It's easy to get carried away in a sea of hype, especially when it surrounds a hotly anticipated product. Case in point, the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8, which is the latest version of Chevy's most successful sports car. Although it may be nice and flashy, don't let it erase your memory of its previous iteration: the C7.
Sure, the C8 has a quicker base-model, a new appearance, and a fresh LT-engine. However, we have to ask, "Is it really better than the C7 Stingray?" This is something we've been pondering since the C8 was first announced and, now, we have our answer.
As the title says, we'd pick a 2019 Corvette C7 over the new C8. "Why?" Well, allow us to argue our case with ten reasons why we believe the C7 is superior to the 2021 C8.
10 The Extra Cargo Space
When imagining what your life would be like with a high-end sports car, you won't really fantasize over how much storage space it may have. Nevertheless, it's extremely important in a grand tourer/daily driver.
The Chevrolet Corvette is one muscle car that had a surprising amount of room for groceries, the removable roof, golf clubs, and more. We say "had," though, as the C8 is far less accommodating than its C7 sibling. Still, that's to be expected, since the C8 has a mid-engine layout rather than a traditional front-engine design. This forces the cargo space to be split between two trunks (front and rear) instead of a singular one.
9 Camaro Parts
Besides the mid-engine elephant in the room, the Corvette C8 had a few design choices that had us scratching our heads. Particularly, there's the repurposing of current Camaro parts onto the latest Corvette.
Most noticeable of them is the rear-end of the new Corvette. To us, the taillights, bumper, and stock spoiler are near carbon copies of what the 2019/2020 Chevrolet Camaros had at the time. We'll concede that they're not exactly the same, but the likeness is clear to see.
It's understandable trying to save money and cut costs where you can. However, when you're attempting to make something brand new and unique in its own regard, then don't reuse cheap parts.
8 Lower Price Tag
This next one is pretty obvious but deserves a mention, no less. As is the case with almost every sports car, its initial prices will skyrocket through the roof, only to quickly fall the minute any miles are put on the odometer. That reason (among others), is why we're staunchly against buying factory-new cars, even if it's the Corvette C8.
As it currently stands, the C8 is in the $80,000 to $110,000 range. That's no low sum for most people, especially for just a single sports car. For a fraction of that M.S.R.P. ($40,000 to $65,000), you can get a slightly older Corvette that's just as good, if not better!
7 Better Engine Note
Like the cargo space, there are a lot of things that motorists don't always think about before making the decision to buy. Now, with the rise of quieter gas engines and EV cars, it seems like the engine note may be next up on the 'chopping block.' Even the mighty Corvette isn't immune to this trend.
As several journalists, reviewers, and owners have commented thus far, the C8 appears to have a much weaker exhaust sound than the older Corvette C7—Z06 or ZR1. C8 owners can always opt for an aftermarket C8 exhaust like the one Lingenfelter offers, but that’ll cost extra on top of the car’s initial price tag and maintenance.
6 Marginal Performance Improvements
Contrary to what Chevrolet and other media outlets may have said about the Corvette C8, what's new isn't always better. In fact, as far as the base-model C8 is concerned, it's actually worse than the C7 in many areas.
Performance is the most egregious difference between the two models. The C8 should dominate the highest-trim C7 with ease given it's got the new tech, a new design, and so on. But, no. On-track, the C8 gets dumpstered by a normal C7 Z06.
In a straight-line drag race, the C7 wins. Maybe it'll be a bit different on a circuit course. However, we think the C7's outright speed will compensate for any lack of cornering ability.
5 Hints To The Past
When Chevy decided to revive the 'Stingray' title for the C7, they knew that it needed to imbibe the spirit of Stingray's past. In hindsight, we can say that they did so successfully, but what about the C8?
As you can see from the photos above, the C7 blends in well with the rest of the previous Corvette models from the C2 to the present. The C8, on the other hand, doesn't mimic any Corvettes except in two minor ways: first, by using parts from the C7, and secondly that it harks back to the first mid-engine ‘Vette concept, the '68 XP-880 Astro II.
4 A ‘ZR1’ Trim
If you'll recall what we mentioned with the price and performance differences, the C8 is vastly more expensive, while simultaneously underpowered in comparison to the older model. The reason behind this is simple. The C8 is the first of its kind, so far. To add to that, they've yet to include a Z06 or ZR1 trim to the catalog.
Since the C7 has had its time to mature, it's not just the base LT-trim that's available to consumers. Car buyers have their choice between the ZR1 and Z06. They may not have a mid-engine layout, however the ZR1 is practically a supercar. Just look at it! The aero-kit, appearance, and speed are to die for!
If you're really dead set on getting a C8, wait until there's more to choose from than the normal version. Think about it: "How well does the first C7 hold up in 2021?" Not well.
3 A Manual Transmission
To be frank, we were confused as to why Chevy didn't add a manual transmission option to their new Corvette. We know that a sequential-automatic with paddle-shifters is much quicker than an ol' stick shift, but (without it) it doesn't feel the same.
As far as we're aware, there are no plans to add a manual transmission to the C8. It would appear that Chevrolet has abandoned the idea in favor of keeping up with the competition; something more and more carmakers are doing, too.
Because of this, you'll have to retreat back to the C7 for your share of modern, manual 'Vettes. Hopefully, Chevy does a 180° soon.
2 The Muscle Car Aesthetic
Onto the most contentious of the points we've had thus far. In our personal experience, the largest complaint towards the C8 is this primary issue: it no longer looks like a muscle car.
It all revolves around the Corvette's change from front-engine to mid-engine. Like Porsche's shift from air-cooled to water-cooled engines, hardcore fans are unhappy with the change. Even worse, you can't even consider it a muscle car anymore. If anything, it's a wannabe McLaren 570S.
1 The C7 Looks Better
Now, for the final bit, this one is purely our personal opinion. A few points beforehand have also been subjective, but this one encompasses all of them (and more). To us, the C8 just doesn't look as good as the C7.
To explain why we feel this way, it's best summed up by the previous entry in the toe. Simply put, the C8 isn't a Corvette. They've forgone the muscle car styling we discussed earlier, as well as what Corvette purists think the originals were intended for.
It's cool, sure, but hardly the Corvette we've known for so long. Embracing change can be good, but we'll have to wait a bit longer before making a definitive position on the C8: Accept or reject.