Raskolnikov

http://blogs.insideline.com/straight...hotopanel..4.*

"Before I begin, let me say that the following is not an attack on the people who buy Corvettes. They are good, clean, patriotic car lovers, and I think they should all be applauded for buying American.

I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Every barrel-chested baldy (sorry, retirees) and stripper (sorry, Bambi) who bought a Corvette recently deserves our respect and admiration for spending their hard-earned cash on America's sports car. God bless them all. I hope they enjoy their cars.

This column is not about them. It's about the Corvette itself, which sucks.

Truth is, I'm not really sure when it began to suck. I must have been watching my new Girls Gone Wild DVD and missed it, but it does suck and I think we should all be mortified by its suckiness.

Sure it performs incredibly well, but the Corvette as a relevant performance car has lost its way. Instead of being the everyman, all-American supercar it once was, the Vette has become too expensive, too extreme and too cheesy.

Chevy has blown it by allowing the Corvette's price and performance to get out of hand. And it continues to wrap the Vette in a dated package that is driving America's young car enthusiasts elsewhere. Do you realize that the base price of a new 2010 Corvette is $48,940? That's 50 grand for the cheapest Vette Chevy will sell you. The days of a kid graduating from college, getting a good job, saving up and buying a new Vette are long gone.

This is a problem."

The above text, in quotes, is from blogger The Mechanic on Edmunds InsideLine!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm conflicted with this column. The Corvette is so much car for the money, but there is not much exclusivity left in the brand. I probably see 2 or 3 C5's every day, not to mention a C6 or 2.

Regardless of what this guy says, I still love my Corvette.

What are your thoughts?

swollix

Uhh, what? He expect cars to stay the same cost when they have much more technology and materials? As far as the performance getting out of hand, if you think it is too much then buy an older models. Cars get bette & faster with each new generation, if they did not there would be no reason for people to buy new models.

Phanni

I hope that guy loves his KIA.

BUGZ

Didn't waist my time reading it...fock him!

2_99_c5s

I don't understand what this guy is talking about. Yes, a base corvette costs 50k, but that's how much it costs to make a high performance production sportscar. I'd like to hear what he would do to change on the car to reduce it's price. If you don't have 50k to spend on a new vette, spend 20k on a used c5. If you can't afford 20k and want "real" a sportscar spend 13k on a used 350z. That's just my opinion. I think that this guy doesn't know what a sportscar is and what they cost to build. Furthermore, he didn't mention how much money you save on maintenance when you buy a chevy compared to other manufacturers.

Oh, WTF??? How can he say that the performance has gotten out of hand. A sportscar can never perform to well. <period

BWF07

Or he could buy a base model Mustang at 315 hp (not a GT or the Shelby) for $36k, and then he can look like everyone else. If he wants to play with the Z06 he will need the Shelby GT500 at a base of $46k, but you will need to mod it out to really be able to stay with a Z06.

Sorry but for my money I will stick to the vette.

daddoe

The dude just comes off as a jealous Vette hater to me. Most of his points are B.S.

To most Corvette enthusiasts, performance getting out of hand doesn't seem likely. Regarding price; What else performs and handles like our Vettes for $50K? Buying a new Vette has always been a bit of a reach for the middle class, but obtaining one has always been a dream.

Just ignore all of the ALMS wins. The Aston Martin team may not agree.

Comparing apples and oranges. The GTR might have been a better competitor, but the price/performance of that car would have ruined his argument. The have always been lessor cars competing a rung below the Corvette; Datsun 240Z, Opel, Supra, but they are not Vettes, American made, or have the proud history in my opinion. I see G35/G37 day in and day out. They are good performance cars and for a guy or gal that needs to put a baby in the back seat from time to time, but they turn peoples heads? Do they have the same impact as a Corvette? I don't think so.

RON NARDONE

Every one is entitled to thier opinion, my opinion is just the oppisite of yours, i do respect your opinion i just dont agree with it.i think the engineers have done well over the years,48.000 is alot of money but for that price you can roll with cars that cost four times as much.is it a swiss watch no but porsche and ferrari have service depts

itzza427

Bottom line,,,who cares what they think!!I too can't afford a new one,,that's what makes the used car market go round!!!Love my c3 and C5,,,and love to ogle all the others. Well yes I'm well over 50,,but I have them because I have always like these cars,,and I just plane have fun with them. My C5 FRC is more than a match for 98% of what it will meet out and about in my area.I like it and at my age ,,really don't care WHAT people think. Around here many like it,,some don't even notice it. I'll talk to any one that is interested,and don't give a second thought to those that aren't!! I'm happy,,life is good!!

GRUNIE

Raskolnikov

I think what is driving some of the feelings that Corvettes don't have the cachet they once had is volume. There are, plain and simple, a sh!tload of Corvette's out there. On one hand, it's part of the charm that they offer near-supercar performance to the middle class but on the other hand not many people really turn their heads to watch a vette go by anymore.
Sad but true.

daddoe

The O.P.'s article was describing that the Vette had become too expensive and out of reach.

Your seeing as you say a "sh!tload" of Corvette's out there.

What a nice problem.

Yeah, those other jealous drivers try not to look and keep focused straight ahead. At least we're enjoying 'em.

Aerovette

Without giving any credence to the article, I would like to address a couple of issues.

I always hear that performance costs money, BUT I have to ask why?
Does it take more time to assembly a truck engine than a Corvette engine? Does it take more time to bolt in a seat? Put on a wheel? Plug in a harness? The factories are EXPERTS and they make that process as absolutely efficient as possible so the answer is NO, it does not.

Engineering is often used as the reason for the high price. However, the engineering has been long paid for before that car hits the streets and CERTAINLY, by the time the 8th year of production has been completed. It is not paid for by the specific car model. It is paid by GM. Developments and advances in any area are shared and benefit the entire company, so that is not a valid reason.

I think Corvettes are expensive because the supply is controlled. Much like diamonds. For those of you that do not know this...diamonds are NOT rare. They are very abundant. However, their supply is very closely controlled to keep the price inflated. No different for Corvettes. They could turn all the truck factories in to Corvette plants and cut the price 50% and sell more than they could build.

The bottom line is that just as my wife likes diamonds, I like Corvettes, so we suck it up, buy them, and let the politics be someone else's issue. When it comes right down to it, you are, or are not, a fan of these cars and if you want one bad enough, you'll get one.

I do, and I did, and I will again.

Gideon's_Test

<in response to the blog> ..whatever...

Vetteman Jack

Corvettes aren't for everyone and obviously this guy is one of them. I happen to like mine just fine. And while I tend to agree that it would be nice if the price were lower, you don't have to get a new one to have excellent performance and tremendous bang for the buck.

BillY2KFRC

Um, in 1989 the MSRP of a new Corvette was $36,785. If you look at a price of $48,000 (you can get one for $40k), if anything the Corvette has gotten cheaper after you account for inflation. Houses are more than double the prices of 1989 even after the market crash.

Really stupid article that is based on nothing factual whatsoever.

Dope

I don't get it, there's no point to the article. Yes, they're expensive, but they are completely wrong in their assessment of past prices. They've always been roughly the same price premium over say a Camaro or a Mustang. Cars just get more expensive over time. Sure, base price is $48k but ANY decent car is $30k+ these days. The Camaro and Mustang are both over $30k too. The V8 Camaro is what, $32k base price?

Just for giggles I did a search. Base price on a 1969 Camaro was $3185 according to google. 1969 Corvette...$4781. Gee, we're literally exactly the same ratio (just 10x more!) still. What's the problem?

I could see the argument maybe about the ZR1 and such, but crap they are literally supercars, and outperform cars that are 2-3x more expensive.

The whole article is idiotic. So kids want a G37 coupe or a M3 these days? Okay. G37 coupe base price is $37-39k. M3 is $56k. So the vette falls squarely between the two in price, despite the fact that it would destroy either car. So what's the problem again?

Then he goes on to say that he would buy a Porsche 911 over a Vette. Despite the fact that a 911 base price is $76k for the bare bones model. Nevermind the $125k for the GT3 model that he specifies. But he keeps harping that the vette is out of reach, price-wise. Make up your mind. Is it too expensive or is it not? The vette sounds like (and is) a bargain compared to the cars he's talking about. He's disproving his own point with his own article!


Argh!

Dope

AZ Vert

Yawn...

Roostertail

If the Corvette sucks at $50K imagine how sucky a Ferrari or Lambo is....

Nick

jbondfl

I believe you are wrong here, technology DOES cost more.
Let's start with a few simple parts.
Thicker, stronger sway bars make the car handle better. They are more expensive to make.
Larger Brake rotors that are dimpled or slotted help the car stop much better. They are more expensive than the old drum brakes.
A 405hp LS6 is clrearly an improvement over any of the earlier engine models. And yes, they cost more because many of the parts need to be beefed up to handle that horepower.
The transmission???,,, see previous hp improvements.

Developement costs are divided over the entire GM line. Yes. But so are the developement costs of the new model Pickups, and econoboxes, and Camaro, and every other model GM sells.

About the only thing that doesn't cost more simply due to technology is the labor to put it together. But you tell me, if GM told you that for $2500 more they would guarantee you your car would be assembled by only the very top rated employees in the Corvette plant, would you turn them down?


To the OP,,, The Corvette is not now and never has been the everyman American supercar. While it is not eliteist it is a bit more than most can or will invest in a car. What it is, and always has been, is the All American Sports Car that every man WISHES he could have. Some, like you apparently, will discount the cars ability, its effeiciency, and its continued reputation for comparison against cars costing 10X as much simply because it is out of your reach. That's a shame but luckily for you there are still Mustangs that you can buy for $20K and you get to call it a sports car if you want to. Then you can put $30K into it if you wish and maybe keep up with the Corvette, maybe not.


Gotta wonder though, what purpose does it serve for you to join a Corvette forum if you hate them so much?