RHD C8 Corvettes Expected to Go On Sale In Australia in Early 2021

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RHD C8 Corvettes Expected to Go On Sale In Australia in Early 2021


If you’re getting impatient about taking delivery of your new C8 Corvette, be grateful you’re not in the Land Down Under.

According to a story this week on motoring.com.au, the arrival of the new mid-engine Corvette won’t happen in Australia until late 2020, which means it’ll be a 2021 model. The cars are actually expected to arrive in Australia before Christmas 2020 and then undergo final homologation and marketing activities so that sales can begin in early 2021.

GM reportedly hasn’t set the price for the car, but motoring.com.au says its GM source believes it will be more than $150,000.

That’s not quite as bad as it initially sounds, though, because unlike the base 1LT version being offered in the United States as a 2020 model for $59,995 before options, the Australian version at first will be offered only in the top-of-the-line 3LT, Z51 form. In the U.S., a 2020 model so equipped would start at about half the Australian price or $76,945.

RHD C8 Corvettes Expected to Go On Sale In Australia in Early 2021


Motoring’s source says the car will be marketed in Australia as a Corvette (instead of Chevrolet or Holden) and after the initial hoopla dies down, GM is expected to broaden the appeal with the cheaper 1LT model, as well as possibly convertible, Z06, and ZR1 versions.

Motoring says only select Holden and HSV dealers will sell and service the C8 because of the “more in-depth training and specific tools required to maintain the high-performance mid-engine supercar.” They also say GM wants the C8 to take an active role in motorsports globally and it’s likely it would begin as a pace car in Australia before possibly participating in the Australian GT Championship.


Source:
motoring.com.au

Related:
Holden Confirms RHD Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coming to Australia
Corvette’s Crossed Flags Badge Approved in Australia with Strings Attached
Holden’s Finale for Commodore Features LS9 V8 and Will Cost $165K

 



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1 COMMENT

  1. Corvette cost Australia

    Hey Mitch thanks for mentioning Aussies! That would want to be A$150k all inclusive sale price and is still absolutely ludicrous in a practical sense – Aussies certainly don’t earn double Americans, that was kinda the case when the exchange rate for the dollar was the same (parity, US$1 = A$1) for a brief period back in like 2009/10, but now it is US$0.70 (US 70 cents) to buy an Australian $1.00, which has been pretty much the case for the last 35+ years.

    An average hourly before tax retail wage is A$21 = US$14.50 and office worker is A$24 = US$16.90. Annually about A$50k = US$35k before tax. Income tax is federal only (not state) and is about 32.5% for the the this range. Aussies do receive 4 weeks (legislated) annual leave per year and for business employers long-service leave of 3 months once every 10 years (7 years State gov).

    The sale price listed for a vehicle in Australia will generally includes all tax charges below (a drive away price or on the road).

    Australia has a federal gov ‘Goods and Services Tax’ (GST = sales tax) of 10% payable on everything (except fresh food).

    Australia also has a luxury car tax (LCT) of 33% on the amount above (the GST included amount of) A$67k = US$47k

    Also an Australian State Stamp Duty (there was no tea party here) for a vehicle transfer is 6.5% of the total paid.

    Example of the tax included amount

    In Australia, for a car with a base cost of A$65k = US$46k, add GST 10% a total of A$71.5k, plus LCT 33% above $67k is A$1500 totaling A$73k, with duty 6.5% of that is A$4800, for a total of A$77,800 = US$54,800.

    Note that State DMV registration fees of about A$2000 per year would make a base price of A$65k = US$46k for an inclusive drive away grand total of about A$80,000 = US$56,000 (and add insurance costs that would also be payable).

    For the base model and base price corvette of US$60k = A$85k, in Australia with taxes takes it to about A$110k = US$80K. So for A$150k = US$110K, it would want to be for the fully loaded 3LT model I guess, that in the US is like US$95k inclusive. So unless transport is US$15K = A$21k (it’s not – closer to A$1k for bulk import per car, maybe less) then its purely profiteering.

    However, no-one in Australia is gonna pay A$150k, especially when the mustang (new dealer-price) is A$80k = US$56k and a WRX is A$45k = US$31k or a corolla is like A$25k = US$17k (Japanese or Korean tend to be comparatively cheaper than in the US, where European vehicle prices are very high in Australia with a MB C-class starting at A$70k = US$50k). The Nissan GTR is the exception at around (base) A$220k = US$155k.

    From both a cost/value for money issue and simply affordability perspective – a A$150k = US$110k (drive away / on the road) corvette is simply out of the range of most.

    Considering a Big Mac in A$6.95 = US$5, grocery price bananas A$3.50/kg = US$1.24/lb, gasoline A$1.40/L = US$3.94/gal, with average house prices in Australia off the charts, median price for all capital cities, excluding Melbourne and Sydney, as around A$500k = US$350k, with Melbourne A$670k = US$470K and Sydney at A$850k = US$600K.

    Note trades and materials in Australia at a premium with most at an hourly of A$100 = US$70. Meals at restaurants are larger in the US and lower priced, although no tipping is expected at all in Australia.

    Although as medical/healthcare is typically included on US paychecks, all Australians have access to government provided health care (non-elective surgery), however a third at least have private coverage paid by an individual to an insurer that may then avoid waitlists or for elective surgery, dental, physiotherapy, etc, however a co-pay will still apply for those treatments.

    Prices on most items do tend to be somewhat standard throughout Australia as opposed to high variances in the USA (sales tax in US is county based and ranges from 0% to 9.5%), due I believe largely to population, where whilst the land mass is not that less in area to the continental US, the Australian population is at about 25million v USA at 330million.

    Considering the population, it’s gonna be lucky for maybe 10 sales a year at that price, bring it down to say max of A$90k-A$95k = US$66k then you’d see sales in the low – mid thousands range.

    The American pricing model works in both large populations and smaller – simply because otherwise buyers could be priced out of the market.

    The 1LT makes sense (with options for color/exterior/interior)to make it an item that becomes the icon it deserves to be – Mustangs are everywhere here (originally came in 2015 at A$65k = US$46k).

    Cheers as they say

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