C8 Corvette: Worthy Adversary to McLaren’s Mighty 720S?

Would you define Chevy’s C8 as a supercar or exotic worthy of putting in same class as McLaren’s 720S or other exotics?

Over the last couple of years, the McLaren 720S has essentially ruled the supercar world. Mostly because this amazing machine quite literally does everything well. The 720S is quite capable of ruling the drag strip, your local road course, and pretty much any kind of competitive tarmac you can think of. But of course, this all comes at a price, as the 720S will set you back at least $300k. And after watching a teardown of one of these McLarens recently, Corvette Forum member dio55 thinks that the C8 might just be a worthy competitor to the current crown-holder.

“After watching these videos, you actually realize just how much value there is in a C8.
In the 720S, there is plastic everywhere. Thin-walled, welded off-the-shelf square aluminium tubing. The main chassis components and fiberglass doors and fenders are adhered with double stick tape. The only thing exotic on that car is its carbon fiber tub. These people have been robbing us blind for too long. They make good cars, no one can deny that. But they are finally being exposed.”

It’s certainly an interesting debate, and one that figures to intensify as the C8 starts populating our roads. But there are plenty of members who feel like the C8 isn’t quite there yet in terms of exotic car performance or exclusivity.

“That Mac will run rings around the C8,” said Sin City. “It’s one of the fastest vehicles on the road. Supercars are by definition rare. The Mustang GT500 is not a supercar, but it’s as fast as a lot of exotics. The Viper was never considered a supercar. IMO, you should ignore the labels and just drive.”

There are also plenty of people who disagree with this notion. And quite a few other members point out that the McLaren is more of an exotic car than a supercar.

“I disagree,” said JasonVette. “I made this point once before, but what defines a supercar is a measure of its performance in comparison to vehicles of its time. An exotic is determined by how attainable it is.”

And that’s the main thing that separates the C8 from the likes of the 720S, according to chubbs6350.

“I agree, and that’s why I personally don’t ever buy base model cars. There are just too many around. GM made the C8 affordable by making so many, and that’s awesome. But I don’t like going for a drive and seeing 10 cars the same as mine on the road that day. That’s why I love Vipers – you rarely see them. I honestly see way more Ferraris and Lambos here in Vancouver.”

This simple post quickly exploded into hundreds of interesting responses from a slew of members. And the debate continues to rage on today. So we’re curious to hear what you think. Do you feel like the C8 belongs in the same class as the 720S and other super/exotic cars? Or is it simply too mass-produced to be special? Head over here and let us know!

Photos: Chevrolet, McLaren

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