The reveal event itself triggered massive online traffic for the automotive websites and forums covering the C8 Corvette's reveal, and General Motors was temporarily overwhelmed by the unbridled interest the reveal generated. There were times when the livestream of the reveal bogged down, and when the automaker revealed that its 2020 Chevy Corvette "Visualizer" configurator tool was already live on Chevrolet.com, a tidal wave of traffic ensued, effectively gridlocking the experience for most users for the better part of a day.

When the digital dust settled, the 2020 Chevy Corvette had set a number of impressive online records for GM. In the main, 471,000 people tuned in to watch the livestream unveil of the Corvette -- an impressive figure given that the event was held midevening on the West Coast (a good portion of the event happened after much of the country had already gone to bed).

But Corvette fever didn't stop there. Friday, July 19, the first full day after the C8's debut, saw the C8 shatter Chevrolet.com traffic records, too. According to Steve Majoros, director of passenger car and crossover marketing for Chevrolet, the brand's consumer site saw five times the normal traffic load it hosts on a daily basis. Corvette-related traffic set an all-time record for Chevy's website, even with the slowdown.

"With a pretty rabid and passionate base, we knew we'd take 24 hours of grief," Majoros tells Roadshow. "The majority of people got the full [configurator] experience, which is the full 3D experience. We do have a way that the system throttles to what we're calling a 2D experience [to speed load time]. Once we hit thresholds, we worked with Amazon Web Services very quickly to double our server capacity." (GM may have outsourced its server support for things like 3D rendering, but it built the C8's configurator tool internally, a move that helped keep a lid on information leaking out about the top-secret car.)

Through the end of July, traffic to the C8's Chevrolet.com landing page alone amounted to 2.4 million visits, with 750,000 of those users coming within the first 72 hours after the reveal. By the end of July, some 1.3 million users had already tried out out the Corvette's Visualizer, poking through the various colors, options and features to configure their dream Corvettes. In total, visitors to the website built over 940,000 Corvettes and logged in excess of 152,000 hours spent on the Visualizer tool before the month of August even began.

Those are huge numbers, especially when you consider that the outgoing C7 Corvette sold just 18,791 units last year.

Making sense of the numbers
It's difficult to put the Corvette's reveal and website figures in proper context, as most automakers don't hold online reveal ceremonies for new cars and trucks this way (let alone disclose data about the online footprint of these events thereafter). The clearest recent example is arguably Tesla's unveiling of the Model 3 EV in March 2016.

Tesla didn't release data about subsequent website visits, but we do know that event led to a claimed 115,000 buyer reservations within 24 hours -- including $1,000 deposits. This is admittedly an apples and oranges comparison. The Model 3 four-door sedan is designed to be a more affordable mainstream automobile (that happens to be electric), versus the two-seat Corvette's much more specialized nature. Clearly, however, these are big numbers that show significant interest in both milestone automobiles.

Visualize this
A lot of users have configured C8 Corvettes in the Visualizer in many different ways. "Corvette, as a vehicle, has always been about personalization and bespoke and customization -- making it yours," Majoros tells Roadshow. "We wouldn't be having this call if this was [a] Malibu or Equinox, right? [With those vehicles] we've got like 40 build combinations ... we have probably infinite build combinations [with Corvette], because that's what customers want. They want a car that's uniquely theirs ... it's not a surprise that people are building and saving multiple versions."

Are there any common threads emerging in users' Visualizer selections that could point to what types of cars will end up in dealers? Not necessarily. Right now, the two most popular configurator paint color selections are Rapid Blue (new) and Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic -- two of the C8's bolder color choices. Similarly, two of the most popular interior colors have been Two-Tone Blue and Natural Dipped (tan).

Majoros doesn't necessarily think the aforementioned choices will correlate to those particular paint and upholstery finishes being the most popular when it comes down to actually ordering vehicles. "The Visualizer results to date are inconsistent with what a long-term sales trend would be," he says. Rather, Chevy officials suspect customers are focusing on newly available colors and bolder material choices and letting their imaginations run wild.

Special 'Corvette Academy' call center
GM hasn't just rolled out the digital red carpet for the Corvette-curious online, it's also formed a special call center task force dedicated to answering customer questions. According to Majoros, Chevy pulled a number of employees from its regular customer call center, "sequestered them for six weeks" in advance of the reveal and gave them in-depth Corvette Academy training on product and process. "We skimmed off the creme de la creme and really 'Corvetted' them up," he says.

Corvette Live Chat
Enlarge Image
Corvette Academy members are available for live chat.

Chevrolet
These special phone reps have been trained in "engineering, dealers, history, allocation, ordering, speccing, specifications, anything that we think could come our way," Majoros says. Housed in GM's Renaissance Center headquarters, there are five such "concierge" staffers working the phones and keyboards at any given time, and these representatives are available to answer phone calls, emails and live chat requests 12 hours a day. Average phone calls last about 15 minutes, but some extend an hour beyond that, says Majoros. Anyone can call upon these experts; you don't need to be a Corvette owner or someone who has placed a deposit for the new car.

Majoros says these call-center reps have entertained everything from general questions about how to use the website to very specific engineering questions like what the maximum possible negative camber angle is on the rear wheels when setting up the car for racing. Patrons can have repeat access to the same call center expert via phone or email as new questions arrive, too, and they can even help spec out a Corvette and transfer that information to the dealer along with discussion notes when the time comes. "i want these people to be your Nordstrom concierge. I want them to know you, basically be your personal shopper," he says.

The last time Chevrolet queued up a special concierge experience like this for one of its products? The first-generation Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, circa 2010 or 2011.

It will likely be many months before we can tell if early interest in the livestream reveal and website configurator will translate into robust sales for the 2020 Chevy Corvette. Right now, customers can make deposits, and while dealers can place orders, in the absence of full pricing information (coming in mid-August), many are electing to wait to enter orders into their systems.

In other words, we probably won't know for a while if the C8 has more record-breaking performances in store.

[No Boost]

"...pretty rabid and passionate base..."

Passionate I can see, but rabid? I guess a 60s something person can be rabid if bitten by infected dog or raccoon.

[MaynardZed]

I might get a C8 if I can fit in it nicely with my helmet on. At 6'4" and a long torso, it was a little snug in the M4, but I did just barely fit. That car was an absolute hoot on the track, like a drift car, you had to really drive it to get good lap times.

The 991 Porsche I have now, has WAY more room than the C6 and C7 vettes and a even more than the M4. Hopefully Chevy got their heads out of their arses and made more cockpit room in the C8. My only complaint with the Porsche is that maybe its too good? I mean I can turn 2-4 seconds faster lap times in it than the M4 and its very easy. This is just a Carrera GTS with a manual, I can only imagine a GT3 with a PDK.

I really don't get involved in this silly biased brand loyalty. A good car is a good car. To blindly write off a certain make because of perceived inferiority and prejudices, just shows a lack of intelligence and insight. Yeah, Chevy's were kind of crap back in the 70-80's compared to BMW and the like, but the quality gap has closed dramatically. I used to think Hyundai and Kia were cheap crap, but they're actually really nice normal cars now that rival Honda and Toyota in quality.

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by MaynardZed

My only complaint with the Porsche is that maybe its too good? I mean I can turn 2-4 seconds faster lap times in it than the M4 and its very easy. This is just a Carrera GTS with a manual, I can only imagine a GT3 with a PDK.

Think you are onto something here. Just chased a 991.2 RS during a session, then had a ride later on.

Car is basically a superhero. Will do whatever you ask of it, stress free. I'm sure plenty of skill is required at the very limit, but to turn seriously fast laps does not require great effort. Same is not true of the M4.

Is grappling with the laws of physics vs. conquering an enjoyable element of the track experience? Having both options would be ideal I suppose.

On the C8 -- look forward to evaluating fit as well. 6'2", tried a C7 Grand Sport on like 2 or 3 times in showrooms, and just couldn't feel right in the cabin. Felt cramped in every direction.

Also will be interesting to see if the mid-engine layout means a total change in character. Take the Vette into the Porsche end of the dynamic spectrum, i.e., away from the M4, C7 Z06, Camaro, etc. Cars you have to wrestle for limit performance...

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by FormulaMMM

Also will be interesting to see if the mid-engine layout means a total change in character. Take the Vette into the Porsche end of the dynamic spectrum, i.e., away from the M4, C7 Z06, Camaro, etc. Cars you have to wrestle for limit performance...

My fingers are crossed that it will be super approachable like a 981 gt4, but with +100hp and appropriate gearing. That would be pretty fun, and its just the base model with a sport suspension option.

Can’t wait to see the GS and Z06 with z07 package that are meant to be track stars

[_BSMM5]

Really want to make the C8 my next car but I currently daily my F80... no way I'd ever daily my C8. With potentially moving to Calgary soon - I don't know how I feel about paying for a car I can't drive 5-6 months out of the year during the winter.

On the note of exclusivity and how there will be C8s all over the place - there are 3 series all over the place in every city. While we may be able to tell the difference between a 320i and an M3, many many people see them as the same car (I know it hurts to hear).

You won't see people confusing the vette with a Cruze.

[dezzracer]

Lord you guys are sure chugging the Corvette cool aid. Car isn't even out yet. At 60k for the base model something has to give. Like quality, fit and finish, materials, reliability, exclusivity, I could go on. And I like to see somebody actually get one for 60k. If you want the "right model" with required features be prepared to spend at least 80. I do think that mid engine configuration is a good design and looks better than the previous gens but I'm just not a "Corvette guy" just like I'm not a Porsche guy. Plus I don't own any gold chains or pinky rings.

On paper it does appear to look like a lot of car for the money but it ain't no German engineered BMW M car baby. I see the new Corvette the same way I see more Mopars now. Everybody and their brother is going to be running around in one wanting to race everybody thinking they are the cock of the walk. Dime a dozen. So there.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by _BSMM5

Really want to make the C8 my next car but I currently daily my F80... no way I'd ever daily my C8. With potentially moving to Calgary soon - I don't know how I feel about paying for a car I can't drive 5-6 months out of the year during the winter.

With an alu engine, alu chassis, and fiberglass body panels... it wouldn't rust with winter use

Originally Posted by dezzracer

On paper it does appear to look like a lot of car for the money but it ain't no German engineered BMW M car baby.

Hopefully not!

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...-m4-cs-review/

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by dezzracer

Lord you guys are sure chugging the Corvette cool aid. Car isn't even out yet. At 60k for the base model something has to give. Like quality, fit and finish, materials, reliability, exclusivity, I could go on. And I like to see somebody actually get one for 60k. If you want the "right model" with required features be prepared to spend at least 80. I do think that mid engine configuration is a good design and looks better than the previous gens but I'm just not a "Corvette guy" just like I'm not a Porsche guy. Plus I don't own any gold chains or pinky rings.

On paper it does appear to look like a lot of car for the money but it ain't no German engineered BMW M car baby. I see the new Corvette the same way I see more Mopars now. Everybody and their brother is going to be running around in one wanting to race everybody thinking they are the cock of the walk. Dime a dozen. So there.

All of those v8 pickups help to share out the costs of the engine in the Vette, so it’s possible “economies of scale” not “corner cutting” is the reason for the low price.

If BMW came out with this car and slapped an M1 on the rear, they could probably charge $150k-$200k and sell it out.

will be interesting to see m4 gts (with proper suspension and aero setup, and similar tires to remove excuses) take on c8 z51 at the track. 2x the msrp and special German M engineered track special will maybe hopefully be at least a bit faster than plebeian $60k car with pick up truck derived engine......

A good car is a good car man. Whether you like or get a vette or not, every sports car maker just got a warning shot fired at them. It’s like when original nsx came out and forced everyone to level reliability and everyday usability

[gatorfast]

Originally Posted by dezzracer

Lord you guys are sure chugging the Corvette cool aid. Car isn't even out yet. At 60k for the base model something has to give. Like quality, fit and finish, materials, reliability, exclusivity, I could go on. And I like to see somebody actually get one for 60k. If you want the "right model" with required features be prepared to spend at least 80. I do think that mid engine configuration is a good design and looks better than the previous gens but I'm just not a "Corvette guy" just like I'm not a Porsche guy. Plus I don't own any gold chains or pinky rings.

On paper it does appear to look like a lot of car for the money but it ain't no German engineered BMW M car baby. I see the new Corvette the same way I see more Mopars now. Everybody and their brother is going to be running around in one wanting to race everybody thinking they are the cock of the walk. Dime a dozen. So there.

Odd post You start off saying the car isnt even out yet and then immediately determine it must be poor quality and the price cant possibly be had at $60k lol. Sounds like you have an ax to grind with Corvette owners? Sheesh

[dezzracer]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

Odd post You start off saying the car isnt even out yet and then immediately determine it must be poor quality and the price cant possibly be had at $60k lol. Sounds like you have an ax to grind with Corvette owners? Sheesh

No.. other than their gold chains and pinky rings. LOL. I say that in jest. I'm sure they have their fun with us stuck up BMW Owners as well. I'm just saying... lots talking here (this is BMW site right) like they are ready to trade in their German hot rods for the almighty 60k "super car" that Chevy apparently has coming out. Sheesh!! We shall see.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by nicknaz

All of those v8 pickups help to share out the costs of the engine in the Vette, so it’s possible “economies of scale” not “corner cutting” is the reason for the low price.

If BMW came out with this car and slapped an M1 on the rear, they could probably charge $150k-$200k and sell it out.

will be interesting to see m4 gts (with proper suspension and aero setup, and similar tires to remove excuses) take on c8 z51 at the track. 2x the msrp and special German M engineered track special will maybe hopefully be at least a bit faster than plebeian $60k car with pick up truck derived engine......

A good car is a good car man. Whether you like or get a vette or not, every sports car maker just got a warning shot fired at them. It’s like when original nsx came out and forced everyone to level reliability and everyday usability

The GTS is slower than a z51 C7, so it’ll almost certainly be slower than a c8 z51. Ferrari licenses shocks from GM for a reason

[Beemerm3]

I see the Corvette has cruise control on the steering wheel. That's a +1 . That's a good thing if I were to buy this car.

[brocurls]

I hope the C8 attracts a lot of buyers and great reviews.

Maybe it'll force BMW to start adding more options as standard or lower their base price on a M4 or whatever BMW thinks it'll be a threat to(lol a guy can dream).

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by brocurls

I hope the C8 attracts a lot of buyers and great reviews.

Maybe it'll force BMW to start adding more options as standard or lower their base price on a M4 or whatever BMW thinks it'll be a threat to(lol a guy can dream).

My dream is that M4GTS becomes (and is priced like) M4 ZCP and M3Cs becomes the regular $60k base M3

That would really level up the game of Bmw M to be “ultimate driving” instead of “ultimate dual purpose”

[FormulaMMM]

Originally Posted by Obioban

The GTS is slower than a z51 C7

Oh, come on!... Do you really believe this? Stock for stock with GTS in factory track spec?

Originally Posted by nicknaz

My dream is that M4GTS becomes (and is priced like) M4 ZCP and M3Cs becomes the regular $60k base M3

That would really level up the game of Bmw M to be “ultimate driving” instead of “ultimate dual purpose”

It'll never happen, but agree, BMW should make factory track performance accessible like the Americans have.

1LE pack for the ZL1 gets you all of the track performance that you could want for 7500. (GTS did deliver some additional bits -- cage, carbon ceramics, unique interior bits.)

What Porsche has going on with the 718 would be a good pricing model for BMW, I think. Base model is ~60k, range-topping, track-ready GT4 is 100k. I'm in at that price for a future GTS/CSL.

C8 Grand Sport will be 80-90k? BMW needs to get with the times.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by FormulaMMM

Oh, come on!... Do you really believe this? Stock for stock with GTS in factory track spec?

... do you not believe this? Most of the non V6 Camaros specs are faster than the GTS on track, and the Vette is a considerable step up from them...