Fishfryer527

Chevy sells Camaros starting under $30k, little motor, base suspension, cheaper interior. But they sell some very expensive Camaros.

Would it be an abomination for Chevy to sell a 4 cylinder turbo corvette with skinny tires, and the worst of what Chevy has to offer from the parts bin for say …. $39,999.99?

Chip02

Yes.

Korbek

Fishfryer527

I should have added, if those of you think it’s an abomination, then isn’t it an abomination not to get the available performance options like Z51 with Mag Ride (of course Z06 motor can be thrown in there too)? Where do you draw the line on ‘abomination’?

*89x2*

This was tried in 1999 with the Fixed Roof Coupe model (FRC) and built that year, and in 2000. It was a sales flop. Nobody really bought it.

Stripped-down, low/restricted option content. Cheap.

The good which came out of it though, was the LS6–powered Z06 in 2001. Same body style, but MORE Power.

For budget minded people looking for entry level Corvettes, it exists now with 1LT trim. Go cheap, or go big with other trim levels/models, the choices are there.

Here’s a story on the FRC at its launch: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...d-test-review/

Korbek

I dont think I'd buy a Vette with anything less than a V8. Fortunately I'm right on the cusp of being old enough that the EV and 4 cylinder future wont affect me too much. I feel bad for younger car enthusiasts.

I wouldnt be surprised if the powers that be try to pass laws against driving "antique" autos on public roads to block folks that would rather maintain an old big block V8 than buy an EV.

But not having Z51 isnt an abomination bc the base car still has sports car performance and Z51 is really only needed for track use.

Also the base 1LT C8 is a LOT of car for 65k. No need to try and strip it down and slap an engine in it that wasnt designed for the car just to make it cheaper. They'd likely have to swap to a cheaper trans too.

449er

People today need to have heated/cooled seats/nav/alcantara/front & rear cameras/carbon fiber trim/leather dash/etc with their new Corvette....I think that we have gotten away from what a Corvette is supposed to be, a no-frills sports car designed to go fast through the twisties

Korbek

I like my 3LT but honestly if I couldve gotten GT2 seats in a 1LT I would have strongly considered it. I never use the camera rear view mirror, almost never use the heated seats in TX, dont use nav bc my phone does nav just fine, etc.

About the only reason I went 3LT over 2LT was for the steering wheel cover. Cheaper to do after market perhaps, but I wanted the GT2 seats, and after market airbag cover wouldve been 800-1k after parts and labor. After all that the price delta was onky 2k so I said to heck with it and got 3LT to save time and hassle of the above. I also wanted colored stitching and DID NOT want red seat bolsters to get it bc I severely dislike the adrenaline red leather.

But yeah, the 1LT with GT2 seats would be the ideal bargain C8. No need for most of the tech in 2LT/3LT, no need for Z51.

At any rate, the vette (in ANY form) appeals to a pretty different section of the market than the 4 cylinder Camaros and Stangs. Chevy's bean counters have certainly done the math. If they though the math would support diluting the vette line with an economy version I'm sure they wouldve done it. As it is, someone wanting a cheap 4cylinder sports car likely needs more than 2 seats (aka has kids), which I imagine is the deciding factor against.

C8Rob

I'd be open to some of that, if done right. I'm not a race car driver and bought a C8 because of the awesome design. I don't see much chance of this happening though.

BADBIRDCAGE

The 1LT is the entry level C8.

The C5 FRC was the base level car and was most appreciated by serious competitors that were no frills guys.

I went 3LT on my 2020 for maximum comfort as a road tripper. If a FRC model had been available I would have been OK with it as I only remove the top panel twice a year for cleaning and lubrication of the weatherstripping.

Action Andy

I wouldn't be in favor of GM going to a "cheap" corvette. When I was growing up I couldn't wait to be able to afford to get a CORVETTE. My personal opinion is all you would do is cheapen the brand. Corvette is being re-designed to go after all the big boys not to go after Ford and Honda..

Kevin A Jones

IMO that's as ridiculous an idea as offering a Corvette SUV or 4-door. If you want a less expensive sportscar, there's Miata and others out there.

tooold2race

Low cost 'stripper' Corvette??? It'll never happen. They can't build enough high end 'loaded' C8's now to satisfy the demand. Why would they even consider trading off some of that limited factory capacity to build a 'cheap' low priced (low profit) Corvette??? Makes no sense at all.....

dvilin

Another great idea

bhvrdr

The problem with trying to do that on the c8 is alot of the money is tied up in the chassis.

Im not sure how much a 4 cylinder with a torque converter automatic and single piston floating brake calipers and cloth seats would actually cut from the base 1lt price. Perhaps 15 grand at the absolute most. So a 50k dollar base Corvette with nothing anyone wants may not sell very well.

tadda

DesigN8

A cheap Vette could never compete in the market or on the street with a Nissan Z and Chevy knows not to bother.

C8J

Yes, it is called a Camaro.

No offense to Camaro owners. I love the Camaro.

Big Lebowski

They do make an “entry” level Vette. A bare bones 1LT goes for low $60’s. Why would a new engine built from the ground up and “skinny tires” drop the price over $20k? They also sell some very expensive Corvettes that will cost almost 3 times as much so GM is following a similar business model.

Creating an “entry level” anything would be done to drive sales and sell more cars. This is not a problem GM is dealing with on the C8 Corvette. If anything I could see GM eliminating low end options to reduce demand.

Floridasky

I think an LT1 with no options is an entry level Corvette already.