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Phil1098

Actually it isn't even close and here is proof of it I posted elsewhere. BTW this is GMs take on it BECAUSE of what they did. :

The C7 was an absolute stop gap and I can prove it. If you really know Corvette history, you would know just before a big change they come out with "special" cars. They did this in 1996 with Grand Sport and Collectors Edition because above EVERYTHING else, GM has to build and sell cars. They know the market is going to go soft before a significant generation change, problem is, the plant workers show up every day to build cars and GM is a volume builder. Now if you look at C7 (a great car BTW), here is a list I have put together and I have probably forgotten some, but it shows the extent and desperation of their attempts to continue to sell cars before the C8 came out.

Base

Z06

ZR-1

Grand Sport

Carbon 65

Collector Edition Grand Sport

Premier Edition

Atlantic Design Package

Pacific Design Package

Z06 C7.R Edition

Twilight Blue Design Package

Spice Red Design Package

Jet Black Design Package

Never in the history of the brand have they had buyers putting deposits down four and five years before a car came out. Never have they had 5,000 people go to a dealer and wait in line 3-4 hours just to see and sit in a car for less than a minute. The significance of the C8 is far greater than any other Corvette by several factors. They are also making right hand drive cars so they will actively export these cars to everywhere.

vettesweetnos

C6 general had threads like this one from September 2004 to later in 2005 - Z06 came as a 2006 m.y.
C7 general had threads like this one from summer 2014 until reveal - Z06 came as 2015 m.y. - https://www.corvetteblogger.com/2014...do/#more-22029

They could release and tease stuff and make people wait 3 & 4 years but I highly doubt it. We will keep getting little bits of information here and there but I think the Z is going to be a 2021 mode. 2022 at the latest. No later than that.

Supermassive

Nope.

The Z06 was plagued with more power than the car could put down reliably. Sure for the 95% of Z06 owners whose entire Corvette experience is basically driving in traffic you would never know how squirrelly the rear end is. The Z06 was actually overshadowed by the Grand Sport as the better overall car for driving on a track or even in some twisty mountain roads.

Now don't get it twisted, the C7 Z06 is a far better sports car than many cars out there, but of the C7 generation it was fighting an uphill battle against the whole overblown heat soak issue, wheels breaking/cracking, and the 8 speed auto woes. The fact that the Z06 would limp mode on track, which is what the original Z06 packages were designed for, was a pretty big black eye for generating interest in new buyers.

All that said I have my eyes open looking for a Torch Red C7 Z06 3LZ with the Z07 package. I found one I really want but it is still a bit out of the realm of reason for my financial situation...but it doesn't stop me from wanting it.

JockItch

I’m betting on a 2021 release as a 2022 MY but absolutely agree. We wouldn’t be seeing leaked steering wheels and mules in public if this car was 3-4 years away. It’s common sense.

vettesweetnos

I agree, besides I would say they had the Z06 release planned before the C8 Stingray was even revealed. I doubt they would delay it unless there were big issues. Seeing photos and video of the mule in January is a good sign.

fatsport

Stunning. Why isn't this a C8 color?

blackbirdws6

Keeping the fire lit and selling every car they can produce is the name of the game. If they can keep the excitement and demand up, they will build all that they can handle. I expect after C8 customer cars (including youtubers) are delivered, the internet will be inundated with C8 content (5 things I love/hate about the C8). So much so that it will become old news very quickly. To keep this new mid-engine car fresh, they will need model variants released consistently without too much gap between. Think of how well the Dodge boys have done with their ever increasing number of variants, models, etc. Granted I would not want to see the Corvette get watered-down like the Mopar camp but they should have enough release content to keep the train moving for at least 4-5 years.

Base C8
Grandsport and/or Z06
C8 with electric support
Top dog Zora/ZR1

This doesn't even touch on the limited trim options they could propose and powerplant tweaks along the way.

vettesweetnos

It is nice. I am thinking/hoping they drop 3 or 4 colors from 2020 and have something like this green or verde ithica for 2021. Perhaps a different yellow as well. The C8 is just begging for it.

Vernon

Yes, thought a shared architecture could be a possibility. We’ll see...

Lashedup

Will be interesting to see. Unless the C8 product lifecycle runs 7-8 years, there are a lot of different model variations to get to market. So unless the E-Ray versions (or whatever they call the electric drivetrain cars) end up taking place of existing models (GS, Z06, ZR1), that means (potentially):

- Stingray
- Z06
- E-Ray
- GS
- ZR1
- Zora

and convertible versions (and right hand drive versions of at least some of those). That’s a lot of model proliferation to get to market unless some of those models go away. Plus pressure to get the FPC engine in something for racing rules. They can’t run on waivers for too long.

K-TownMike

One thing I hope they don't do is repeat the tacked on plastic crap that was on the c7z.

Lashedup

I’d be OK with stuff needed for downforce if it is part of a specific option package that you can choose. I’d even be ok if they electronically limited top speed on the cars without a big wing. I love the 911 Touring/911R where they took a GT3 and chopped the big wing off.

That way you could have a clean and mean version and a more race spec version.

rob62

Stop Gap. O.K. then so was the C4,5 and 6.

CPhelps

It's a common theory. I don't believe the bore spacing would allow them to increase the cylinder bore size however, and not sure they can increase stroke either.
They build the blackwing in Bowling Green because they moved the entire performance build center there and it's a performance engine. I wouldn't read too much into that.

thequeb

They have been testing Z06 in the wild since as early as July. We Just didnt know we were looking at it.

Phil1098

I gave clear examples that GM knew they had a problem, you have nothing. Here is an article to help you from a February of 2019:

K-TownMike

I'm talking specifically about the front fender spats that were a horrendous cost cutting decision.

sunsalem

I doubt very much there will be 6 models (+ right-hand drive versions) of the C8.
It doesn't make much business sense to me...

fatsport

I like my spats. They’re subtlety tasteful, just like my wheels.