C8 Corvette Initial Media Reviews: Good or Bad?

The C8 Corvette has received a few negative reviews, but most see the good side of every first-drive impression.

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette is, without question, the most anticipated vehicle of the 2020 model year and as the first-ever mid-engine ‘Vette, it was expected to receive rave reviews. Well, the first batch of media reviews of the C8 have been published and while the overall tone of the first drive impressions is positive, some reviewers found aspects of the car that they didn’t love.

In other words, every reviewer didn’t rave about every single aspect of the C8 Corvette and to some people, any negative criticism makes it a negative review. One of those people is Corvette Forum member “UnhandledException,” who posted to the forum, stating that it not being well-received by the media, leading to a long, spirited discussion on the C8, cars that offer similar performance and the first drive reviews.

C8 Corvette Review Question

When the OP posted this thread in the C8 General Discussion forum, this was all that he said.

Reading all these reviews, collectively, its been received negatively?

Now, if you have read many C8 Corvette reviews, you have likely seen plenty of positive comments mixed in with a few negatives along the way. Oddly, the OP didn’t link any of the negative reviews.

Some Corvette owners are puzzled at how someone could read a bunch of reviews and find that the car is being received negatively, but a few members address the source, including “punky”.

UnhandledException” is a Corvette hating troll and his negative thread start here was as predictable as a sunrise. “Dr.Ice” should be along very soon with a lesson on the 911’s superiority. It is quite comical and downright entertaining. Don’t forget the OP here claimed to have bought a C7 ZR1 that had at least a dozen glaring problems that not one of eight dealerships service departments could resolve for him.

While “bcmarly” also pointed out the fact that the OP has a questionable past on the forum.

The way you frame the question is indicative of bias, but thanks for the question mark. Your bias is very transparent despite your attempt to couch your statement behind a rhetorical question. Did you ever post pictures or your ZR1? I guess I missed them.

In short, the OP may have started this thread in an effort to badmouth the C8, but while he was joined by a few others, the majority of forum members point out all of the good things that reviewers said about the car.

Glowing Reviews

While this lengthy article doesn’t have any links to negative reviews, there are some negative aspects of the C8 Corvette discussed, including understeer on the track, but many members included links to glowing reviews or excerpts from reviews where the writer raved about key aspects of the new Stingray. One of the most well-organized group of quotes was posted by “jagamajajaran”.

Here are my favorite quotes from a couple of reviews I read today…Car and Driver

“2020 Chevrolet Corvette Is More Than the Best Corvette Ever”

“…the new C8 is spectacular, amazing, and supremely capable. Maybe even revolutionary.”

“…the C8 is ferocious off the line.”

“…the C8 rips off zero-to-60-mph runs in 2.8 seconds. The C8 even betters the zero-to-60-mph runs of the quickest 650-hp C7 Z06 and 755-hp C7 ZR1 that we’ve strapped our test gear to.”

“Make no mistake, if you want to haul *** down a writhing piece of asphalt, this car will do it at astounding velocities, with a viselike grip on the pavement and the haughty assuredness of a car born to the task.”

“…this is by far the best Corvette interior ever.”

“…the new C8 isn’t just a better Corvette, but a supercar for the rest of us.”

AutoWeek

“The midengine Corvette C8 upends the supercar landscape and drives like no Corvette before it.”

“In the first 10 minutes, it’s clear: I could live with this as my only car.”

“That 495-hp V8 behind my head is the crucial piece of DNA in the C8’s makeup. It reminds me and everyone else on the road around us — that this is a Corvette. The soundtrack is pure American glory.”

“…the C8 is built for Grudge Night at the local drag strip.”

“C8 Gator” shared this bit from the Car & Driver first drive review.

After about a dozen rounds battling Grattan’s 2.2 miles of heaving, mean-spirited pavement in each car, engineering theory won: The C8 turned a best lap of 1:26.1, the C7 a 1:27.0. A roughly one-second difference might not sound like much, but consider that after just a half-dozen laps, the C8 would cross the finish line as the C7 pulls onto Grattan’s straight. The data revealed that the C8 braked later into several corners and accelerated harder out of others—though the C7 managed to narrow the gap in a couple spots. Through the 100-mph sweeper feeding the main straight, the C8 was about 3 mph faster. It hit 142 mph before braking into Turn 1 to the C7’s 140, and then braked with 1.16 g’s to the C7’s 1.00. It registered a maximum of 1.32 g’s in the banked Turn 8 hairpin versus the C7’s 1.30 g’s.

But such close lap times don’t remotely convey how much easier it is to go fast in the C8. It cuts more cleanly into turns, and its rear tires are more planted exiting them; the C7’s tail is nervous and twitchy by comparison. Indeed, the C8 feels as approachable on the track as it does on the road. That’s a rare combination, one worthy of respect. The C8 has ours.

Sounds positive to me.

A while later, “fatsport” shared that Car & Driver review.

1 second faster than a C7 Z51. That’s good, but nothing special.
https://www.caranddriver.com/preview…kX2F0IjoiIn0=/

People were comparing it to the GS or Z06 though. It won’t come close on the track to either. Too much hype.

“RonnieC6Z” shared a link to a positive review.

I just read the review on Autoweek. They loved it and said almost nothing that was even close to negative. Here it is:

https://autoweek.com/article/car-rev…=hero-readmore

Personal Input

Finally, “Tennis & Golf Nut” made a list of reasons why the C8 Corvette is great, and so far, it is the most “liked” reply in the thread.

For 90% of Corvette drivers, this car is a dream.

2.8 seconds to 60MPH.

0 to 100MPH will beat 99% of the cars on the Planet.

Qtr Mile in 11.1 (10’s will be easy with the right track conditions and a mod or two).

Less than $70,000.00

All reviews today have praised the Interior.

New Exotic looks,

The convertible looks great.

I’d call that Winning.

He would later share a video of the Car & Driver review process.

The C8 Z06 will destroy most every car on the planet.

Finally, “gadgety” posted a great reply that sort of rationalizes the reviews, both good and bad.

Whether the C8 is a disappointment or a success depends on your expectations, which is where I find C/D did well in pointing that out. What do you want it for, how are you going to use it? Do you want the ultimate track car? The tests read like it’s an excellent GT, more than a sports car.

The reported downsides of feeling of disconnectedness, chassis set up safely for understeer on the limit, lack of steering feel and not providing detailed feedback as to what is happening at limit of adhesion, hard to modulate brakes on the limit, and undramatic acceleration, despite what the numbers show. That is an evaluation on a closed track, at the limit. If that is the only use one is aiming for, then it’s not tailored to do just that. It’s so much more than a track toy. However, watching the Smoking Tire youtube video, it certainly seemed highly able to be driven on track, and providing a lot of fun in the process.

The C8 uniquely offers outstanding comfort levels, absorptive damping in tour mode, whisper quiet at a steady 80 mph if you want it to be, great interior quality and GT2 seats which are gripping while maintaining comfort, deceptive speed pick up, 12.6 cu ft trunk volume. It doesn’t wear you out with noise, or discomfort, but when you want it to be, it can be loud and spectacular.

So the frame of comparison is really relevant. For fun I did a comparison to the original 1001hp Bugatti Veyron. The C8 offers acceleration 0-60 just 0.1 off, stops quicker, pulls more G in the curves, has nearly 10 times the trunk volume for a trans-continental journey, the top comes off, and costs only 6%. I think it looks way better, too. The C8 is everyday usable and it could easily be your only car.

Click here to head into the forum to read through the entire thread and to offer your input on the initial drive reviews of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette.

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