How Will the C7 Corvette Be Remembered When the C8 Arrives?

Will the C7 Corvette will be instantly forgotten once the C8 appears, or will it hold its own for many years to come?

The Corvette is, without a doubt, the most legendary American sports car ever built. It’s endured multiple financial and fuel crises, the rise of the SUV, and the so-called death of the passenger car. But that doesn’t mean that every Corvette generation is held in the same regard, of course. So now that a radically different mid-engine C8 is on the way, it’s worth wondering how the C7 will be remembered. We tend to think it’ll fare well with time, but Corvette Forum member Stripeknight certainly stirred up the proverbial hornet’s nest with his thoughts on the matter.

“I hate to break it to you, but when the new revolutionary Ferrari-like C8 is released, the C7 will most likely be compared against the C4 in about two years. Some folks probably won’t even know the difference between the two models once the C8 hits the streets.”

As you might imagine, exactly no one shares this opinion with the OP. But what was surprising is the fact that no one took the bait and overreacted to this silly notion, either. Heck, cvp33 is too busy lapping exotics in his C7 to bother with an angry response.

“I hate to break it to you, but I’m busy enjoying my 650 hp right now and waxing Porsches at VIR. So I care very little about how my 2019 Z06 will be perceived in 2039 by some collector.”

And sure, it’s easy to pile on the C4. But as Road machine, points out, they weren’t necessarily as bad as people think.

“The First ZR1s were amazing cars in their day, as is the new ZR1 today. The only version of the C4 that was bad was the 1984. It was a new platform and the bugs had not been worked out well at all. But like all generations, they got better and better. And by the time they got to later years they were at the top of their game.”

Shinobi’sZ obviously agrees, and points out the flaws in this kind of comparison to begin with.

“When I was in the Navy my buddy had a ’84 C4 and I had a ’87 5.7 IROC TPI. I beat him off the line and to the next light every time. But his car did handle well for the time. I think it was the first factory ‘Vette to pull 1.0g on the skidpad. Pretty good for 1984. A lot of people liked using the ’86-’88 C4s for autocross as it had a the low end L98 TPI torque and a stiff frame that handled the curves well.

Kind of stupid to say how something will be remembered compared to something today. What I remember about the C4, especially the ZR1, was that it was sleek, had 400+ hp, and was King of the Hill until the ’02 C5 Z06 came out….and they were about tied in performance.”

So far, it appears that the OP’s attempt at making a point has largely failed. Most Corvette Forum members have largely fond memories of the C4, and no one is doubting the performance potential of the C7, either. But still, we want to know what you think. So head over here and tell us how you think the C7 will be remembered!

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