LOL I understand. Hell one time I bought a Yellow Plymouth Prowler with nitrous and had more fun in that car than any other car I ever had including a 911 turbo and it was only $48k. Matter of fact I had sooo much fun in that car my wife was elated when I sold it. :ack:

This is a very personal question ...


I would not spend more than 5% of monthly take home . In my situation that required me to sell my summer car and spend $550 a month on the c7 for the next 6 years. :lurk:

You know how I know I can afford it?.....I dont have to do any formulas to figure it out. I just know.

I totally agree with your comment. Buying a new C7 is not an issue with me,however, if it were a Gulfstream Jet, I would have to formulate the purchase.

My C6 wasn't quite $70k but I saved up enough to pay cash and still have enough left over for an unforeseen emergency (like 6 mos. unemployment). Ask me how long it took? Hint: I wanted a vette since 1975.

Very smart on your part, there is no worse feeling than being overboard in debt,

I know some people dont want to hear it, but if you cant buy it outright with plenty of cushion to back you up if needed, than you shouldnt be buying a toy.
It will come down to personalities. Some people will buy one no matter what. Some will be more responsible. :flag:

Great question. If you are asking, that means your conscience is trying to tell you something...

You should buy one when the purchase does not make even the smallest dent in your overall net worth.

You only live once, but you're older...longer. Don't sacrifice your future for any material possession.

I'm 42 y/o. putting down just $35k in cash. Financing another 35k.
My payment is about $600 a month.
No kids, wife & dog, 3 more years to pay on the house, and it is my wife's surprise 40th b-day gift. :woohoo:

So I pulled the trigger:cheers::cheers:

Everyone I know that has/had Corvette's all fall into the conquests category and can pretty much afford any other car and some actually have multiple cars. So you're wrong in your assessment of the Corvette name not having enough prestige for these people.

Everything is relative, debt to income, age to retirement, equity in car when purchased, if financed, payment of course relative to income. Once you pass $400 per month, you need to think if the car is worth it. I like to think I do not owe anymore than 50% of MSRP when I buy it. You automatically lose 20% pretty quick, so if you really do need to get rid of it due to a bad situation you can. Each situation is different. Since we are dealing with a depreciating asset, it may make sense to lease and just pay for the depreciation you use if the residual and money rate make the deal attractive. If you go this route make sure you can live with the mileage constraints and penalties for overages. Consider the residual value in case you want to purchase the car at the end of the lease. The higher the residual value, the lower the payment while you have it. Good luck with your decision.

Its all about what age you plan on dying at.:D

A few years ago, a long time friend of mine, passed away. This man I met through flying RC Airplanes. He was a very wealthy real estate developer that owned 13 Ferrari's all at once. As he got older and faced some health issues, he sold 9 of them and gave each of his children one his most prized possessions. At the model field one day, I asked him what one he driving now, he answered me, " I bought a beater, a new Corvette. This man could own any material possession on this earth and he chose a Corvette as his last new car. This says something special about a Corvette.

powerful story. thanks for sharing it. :cheers:

Great story! I'm sure he was just joking though calling the Corvette a 'beater".

im 35, have had all these cars, bought brand new

2003 evo8
2009 vette coupe
2011 z06
2013 shelby gt500

i have excelent credit and make XXX,XXX.00 a year.

Budget your money, plan, and like many have said, its the debt/income ratio that matters....

If anyone on this forum says they pic the c7 over a ferrari shoudl be shot

So if the average Corvette is $65,000, does that mean you need to clear $1.3 million per month, which means a gross of about $2 million per month? If true, I'd venture to say not more than 10-15 members here could afford one.

I'd like to think I could easily afford one, but my monthly income is only about 1/30 of what you say I need:(

Have heard it said that 26 weeks of income gives a ballpark figure (even though a lot of people don't follow that). That seems pretty close to the income level GM was targeting when it released the '06 Z06: median household income of $135k for a $65k car before options.

Originally Posted by CSEVEN View Post
This is a very personal question ...
I would not spend more than 5% of monthly take home.



^ 5% of his monthly take home pay to cover his monthly payment - not a new paid in full purchase every month . . . . . . .