Has the C8 Corvette Stingray Lost Any Appeal Heading into Year Five?

Should GM be doing more to tweak and improve the base C8 Corvette Stingray, as it did with previous generations?

When the C8 Corvette Stingray was first introduced, it was one of the most highly anticipated vehicles this century. The professional reviews were glowing. Orders were pouring in. Corvette fans could not wait to get their hands on the new mid-engine Corvette. It had supercar performance at Corvette price levels. And thanks to a labor strike and a pandemic the legend of the new C8 grew even more as the cars were scarce. Dealer markups of five and even six figures were tacked on top of the MSRP. The C8 was a Ferrari by GM. And you know what? It still is. The car is as quick and impressive as it has ever been.

But the C8 Stingray is also much more common now. The markups on these are basically gone. And here we are about to start production on the fifth, 2024, model year with essentially the same car.

Also, since the C8 Stingray came onto the scene, the Z06 and both launched E-Ray have been introduced to much fanfare. If you thought the craze for the Stingray was something, look at what is going on in the Z06 market. Also, since 2020 new cars from competitors have arrived. The new Mustang GT makes almost as much power as the Corvette. The Dark Horse model makes a bit more. Although it must be said the Stingray is still faster than either. If you want to stick with a mid-engine car the new Lotus Emira is here now. And the Porsche Cayman GT4/GTS and Boxster Spyder/GTS are better than ever.

Do any of these tempt you?

Has GM been doing enough with the C8 Stingray to keep it ahead of the competition?

Is your eye starting to wander a bit?

C8 Stingray Performance

Would it have been nice if for 2024 GM upped the power to maybe 510 horsepower or so? Sure. But let’s remind ourselves of what the Stingray can do. 0 to 60 in about 3 seconds flat and a top speed of 194 mph depending on equipment. In the 17-year history of the Car and Driver Lighting Lap competition, the C8 Stingray with the Z51 Performance Package was faster than the Ferrari 458, Ferrari F12, Nissan GT-R NISMO, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, and the Acura NSX to name just a few. It was also nearly 5 full seconds faster around VIR than the C7 Stingray. The C8 Stingray is no slouch and doesn’t need to make any apologies for how it performs.

We Like New Stuff

The performance can’t be questioned, but sports car buyers are fickle. We like new stuff. Even if we love the car we have today, if a new version is released with 20 more horsepower, we start to justify a trade-in. Ah, what’s an extra 50 bucks a month to get the newest car, right? And while the Z06 and E-Ray are certainly new, the Stingray soldiers on without any major tweaks.

By contrast, the C5 Corvette’s LS1 received a modest power bump in its fifth year. The C6 got a new base engine with almost 10% more power in its fourth model year. And the C7 generation, which only lasted six model years, offered an LT1-powered Grand Sport in the fourth model year with several performance-enhancing upgrades borrowed from the Z06.

Yet the C8 Stingray has received no bumps, and jumping up to a Z06 or E-Ray is very expensive.

Missed Opportunity

Corvette is celebrating 70 years in 2023. That is a huge accomplishment. To celebrate GM came out with the 70th Anniversary Edition Corvettes. They are nice, but really just a sticker and badge job on top of the regular Stingray or Z06.

By comparison, to celebrate the 911 turning 60, Porsche just revealed the 911 S/T. They are taking the engine from the GT3 RS, giving it a short ratio 6-speed manual transmission, the body from the GT3 Touring, and a ton of carbon fiber to reduce weight to make it the lightest new 911 you can buy. Yes, at $290K it is at a whole different price point than the Stingray. But the 911 S/T is a really special car to mark a major milestone.

Couldn’t GM come up with anything substantial to mark 70 years?

Could you imagine a stripped-down ultra-lightweight C8 Stingray Z51 with better track-focused tires ala the Z06?

Nitpicking

Are we a little disappointed that the C8 Stingray isn’t changing much? Sure. But let’s be real. The Corvette is still a world-beater. In this day and age of EVs, it is nice to have ANY V8 sports car. We would love an “LT3” making more power, and some wider wheels, and suspension upgrades. But the Stingray was an amazing car in 2020 and it will be in 2024. Are you still happy with the C8 Stingray? Let us know your thoughts in the HERE in the forums.

Images: Chevrolet

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