JsnMR2

Funny thing is, I'd say most Porsche's actually ARE over priced for what you get. I know they make great cars, but come on. I'm seeing USED 997 GT3's going for 150-175K. The 997 Turbo S I looked at was 181K msrp. A new Porsche Boxster S can cost you 80K+. They are nice, but not worth that much money IMO.

AMGPilot

I would never spend that much on a Corvette. Don't get me wrong, I think the performance is great and the new C7 is a great looking car but the build quality is just not where it should be.

My wife and I went to the Detroit Autoshow to check out all of the new cars for this year. We stopped by to look at the new Z06 and it looks great, from a distance, just like the standard C7. Once we got close and start looking at the build quality, we started getting upset at GM all over again.

I was hoping that they had made a major change from the C6 but apparently not, just the same old crap. Panels that don't line up, really cheap interior trim pieces, the interior just looks cheap up close. It is really sad.

I had a C6 Z06 and enjoyed it for a while but after driving our AMG I started to enjoy the Corvette less and less, so i got rid of it. One day we may get another Corvette but it will definitely be a used one because they do lose their value really quickly.

zland

I get so tired of this idea of thinking Germn cars are built so well. Yes, tight bodies but when you consider drivetrains & electronics, no. Most of my good friends & family are master techs. Techs for MB, BMW, GM, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Nissan/finiti, Ford, & Audi. None of the techs that work on German cars I listed thought they were as good built as the Japanese brands and thought they were equal to American products. All techs of German cars told me you were nuts to own one outside of a warranty. You can claim you had a good experience with your german car(s) but these guys work on them 50 weeks a year, 8 hours a day & certainly know the products pros/cons much better then anyone else.

I find it interesting that the same people I know that own German, Japanese, & American products have a double standard. Example, one guy that owned an Audi had his motor blow up 3 times in one year, still raved about what a good car it was & at the same time complained about the built quality of his Subaru because the door did not sound as solid when shutting it & it had a rattle in the dash. I guess blown motors are not an issue but heaven help a car that did not have a solid feeling door sound when being shut.

Regarding depreciation, if you buy a Corvette & it depreciates from 80K new to 50K and at the same time frame would have bought a German car that cost 150K & depreciated to 120K the depreciation is the same. The big difference is you could take the 70K more you invested in the more expensive German car & invested it in an asset that appreciated instead of depreciated which gave the advantage to the owner of the Corvette.

Final issue to me is people seeking a car to feel a sense of status. If you think a car brings you status, it only does so to people that have screwed up values. I personal could care less if anyone is impressed with my car or myself for that matter. Fact is, I know who I am, what is important in my life, & do care to get my ego stroke by others for silly things like status off material items. In the end, they are simply a bunch of plastic and metal parts put together & 99% of these cars will be recycled within 40 years.

Destrukt

I would spend $100K on a fully loaded Z06 compared to a Nismo GTR for $120K+ for the same performance numbers. I don't know what these journalists are smoking.

Vetteman Jack

If I had that kind of financial resources you bet I would spend that kind of money on a car like the Z06 (assuming it will cost that much). But since I don't, it's a moot point.

MikeyTX

Yes, I can afford it. No, I would not spend it on a Z06. I have a much better use for that kind of money.

Spectre-13

The journalist, bloggers, commenters, etc... that make statements like this are showing how ignorant they are on cars, especially performance cars. A respectable auto journalist would know better and be aware of the corvette's incredible value from the base model to the top of the line performer Z06. The rest are just lowering their credibility if they had any to begin with.

Any "Joe Blow' can create a blog, website and clutter the internet with garbage.

sam90lx

Wow...I hope the panel and quality issues don't find there way into the Z06!

Velocita

I think this is a problem that expands beyond our hobby.

I noticed much of the conversation pertains to buying used versus new etc.. My original question was more focused on the corvette brand at a price level typically associated with AMG cars, 911s etc... I know GM is trying to gradually move up the food chain with the Z cars and I think it is a compelling offering. Heck, they will get my money!

halfcirclej

Ditto! The materials to build a car comes no where near that figure. All the other costs are over paid. Lots of profit for the MFG.

Speednet

As the owner of a C7 and an Audi A8L, I can tell you that you're wrong about German cars. They are wonderfully built. Audi absolutely makes the best interiors of any car. And the ride quality and adjustability for a large luxury car is outstanding. My Audi has had an e-diff and electronic dynamic steering since before the C7 was even announced.

I'd still rather drive my C7 than the Audi because the Corvette is such a joy to drive, but to state that German cars and German engineering is not anything special is just plain wrong.

Further, your assertion that Japanese cars are better than German cars is ridiculous in the extreme. We won't even think about buying Lexus cars anymore because of all the problems we have experienced with our multiple Lexus cars over the years. They seem great when you pull off the lot, but in a couple of years you have to start expecting exhaust fumes, faulty radiators, ill-working brakes and rotors, and constant trips to the repair shop.

My assumption is that you are stating these things because of a lack of experience with German cars. Chevrolet has done the right thing by acknowledging the excellence of German engineering, and setting about to make their cars even better.

JoesC5

John Wayne was surely a "blue collar" worker and he had one of the original 1953's. He couldn't fit in it so he gave it to his good friend Ward Bond.

I bet if they were "movie stars" they would have driven a Porsche or one of the other "upper lip" cars.

JoesC5

I can't complain about my German built Mercedes. It's 15 years old and has been in the shop once for a recall, when it was new, on the battery.

It cost less new than my C5 when it was new and way less than my C6 Z06 when it was new. I loved my C5 and I love my Z06, but you can't start to compare the two brands on fit & finish, quality, etc. I would even venture to say that my Mercedes has more advanced engineering than my Corvettes.

c7luvr

This is a silly comparison.

The cheapest base GTR you can get is $100k, so the $120k Nismo doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and is not devalued by its little brother.

The thought of paying $100k for a z06 that's sitting next to a $50k version of its little brother slightly stings.

prinzSD455

As I tend to keep my cars for a long, long time, if I could afford a $100,000+ Corvette I would buy it. The depreciation would not bother me. Now if I had to pay that much for say a BMW, then I would not, simply because the maintenance costs would be so very much higher. I am basing my opinion partly on the fact that my brother has a BMW that has been in the shop a lot. My Chevy powered cars have always been affordable to maintain so I am sticking with Chevy motors.

DebRedZR1

Zoomin

Normally I would not pay $100K for any car, but the Z06 sure has me mulling it over.

I once thought I'd never, ever pay more than $10,000 for a car.

NICK YOSKIN

isnt that a good thing that the are going for good money used?
i think BTW that it was probably a GT3 RS.
GT3 RS 4.0 are going for 350 375K!!!

NICK YOSKIN

yeah and its scary as there is one for 59K used! once Z comes out they will drop even more! I'd say 50-60K.

Runs11s

Anyone who buys ANY car, no matter the price, and thinks it is a good investment is a fool. Between depreciation and fickle markets, you have no real control.

Buy a car - ANY car - because you enjoy it. If it costs you $100K and you can afford it that's up to you. Would I pay $100K for a Vette (or any car)? If I wanted the car badly enough, yes.

Is it a wise, financially sound decision? No. But most people buy cars - especially high end sports cars - because they WANT THE CAR. Any accountant in America will tell you that you are insane for buying a new car.

But who lives to satisfy the accountants? Not me, not the nearly 5000 ZR1 buyers, etc. If you are an ENTHUSIAST, you get it. IF you are an INVESTOR, any car for $100k makes NO sense.

For me, the grin that a car like this new Z06 puts on my face is priceless. You do only live once and if you live it right, once is enough.