Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person

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Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


One of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make regarding my 2020 Corvette Stingray order is which of the 12 exterior colors to select, especially since I had to place my order before all of the colors could be publicly seen on the car. After personally seeing the 2020 Corvette in Torch Red, Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic, Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic, and Zeus Bronze Metallic at the 7.18.19 8th Generation Corvette Reveal in Tustin, California, I began a quest to see the remaining 2020 colors in person.

With the 7.18.19 Elkhart Lake Blue Corvette showing up at West Coast Dealership Tours and a Sebring Orange Tintcoat Corvette making its appearance at East Coast Dealership Tour sites, I decided to hedge my bets on seeing Sebring Orange as well as other colors at Corvettes at Carlisle, so I booked a flight for a quick two-night C8 hunting adventure. While I waited, the 2020 Corvette Configurator kept me busy as I built just about every configuration possible in an attempt to narrow down my favorite color choices. For the moment, Elkhart Lake Blue, Rapid Blue, and Sebring Orange were at the top of my list and I thought the chances were good that I would indeed see Rapid Blue and Sebring Orange at Carlisle.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


I arrived on the grounds at the Carlisle Fairgrounds around Noon on Thursday, August 22, and immediately made my way to the 8th Generation Corvette Display to see which 2020 Corvettes were already on display. After initially only seeing Zeus Bronze, Ceramic Matrix Gray, and Torch Red, which I had already previously seen, I was in the right place at the right time when Corvette Product Manager, Harlan Charles, and company arrived driving two Blade Silver Metallic C8s, one Black C8, and one Torch Red C8.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


The next morning, I was up bright and early for a special media preview. While at the gate, a Shadow Gray Metallic C8 pulled in followed by another Zeus Bronze, but I still hadn’t seen Rapid Blue or Sebring Orange yet. Following the media event, I headed to the VIP parking area where I heard Corvette personnel would be parking throughout the weekend. It was there that I finally laid eyes on a C8 boasting Rapid Blue, a bold new shade of blue never before seen on the exterior of a Corvette. And while I also saw a 2020 Corvette in the parking area wearing Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat, I had to laugh a little at myself for betting on seeing a 2020 Corvette in Sebring Orange and leaving having lost that bet. At least I had only made the bet with myself and I hadn’t really lost anything at all with so many C8s in attendance at Corvettes at Carlisle.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


By the time I left Carlisle, I had not only seen nine of the twelve 2020 colors in person on an 8th Gen Corvette, but also had added Blade Silver Metallic, Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic, and Torch Red to my list of contenders. I also felt like I was in good shape to complete my quest since I already had plans in place to attend the National Corvette Museum’s 25th Anniversary Celebration the following weekend and could then nail down my final decision in time to place my 2020 Corvette order in September.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


The three colors I had yet to see on a C8 heading into the NCM’s 25th Anniversary Celebration were Arctic White, Sebring Orange Tintcoat, and Accelerate Yellow Metallic. As fate would have it, there were numerous 2020 Corvettes on site at the NCM that weekend, but the only color I would be able to check off the list was Arctic White. I did, however, head home with a clearer idea of my top choices after ruling out a few that I was previously considering.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


September rolled around and I had to make a decision. I really didn’t want to order a new Corvette without having seen it on a C8 in person, and while Sebring Orange was still on my contender list, it would certainly take a leap of faith to go that route. How a color looks in person on any particular car is entirely subjective, but I’ve always been of the opinion that you need to see a color in person and in various lighting to determine if you really love it or not and can live with it for the long haul. An example for me is Sebring Orange on the C7 Corvette. I like it most on the C7 Grand Sport and ZR1, but don’t like is as much on the C7 Stingray. The easy choice would be to go with my favorite color and select one of the blue options.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


It would be in November that I would complete my quest to see all 12 colors on a C8. I had an opportunity to make a quick detour through Bowling Green while traveling home from a trip to Atlanta. I drove around the Corvette Plant looking for an Accelerate Yellow Metallic and Sebring Orange Tintcoat C8 on the morning of Thursday, November 21. I could see the front third of a 2020 sporting Sebring Orange behind a fence, so I knew it might be possible to see the car leaving the plant at some point if I got lucky. As I completed the drive around the plant, I decided to make one more trip around. It was then that I saw a brightly painted C8 coming through a security point on the way out of the plant. A C8 unicorn in Accelerate Yellow made the turn right in front of me! I was able to get video and photos while we sat at a light before I let the unicorn go and headed back to the plant to see if I could get lucky with the Sebring Orange C8 I had already partially seen.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


The Sebring Orange C8 was still in the same spot behind the fence and since I had some other things to take care of across the street at the National Corvette Museum, I headed over to the NCM. I’d make one more attempt to see the Sebring Orange Corvette before leaving Bowling Green that evening. The payoff came with my final effort as I found myself following a Sebring Orange 2020 Corvette as it drove away from the plant.

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


There wasn’t a single color that I saw on a 2020 Corvette that I thought didn’t look good in person. In the right lighting, every color has its merit. But I’m looking for a color that I like under any lighting condition. I also prefer a color that doesn’t look dirty after a few hours of sitting outside. Even my Admiral Blue 2017 Grand Sport drives me a little batty in this regard from time to time. And finally, and most importantly to me, the color has to highlight the C8’s chiseled body lines. So, having now seen a C8 in each of the twelve 2020 colors, here are my 2020 Corvette Color Rankings.

MY LEAST FAVORITE 2020 COLORS

  • #12 – Shadow Gray Metallic
    – Looks best in full sunlight
    – Lends itself to already looking dirty even if it’s clean
    – Too dark to highlight the C8’s body lines

  • #11 – Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat
    – Pops in full sunlight
    – Too dark to look clean for very long
    – Doesn’t do much to highlight the C8’s body lines

  • #10 – Arctic White
    – I have to put sunglasses on to look at Arctic White in full sun
    – Turns from white to tan or gray after driving in the rain
    – Washes out most of the C8’s body lines

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


STUNNING 2020 COLORS, BUT NOT FOR ME

  • #9 – Black
    – Black is beautiful…in shade/darkness
    – Black is beautiful…for about 5 minutes after it’s clean (especially in dusty areas)
    – Black is beautiful…in shade/darkness and subsequently hides the C8’s body lines

  • #8 – Accelerate Yellow Metallic
    – A bold new yellow for Corvette that shows differently in sun and shade
    – Relatively clean looking when it gets dirty
    – Does a fair job showing the C8’s body lines

  • #7 – Zeus Bronze Metallic
    – An elegant new color for Corvette that really pops in sunlight
    – Should take a while before it shows dirt
    – Does a good job highlighting the C8’s body lines

  • #6 – Rapid Blue
    – Looks good in all lighting conditions, but doesn’t quite pop like I hoped it would
    – Won’t show dirt badly
    – Does a good job highlighting the C8’s body lines

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


MY FINAL 2020 COLOR CONTENDERS

  • #5 – Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic
    – Looks best in full sunlight
    – Though some confuse it with Arctic White, the light gray helps keep this color looking clean
    – Doesn’t hide the C8’s body lines like Artic White

  • #4 – Torch Red
    – Look good in a variety of lighting
    – Hides dust and dirt well
    – Highlights the C8’s body lines well

Ranking the 2020 Corvette Exterior Colors After Seeing All 12 in Person


THREE – TWO – ONE (in no particular order)

  • #? – Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic
    – Looks good in a wide variety of lighting, metallic pops in sunlight
    – Lighter than Admiral Blue so it should look cleaner longer
    – Highlights the C8’s body lines well

  • #? – Blade Silver Metallic
    – This color can look dull, but I was blown away by how stunning it looks on the C8
    – Looks clean longer than dark colors
    – Highlights the C8’s body lines well

  • #? – Sebring Orange Tintcoat
    – Looks good in a variety of lighting, metallic pops in sunlight
    – Looks clean longer than dark colors
    – Highlights the C8’s body lines well

Yes, one of these final three is my choice for the 2020 Corvette that I have ordered and that I will take Museum Delivery of, hopefully by mid-March. Feel free to comment with your guess of which color won me over and stay tuned for the reveal! And since we all have different tastes and preferences, which 2020 Corvette colors do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!


Source:
Photos by Jeremy Welborn

Related:
Colors We’d Like to See on the C8 Corvette: Spitfire/Krypton Green
[VIDEO] At Long Last, the 2020 Corvette Stingray in Accelerate Yellow
[VIDEO] Compilation of 2020 Corvettes In All 12 Exterior Colors

 



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33 COMMENTS

  1. Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic and Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat would be my top two choices. Rapid Blue would NOT be a choice, reminds me too much of the old French Blue that they use to put on European cars. Arctic White would be my least favorite choice..so bland..white is a kitchen appliance color,as far as I am concerned. The one thing that will make all of these cars pop, especially the cars with metallic paint, is polished silver wheels. I am getting so tired of this blank wheel fad, it looks so cheap, and doesn’t bring out
    the color on the car.

  2. You have chosen Blade Silver Metallic – my best guess. Agree the C8 looks awesome in Silver – Hi-Yo Silver, Awaaaay!! 🙂

  3. No doubt you chose Elkhart Lake Blue!
    As you described in your posting, you were looking for a reason not to order it, you didn’t find it.

  4. Early stages my hands down fav color was Zeus Metallic but then seeing out in sunlight, too dark & on cloudy day looks almost UPS brown. I would say now my top three would be… -Blade Silver (Light Metallic Pewter would be classier)
    -Long Beach Red
    -Elkhart Lake Blue

  5. I have placed a deposit on a C-8 and am at the end of the list for my dealers allocation. I keep going back and forth between Torch Red and Black. Elkhart Lake Blue also appeals to me. Having all this time to decide is a double edged sword!

  6. i liked the rapid(petty) blue , tell i found out it has NO metallic or pearl in it , and to me isnt worth the extra 500

    now im they actually called it petty blue and said half the money was going to his foundation , id be all for it

    in the end elkhart lake WINS ! its also close to the impulse blue on the 06 GTO im selling to get the C8 with

  7. While the blue is very pretty, I kind of follow the title of the book “All Corvettes are Red”. My c5 was torch red, and had a c6 and c7 as the Crystal Red. I also had a c6 that was blue. I’m not a huge fan of the “new” red, so I’m down to the torch red and the blue metallic.

  8. Ordered a Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic. Even with 12 colors to choose from, they still could add a few more unique colors.
    1. Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic
    2. Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic
    3. Blade Silver Metallic
    4. Sebring Orange
    5. Accelerate Yellow
    6. Zeus Bronze Metallic
    7. Rapid Blue
    8. Long Beach Red Metallic
    9. Arctic White
    10. Shadow Gray Metallic
    11. Torch Red
    12. Black

  9. I ordered BLACK! I’m not fond of all the black accents throughout the car just yet (especially on the back end/bumper). And I want those accents to blend in (to disappear). Just my personal preference and opinion. I have seen several colors in person, including the Zeus Bronze with tan interior (gorgeous color combo, but not for me (maybe my wife)) in my home town of Monterey, California (at Laguna Seca Raceway). I ordered the black, with red calipers, red seat belts and red stitching in the interior (LT3). The black is just sinister-looking (I ordered the high wing as well), and the name of my car is “The Menace!” Can’t wait to lay my eye on her, or maybe it a boy?

  10. Mine will always be clean, so eliminate that from the equation. Shadow gray is a fantastic, intimidating look. I guess that’s why they offer 12 colors.

  11. I am going to order a Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic but am waiting until the higher performing model (ZO6? / ZR1?) comes out. Hell, I have waited years for the mid-engine Corvette and I can wait a little longer. Why Matrix Gray? It reminds me of the color of the car that set the trajectory of my life: my 1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL in Weiss Grau or “White-Gray” (code 158). It looks like a 50’s/60’s color but for the modern age. I fell in love with this color when I was 15 and now I am 53. Great job Chevy !!!

  12. Did you choose Sebring Orange Tintcoat? I did. It is such an awesome color! I can’t wait to see mine in person!

  13. Jeremy what a great article and I appreciate the time and effort you spent doing this research..I have only seen the Seabring Orange in person and was my top choice, but after searching around the C7 lots I really liked the Blade Silver Metallic more than the Seabring Orange…I’ll tell ya that I’m 67 and this choosing a color and interior has had me consumed more than anything in my life (or maybe deer hunting is a tie) but I’m telling you it has worn me to a frazzle. Sooo my final choice is Blade Silver Metallic, Midnight Silver full length Racing Stripe, EdgeRed carbon flash metallic accent, Edge Red Calipers, Spectra Gray Trident Spoke Wheels, Z51pkg., Engine Appearence Pkg., 2LT interior, GT2 Seats with 2tone Adrenaline/Black Napa Leather Seats, and High Wing Spoiler, along with other options.

  14. I am ordering Elkhart blue. Where did you order yours from?
    The silver convertible at the Tampa auto show looked really nice too.

  15. Thanks for all of the comments, guesses, and feedback.

    Jack, my order is with Mike Furman at Criswell Chevrolet, Gaithersburg, Maryland.

  16. Sebring Orange if I could order one. One to match my 2005 Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic. 🙂

  17. I think you chose the Sebring Orange Tint coat. It seems in the blog the way you talk about that color, you prefer it. I know if I could order a new one, that would be my choice…so I may be biased too. But my pick all around is the Sebring Orange. I’ve owned a few Corvettes in my 66 years. Still regret letting go the 1956 “Arctic Blue” one…I’d like that one back, please! I still have a Torch Red 1991 C4…and I love it. Can’t afford a new one right now. But I do love the 1991 C4 and she’s my baby still for awhile.
    Go Sebring Orange!!

  18. I’m sorry I got the Elkhart Blue on my 2019, because I can’t get it on the 2020, now I have a real hard choice to make!

  19. From the way you were talking, I’m gonna guess you go for the Elkhart Lake Blue, maybe orange. I’m not feeling the Orange, so I’m gonna guess blue for you. Personally, I think these lines deserve the loudest color, a color I’ve felt looks great on most Vettes since C4 era…That would be yellow! I think Accelerate yellow is the bravest, most daring yellow/ or any Vette to this day; Its an eye snatcher! And I think the European Exotic lines of the C8 wear it like a racy woman in a red dress! My next pick would possibly be Torch Red. I think the C6 Z06 and the C8 were the 2 best matches for Yellow. I really like an Arctic White C4 with red interior, white or yellow C5 (my yellow one was faster than my black one!), Velocity Yellow C6 Z06, Admiral Blue C7, and Accelerate Yellow C8 (an exotic color for a true Supercar).

  20. Since I’ve got a C7 Z06 in Long Beach Red (fully ceramic coated, etc.), I’m pretty biased toward the beauty of this color, and that I constantly get positive comments on LBR. But, if I had to take a 2nd choice, it would definitely be Elkhart Lake Blue – another stunning color!

  21. I chose Blade Silver for my C7. Just 5% of us choose That color. It pops with other accents like red calipers and black vent trim. A good ceramic treatment keeps it pristine for a long time after washing. Go with silver.

  22. I’ve got a C7 Z51 2014 in black with silver stripes. One of 46 for 2014. Fell in love with the car but it never stays clean for long and I live in Bonita Springs, Fl. I’ve ordered my 2020. Choosing the color has been the most difficult. We were at Kerbecks in AC on the 26 of July for the reveal of the C8. It was in Sebring Orange. Nice but no cigar. I was elated when your top three included Blade Silver as after much deliberation was our choice. Adrenaline Red interior, red calipers, Z51, 2LT. Can’t wait for spring. Thank you for your evaluations.

  23. Your top 3 choices are the same as mine, and I am still turn between silver and orange. My guess is that you picked orange. Silver is a tad above orange for me at the #1, and orange #2, EL blue #3.

  24. Like the colors. Don’t like The like the car. C6 for the win. Now it’s just a poor mans Ferrari. And good luck with service.

  25. Loved the article, would like to see all the colors before I have to decide but that won’t happen.
    Have gone back and forth several times and am driving my wife crazy. Today my color is Ceramic
    Matrix Gray Metallic, yesterday it was Long Beach Red(it looks too Maroon instead of red). The day before it was Zeus Bronze,that I decided,was to dark for a car like the Vette. So for now I staying with the CMGM, hoping it doesn’t change when I finally see it in the wild. Good luck everyone!!

  26. Blade Silver for me, followed by Sebring Orange, then Elkhart Lake Blue, but my guess is that you are getting the Orange. Any of those 3 colors is a winner !

  27. I ordered the C8 LT2 in Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic with carbon flash trim including the Z51 spoiler, mirrors, full ground effects & wheels. Carbon flash with edge red accents for the fender hash marks and edge red calipers. Black interior.

  28. I do not care. I will buy a fully loaded Arctic White 2020 C8 3LT with Museum Delivery anyway.

  29. Agree that the C8 looks great in Silver, must be all the creases/facets in the body, much nicer than on the C7. Plus it stays clean almost as good as white.

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