GM Stops Taking 2023 Corvette Z06 Orders (Are the Build Restrictions Too Complex???)

It’s no surprise GM is shutting down 2023 Corvette Z06 orders, but its current plant restrictions are pretty surprising.

It’s no secret that the 2023 Corvette Z06 has been on of the most highly-anticipated new vehicle releases in years, with demand that was certain to far exceed supply. Various supply chain constraints like the chip shortage certainly aren’t helping matters, but even if none of that was an issue, there’s simply no way GM could build enough cars to satisfy the immense demand for it. Thus, it should also come as no surprise to learn that the automaker has already stopped taking 2023 Corvette Z06 orders, as first reported by Corvette Blogger.

This piece of news was actually sent via a video message from Chevrolet Global President Scott Bell to dealers, who said that GM won’t be taking any more 2023 Corvette Z06 orders for the remainder of the year as it works to ramp up production of the hot new sports car. GM faced the same issue when the C8 Stingray debuted for the 2020 model year and it quickly found itself backlogged with orders for cars that it couldn’t produce, leaving many waiting years to take delivery.

Another reason GM is halting orders relates to the same sort of thing that all automakers go through when launching a new model – teething problems and quality control. Bell mentioned in the video that GM wants to avoid this by employing a gradual ramp up of production for the new Z06 so that it can ensure that the first units leaving the factory don’t experience silly issues later on, which we can certainly appreciate.

On top of all that, it seems as if building the C8 in general is a bit of a complicated task, as Bowling Green Plant Director Kai Spande revealed while speaking at the 28th Anniversary Celebration at the National Corvette Museum. It’s a delicate process, with 11.6 cars moving down the line per hour, though if any single thing goes wrong, it can shut down the whole line.

Additionally, there are many build restrictions for the newest Corvette – no more than two convertibles can be built in a row, while the Z06 can’t be repeated whatsoever and GM can’t build more than two Z07 package-equipped cars in an hour. There are similar restrictions on right-hand drive models, those fitted with a California emissions sticker, dual tops, and the 70th anniversary package. These are some interesting insights, and provide us with a little sneak peek as to why things move so slowly in today’s complicated world of automotive production.

Photos: Chevrolet

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