Happy Anniversary C8 Corvette Z06, I Think…

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Happy Anniversary C8 Corvette Z06, I Think...

Photo Credit: Keith Cornett


A year ago on October 26, 2021 at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, the all-new 2023 Corvette Z06 was revealed to the world. Since then, America’s newest sportscar has led enthusiasts on an emotional rollercoaster with highs and lows, and it doesn’t appear that this ride will stop anytime soon.

It’s been a year since the C8 Corvette Z06 was revealed, and my faith in Chevrolet being able to deliver a world-class sportscar to the masses is as conflicted as it has ever been.

As we stand right now and take stock of where we are, the one piece of good news and about the only positive thing is that it appears the Z06 is a really good sportscar. At least, that’s the takeaway from the reviews. Those rarified few who have seat time in the car have come away impressed with the major enhancements of the car. It’s loud, fast, and the brash “in your face” attitude is everything a Corvette should be.

But everything else about this car sucks to the point that many enthusiasts just don’t care anymore. We see it daily here in our stats and in the comments section. Does Chevrolet recognize this shift in momentum? If not, it’s probably already too late to right this ship. The signs have all been there for some time, but in the last few months we’ve seen the gathering storm that came to a head on September 2nd when Chevrolet announced it was stopping orders following the first Z06 allocation and order cycle.

Chevrolet’s problem with enthusiasts’ support tanking has nothing to do with supply chain issues, or the remaining after-effects from the COVID pandemic. It has to do with communication and meeting customers’ expectations, and that’s where the automaker is failing. It started with “Summer Availability,” which didn’t come to fruition. The reveal of the MSRP was an utter fiasco, with customers waiting over nine months only to be blindsided by the high cost of the C8Z compared to the previous generation. Then once ordering started, it was stopped immediately.

And during all that, Chevrolet dealers continued to kick their best customers off their reservation lists so they could charge exorbitant dealer markups and give those spots to those who have never supported Corvette or Chevrolet previously.

This launch has been a clusterfuck everywhere you turn. Now, we are at the first anniversary of the Z06s reveal, and still, no customers have yet to take delivery. Those tiny few new owners whose car has been produced have no idea when they will be released. Chevy has been building the car for over a month, and they have never released the celebratory photo of the first Z06 produced. Why is that? When they stopped orders, they said they wanted to ensure the car was right. What does that even mean?

Every action by Chevrolet regarding the Corvette results in a reaction from its enthusiast base. When they don’t tell us what is really going on, that leads to rampant rumors and endless speculation, which takes away from the fact that the Corvette Z06 appears to be everything it’s been hyped to be. We recognize hindsight is 20/20, that this is a challenging environment with supply chain issues and now a faltering economy, but these are all secondary considerations to the mess made by General Motors and Chevrolet and how they communicate to their dealers and customers.

As someone who has been promoting the purchasing of Corvettes professionally since 1996, when our Corvette classified ads website was launched, I’ve always said that buying a Corvette should be among the most fun thing you could ever do. Not anymore, at least when purchasing the new Corvette. Now it’s a chore that comes with the expectation that the order will be snatched out of your hands at any moment. I talk to many professional Corvette reps, and these are some of the most beaten-down folks working in the automotive segment today because of the crap they are taking from both sides. They can’t answer basic questions because GM/Chevrolet tells them nothing and they can’t plan for the future because GM/Chevrolet tells them nothing.

Finally, the one thing that has become obvious to any Corvette enthusiast is that the Corvette no longer enjoys the special status of being General Motors’ halo car. Today’s GM halo vehicle is anything that has an “EV’ attached to it. They think they are bringing Corvette enthusiasts into the fold by bastardizing the Corvette name by slapping it on an electric SUV the same way Ford did with the Mach-E Mustang. That’s not a Mustang, and a Chevy EV SUV will never be Corvette.

I could go on, but the Corvette fanboy inside me already feels bad for having to write this. This post is not directed at the great men and women who work tirelessly to bring us a great sports car. My criticism is directed at the leadership at GM and Chevrolet, which seems intent on trying to manage Corvette owners the same way they treat buyers of Malibus. If they want to get out of this storm, the lines of communication need to be better every way around.


Related:
BREAKING: GM to Halt New 2023 Corvette Z06 Orders Through the End of 2022
Today is Corvette Z06 Allocation Day and Orders are Open
Pricing for the 2023 Corvette Z06 is Officially Announced! Starting MSRP is $106,395

 



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34 COMMENTS

  1. I am on the waiting list for a Z. Finally an article that dares to point the obvious. Mary Does not want us to have gas powered vehicles. GM has no idea what they are doing to their fan base nor do they care. Same as NASCAR

  2. I think the chicken shits running GM now are catering to the brain dead biden group of liberals that think ev’s are the future , and that bullshit is not even Close Yet!!!!!

  3. I’ve never commented on this site but the writer of this article is spot on! i’ve talked to my local Chevy dealer today and he has no information on the Zo6, he has a lot of customers on the waiting list but he has no idea about the car what’s going on with it don’t even know what to tell his customers. Agreed 100% GM has done a terrible communication job with its customers and dealerships!!! If their plans all along is to just produce a few I wish they come out and say that!

  4. Great points, Mr. Keith! I suspect there is some awful problem with the car discovered too late in the process to correct simply, and GM is in a quandry having raised expectations and failing to deliver. I had no idea the customers were not receiving their new Z06s, and that spells disaster for their reputation if that is not handled right.
    🙁

  5. Honesty is the best policy. if something happened to the car that needs fixing if GM would just be honest we can all understand that and that would let us know that they’re working on fixing the problem, and that would also send a message to their loyal customers that they do care.

  6. I agree that if GM/Chevrolet would just come clean with whatever the problem is, that most people would forgive the delay.
    I also think that car companies that are going to go all electric in a few years are making a big mistake. There are just too many problems when you think about the battery problems and the lack of charging stations which limits the range of an all day trip.

  7. ‘Anything further that I might add to these spot-on (or should that be “dead on”?) comments would be profoundly superfluous! . . (. . . shakin’ my head in sad bewilderment . . .)
    ‘God Bless you all . . . an’ may God Bless America AND America’s only true sportscar – – –
    the Chevrolet Corvette.

  8. I agree that most people would prefer that GM/Chevrolet just come clean with whatever the problem is and get on with life.

    I also think that the car companies that are committing to electric vehicles only by a certain end date are making a big mistake. There are still too many technical problems with batteries and the scarcity of charging stations as you go across the country which makes long distance travel a problem.

  9. Even buying a base C8 is/was a fiasco. I had to get an attorney involved to get my dealer to honor our agreement. The C8 has been a pair of Icarus wings for GM and now they’ve gotten to the point where they’re melting. It’s exposed every flaw in their management and brought out the absolute worst in their dealer network.

    Marry Barra is their biggest problem. She’s driving that company off a cliff faster than Bob Lutz and her politics are putting GM dangerously close to my boycott list. I’ve been a bowtie guy my whole life but that relationship is on thin ice. Pun intended.

  10. I’ve been a fan of the Corvette my whole life. Just the sight of this car, no matter what generation, would boost your adrenaline and put a smile on your face. It makes you feel alive in a sometimes dull and dreary world, and it’s always been cool. I think the people that are making the corporate decisions on the future of this car don’t understand that. Their heart is not in it. They want electric cars. The reality is we might be witnessing the end of a legend. These are some dark days in the Corvette world. Hopefully, come January things will get better.

  11. Hey folks, from a guy who has a C8 and several other years! From a business case point of view. The resources needed to produce the Corvette two models, is better redeployed to higher profit vehicles. The electric Cadillac, Hummer(capped at 90,000 orders), and trucks, ICE and EV.
    Note GM’s latest great profit report. Also note the announcement of scaling back of EV’s (Wall Street Journal, 10/26/22). GM is bracing for the recession that should hit in January, after Christmas, and being laid at the feet of whomever is in office? I have a promise of a Z06, but not holding my breath, actually I ordered another performance car and took delivery after a 12 week wait….not as fast as a Z06 but attainable and fun…..consider other options….life is short and GM could care less about car guys…..

  12. Most chevy dealers sux all they know is over sticker….take the money they get for over sticker and donate it to BREAST CANCER RESEARCH.STARTING TO DISLIKE MY CHEVY DEALER MORE AND MORE

  13. Well said. As a C8 Stingray owner I must agree with your assessment of the buying process, it was hell. Thanks for speaking out loud for us…

  14. This has got to be the most honest, direct (and sad) article about what’s going on with the Corvette – that I have read to date! As a ’19 Grand Sport owner, I think I will continue to hang on to my true American muscle car a lot longer than I may have considered before. Thanks for bringing it all to light!

  15. Ok. Let’s not forget our history. Just how many customers received a 1983 Corvette? There’s a reason only one exists at the National Corvette Museum.

  16. Holy moly! If Keith Cornett (my favorite go-to Corvette personality and eternal optimist) uses the word “clusterf***”, we’re all in a world of hurt!!

    Keith… just, wow… you are spot-on and my voice right now! How could Chevy have fumbled a rollout this important?

    I hope this blog “PUTS GM ON NOTICE”… while the product is seemingly a generational and industry game-changer making a significant impact, the customer and fan experience is having an equally significant impact but in the opposite direction! But for some reason I can’t explain, amid my infuriating frustration, I still can’t wait to get my hands on that ‘squar-ircle” wheel.

    GM, please come out of your ivory tower and talk to us! It’s not too late for an apology and an honest, open, frank discussion of where we’re at and what the future honestly holds. COMMUNICATION! This veil of secrecy separating you from your fans is becoming a brick wall you continue to build brick-by-brick-by brick…

  17. Yes, I’m angry too. If we didn’t have the parts disruption caused by Republicans mishandling the pandemic, we’d be fine. I guess it will just take a bit longer.

  18. Relax, David, the Democrats are fixing everything for you, including electric school busses – E-Corvettes next.

  19. David, your kidding , right?? Your trying to blame what happened with the china virus on Republicans, And the supply chain?? Look no farther than the brain dead bastard that’s in there now, and his puppet masters

  20. HEY EVERYBODY – BRAVO TO KEITH AND HIS THOUGHTS ON THE CURRENT CORVETTE CRISIS –
    AS I HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE GENERAL MOTORS MANAGEMENT, CHEVROLET AND ALL CHEVY DEALERS AS SOON AS THE NEW, MID ENGINE, 8TH GENERATION CORVETTE WAS ANNOUNCED AND THEN SHOWN TO THE WORLD IN THE BLIMP HANGER.

    MY LAST NEW CORVETTE TOOK 6 WEEKS TO GET ASSEMBLED AND 20 MINUTES TO BE DELIVERED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY TO THE MUSEUM FOR MY CEREMONY WITH ADAM. THE ELECTRON BLUE Z06 I BOUGHT WAS DISCOUNTED WITH A CHEVY SPONSORED REBATE, MY DEALER IN FLORIDA PASSED ALONG THE ADDITIONAL DISCOUNT SAVING ME AROUND $3,000 OFF OF THE MSRP. THIS WAS THE GREATEST AUTOMOBILE PURCHASE IN MY LIFE WITH THE MUSEUM DELIVERY, ALONG WITH MY NEW 1996 COLLECTORS EDITION CONVERTIBLE.

    WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO CHEVROLET, GENERAL MOTORS AND THE CHEVY DEALERS TO CREATE SUCH A SEVERE CLUSTERFUCK (U.S. ARMY EXPRESSION FOR A REAL MESS) WHEN TRYING TO OBTAIN A NEW CORVETTE??

    THIS NEW CORVETTE IS JUST A CAR, THAT IS TRULY LOVED BY MILLIONS AND LIKE MYSELF, WOULD REALLY LIKE TO OWN ONE SOON. BUT THE AMOUNT OF B.S. TO ACQUIRE THE STINGRAY IS OVERWHELMING – WHILE EVEN THINKING ABOUT BUYING THE NEW Z06 IS PROVEN TO BE JUST PURE INSANITY AND NO LONGER SHOULD OCCUPY A CORVETTE FANATIC’S TIME.

    SO, IN MY OPINION – THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO CHEVROLET ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS AND ASSEMBLY PLANT FOLKS FOR ATTEMPTING A CHEVROLET SUPERCAR BUT IT IS WAY PAST TIME TO KILL THE Z06 CONCEPT AND JUST BUILD MORE STINGRAYS.

    FIND AN AMERICAN SOURCE FOR ALL THE MISSING COMPONENTS AND START BUILDING 30,000 TO 40,000 NEW CORVETTE STINGRAY MODELS EACH YEAR UNTIL THE STUPID CRAZE OF ELECTRICITY TAKES OVER THE WORLD.

    THANKS FOR LISTENING, KEEP CORVETTES BEING BUILT.

  21. Yesterday’s article by Keith Cornett struck a nerve with me as I never hear from my dealer regarding the status of my order unless I initiate the conversation via email/phone.
    Let me first say that I live in Vancouver, BC and Canada as a whole gets the short end of the stick when it comes to allocations. It really is a joke when I see that allocations are 800+ cars to Ciocca and local dealerships in my area are lucky to get a dozen cars each.
    I got on the list in June of 2021 and gave my dealer $1,000,00. The actual order wasn’t placed with GM until March of 2022 at which time I received an order number.
    I have called the GM Concierge Service several times and am told the order has been entered into the system and awaiting acceptance into production. Well I cannot get acceptance until my dealer Preston Chev
    gets his allocation and allots a car to me. He has no idea when this will happen.
    Communication between GM, its dealers and their customers is dismal. At this point in time I really don’t care whether I get the car or not. Initially I was really excited but as the say the thrill is gone.
    Not withstanding the above comments I fully understand and appreciate the effects of Covid, supply chain issues, plant shut downs and weather issues at the plant sight.
    To say the least this has been a frustrating and depressing exercise in futility.
    Keep up the good work Keith.

  22. Hey, David certainly isn’t the dumbest guy on the planet, but he should definitely hope Uncle Joe doesn’t kick the bucket.😵 🥈>>>🥇

  23. David is NOT far from the truth about the former’s president Denial about the pandemic. The Z production was Halted after the Press Cars because part’s suppliers went out of business and the Plant has no idea when they can collaborate with new suppliers. Simple as That. Because the problem involves supply chain, Chevy can’t comment for privacy reasons. Bowling Green will never return to 30 000+ vettes /year unless a few miracles happen….

  24. MLC , I call bull shit on that too. Trump never denied the china virus, he did all rat man fouchie was saying to do until after about 2 to 3 months in he saw just how much of a lying back stabbed the little rat man was

  25. So let me get this right, General Motors, the Chevrolet Division and a large number
    of Chevrolet Dealers are making it so the 2023 Z06 will end up being a complete
    flop. I’m ready to get mine at a discount off MSRP next year !!!

  26. Let’s not forget GM is giving preference to Internet influencers, most appear to nothing more than moochers. They report their opinions and suppliers send them free parts and now GM is putting these folks ahead of those who have supported the brand for years. I was considering waiting for a ZR1, but between GM putting folks ahead of the enthusiasts and then the Stealerships marking up these cars $30k to $50k up to $100k over MSRP, who wants to deal with that. Forget it, I don’t need it, I’ll find something else to do with my money. I have a C7Z, and have no problem keeping and enjoying it, plus I can shift gears, which adds to the fun factor.

  27. If not for the Pandemic, I think the Z06 production would be humming along as would be Stingrays. If not for those surrounding Biden, I think that Corvette’s future would look similar to what has been “leaked” by GM Authority with the various models including turbo charging. We clearly will get the E-Ray but how they will fit that in considering the trouble with the current two models makes me wonder. It may get delayed a year longer than intended to actual move any quantity off the assembly line. They could be another display like has been the Z06 roll out. ZR1…seems unlikely. Turbo, I don’t think so. I think that engine is too tightly engineered for forced induction. I do think they are committed to a final model of the Zora that I think will be basically a hybrid Z06. Remember that Mark R. said a fully electric would be coming “soon” to allay the impatience of the electric crowd. The pressure is on and the dreams of the gear head engineers for Corvette have been interrupted by a nightmare.

  28. Keith’s article struck all the chords. For me, at 68, I’m out. I have a ’14 Z51 3LT. It was my first Corvette. I’ve enjoyed it to the max these last 7 or 8 years. Given the current market conditions for the C8 (any iteration), I’ve come to the conclusion that my C7 will be my first and last Corvette. The controversy surrounding the market conditions of the C8 have worn me out. Chevrolet has certainly screwed up the launch of the Z06. Dealers that have purchased used C8’s have bastardized the used Corvette market with ridiculous mark-ups. Many C8 buyers only purchased a C8 to make a handsome profit at the end of the day. All of this adds up to the Corvette now out of reach for many potential buyers that could have purchased a new one at MSRP. I don’t wish Chevy any ill-will. As they say, it is what it is. If I get the itch to sell my C7, there are a couple other sports cars that I may look at. If the current market conditions with the C8 change (drastically), I may consider the C8. My rule: not one penny above MSRP. If the market remains the same, I’m good where I stand.

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