Welcome to another fun-filled edition of Quick Shifts! Quick Shifts is a content feature here at CorvetteBlogger featuring links to Corvette and automotive-related stories of interest.
To the tens of people who regularly read this column just for the author’s delightful commentary, we regret to inform you that this version of QS is so jam packed with links that it will be much more straightforward then usual. Folks looking for a one-stop-shop, buckle-up, your car news roundup starts now!
FIRST GEAR:
Just when GM seemingly ran out of outlets to send C8’s to, the convertibles finally hit their test fleet!
First, Road&Track strapped into an Accelerate Yellow hard-top ‘vert for an outstanding review, highlighted by this gem, “The C8 Convertible reminded me a lot of another, much more expensive mid-engine sports car: the Ferrari 458 Spider. Only better.”
Autoblog also got in on the topless action and did an outstanding deep-dive on the C8 suspension.
Across the pond, Top Gear was able to sample a Corvette with its steering wheel on the wrong side of the cabin.
The YouTube channel for Winding Road Magazine has solved the biggest problem of most car-related videos, the hosts! Check out their ingenious (and surprisingly soothing) word-free POV C8 walkthrough and drive.
SECOND GEAR:
It is a dead horse that has been repeatedly beaten (most convincingly, right here) but in case you haven’t heard, many driving enthusiasts still aren’t pleased with Chevrolet’s decision to axe the row-your-own gearbox for the eighth-generation of their halo car. Here is Hotcars’ hot take on this very issue.
And for those of you who are ready to move on from your current ‘Vette but aren’t ready to give up access to a clutch pedal, Automobile put together a “list of lasts” (final versions of super cars with an H-pattern shifter) for you to consider, but be warned, you’ll pay a large premium to get your exotic without an automatic. We’ve got a serious hunch that these trends preview the used Corvette market of 2030. Snap up those M7 C7s and M6 C6s accordingly!
THIRD GEAR:
Some well-deserved C4 love propagated the ‘net this past week! See Hagerty’s list of underappreciated ‘80s and ‘90s sports cars and Automobile Mag’s “Market Watch” for the model.
If you are more of a midyear kind of person, Hagerty has you covered on that front too. You can probably guess which C2 made their list of coupes that are worth more than their drop-top siblings.
FOURTH GEAR:
We announced the official start to automotive awards season with the C8’s second straight C&D 10Best nod. Over at Motor Trend (where only all-new cars are eligible to compete), the C8’s successor as Car of the Year was named. It’s the Mercedes-Benz E-Class! Congrats to the Three-Pointed Star for taking home 2021’s Golden Calipers!
On the fast car front, Road&Track announced the contenders for their annual Performance Car of the Year, this week! Last year’s pre-production C8 stumbled a bit in the competition that was won by the C7 ZR1 the year before, but it won’t be returning for a second chance. In fact, this will be the first time in the history of the event (dating back to 2013, when the first-year C7 Stingray took home top honors) that GM fans don’t have any rooting interest. Other than the four-banger Cayman T and a Mini, it appears to be the heaviest bunch of cars to ever enter the ring together for PCOTY. The RAM 1500 TRX is even in attendance, shining a spotlight on how non-sporty this year’s class really is. Luckily, it is hard not to enjoy some good old-fashioned brute strength! Our money is on the Shelby!
FIFTH GEAR:
General Motors has announced plans to accelerate their electrification plans. They are throwing an additional $7 Billion at their autonomous/EV effort, with a goal of getting 30 electric vehicles to the market by 2025.
During an investor conference call, they showed some non-quite ripe fruits of this labor. Eagle-eyed viewers were able to spot the SUV version of the hotly anticipated HUMMER EV and a plug-in Chevy Truck behind socially distanced CEO, Mary Barra and EV Head, Travis Hester.
SIXTH GEAR:
If you still can’t get excited for any of the news in fifth gear, there are still plenty of things that will light your fire on the vehicular horizon.
How about a supercharged 800 HP Silverado from the masterminds at Specialty Vehicle Engineering? The Yenko-badged answer to the previously mentioned TRX that GM refuses to build could be yours for an undisclosed amount of cash but you had better hurry, SVE is only making 50 examples!
Jeep also made the fantasy 392 Hemi Wrangler into a reality this week. It’ll do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, not bad for a dedicated rock-climber!
REVERSE:
So, there you have it; the week in automotive news boiled down into one, easy to read article. I apologize for doing more commentary than advertised in the opening, sometimes I just can’t help myself!
I’ll leave you with a comparison test that pits America’s sports car against its original domestic rival! Have a great Thanksgiving and know that each of us at CorvetteBlogger are thankful for each and every one of you readers!
Related:
C8 Convertible Reviewed, SEMA360 Engine Debuts, Magnesium Wheels for the Blackwing, and More!
C8 Convertible, More Reviews, C7 ZR1, New Hummer, and More!
C8 at Watkins Glen, Special Editions, 8,500 RPM LS7, Van Halen Tribute, and More!
-
