Aussies buy up C8s

[Derek Nicol]

Insofar as sales of "Euro" Vettes were pretty small for GM it seems likely "Euro RHD" sales will be tiny. Since Goodwood Festival of Speed there seems to be lots of interest in the new Lotus and only limited interest in the new Corvette. Anyone who wants one should probably get in quick before the whole UK thing collapses .... again.

Hear what youre saying but if theyre still making RHD for Aus, Japan etc it cant be too much effort to redirect a few to the UK now and then.

 

[teamzr1]

I'm not sure that's the case really - the Mustang is considered a "sportive" in Europe, so in the same class (nominally!) as Porsche 911, Ferrari, Mercedes Sports etc etc.... It has been the best selling "Sportive" for a few years, so there is clearly a market and a desire for some Us cars. But there is definite;y a "European design" and a "US design". back in the early 2020s we went to the Concorso at Villa d'Este, on Lake Coma, and had an interesting chat with Ed Welburn, then GM head of design. He was there with a Cadillac concept that outwardly was pretty fab, and he was justifiably proud of it. But when we looked at the inside it was sooo 80's! It didn't suit the outside of the car and was so far removed from the other offerings on show from the usual European suspects, VAG, BMW, Mercedes etc....

And I think that's some of the problem, that the US cars are not what European buyers want necessarily.

Where GM fails is that it has some very strange ideas about what European customers should have, colours and spec wise. They have failed to grasp that US cars are seen as having "everything", so that is what we expect, not a half hearted list of options or restricted colour pallets.

As a buyer for a Sports Car, I couldn't care less how pretty the inside of the cabin is as that is not the purpose of owning a Corvette
In 50 years of owning Corvettes, I cannot recall when the last time I even turned on the radio or HVAC as am I more interested in what the engine or exhaust sounds is telling me.
I think it is just another excuse of not buying a Corvette as the cabin is not pretty

Not surprised Europe loves Ford, certainly Germany has since Henry Ford was a personal friend of hitler and even continued to make vehicles there during WW-II
I just cannot see how a mid-engine, RHD Corvette would not be wanted in the U.K pushing 500 HP and a dual clutch tranny

Looking at your roads or lack or them I can understand no need for American V8 power as large as the USA is and huge elevations changes are we need an engine that can only be turning 1,600 RPMs, at 60 MPH over the lawn mower engines of Europe

I can leave the state of Ca at 5 AM and be in Chicago (done this many times) which is 2,300 miles away by the afternoon of the following day in my Corvettes and the engine barely strained and getting 30 MPG even with a 3.73 rear end gear so from this side of the planet no way we want a small 4-banger needing boost to run at same speeds.
Guess simple as USA is large and so are our vehicles

I just thought Brits would be begging for a C8 more than the aussies do

 

[teamzr1]

Remember when GM launched the C6ZR1? - only option in UK was to have chromed ally wheels - how yee-ha was that?

The ZR1 comes stock with many of what would be options in base model
At 755 flywheel HP and 715 ft/lbs of torque, who cares about some glossy options ?
And who buys GM wheels as options that weight more than most light weight 3rd party wheels

• The 2019 ZR1 is a supercar that advances Corvette’s performance legacy with the highest power, greatest track performance and most advanced technology in its production history
• Offered in 1ZR an 3ZR trims in coupe and convertible body styles
• The ZR1’s LT5 6.2L V-8 engine advances Corvette’s supercharging legacy, offering the highest output ever for a Chevrolet production vehicle, thanks in part to a new, more-efficient intercooled supercharger system that offers 52 percent more displacement than the Z06’s LT4 supercharger
• GM’s first dual-fuel-injection system, which employs primary direct injection and supplemental port injection, helps the LT5 achieve 755 horspower and 715 lb.-ft. of torque
• The ZR1’s aggressive appearance is driven by function, with a unique front fascia designed to channel air for propulsion-system and drivetrain cooling, including four new radiators bringing the heat-exchanger total to 13
• A special carbon-fiber “halo” hood is open in the middle to clear the LT5 engine’s supercharger/intercooler assembly
• Additional features, including aero packages with stanchionmounted wings, help push the ZR1 harder onto the track for more confident handling and faster lap times
• Two aero packages are offered: A standard rear Low Wing, which delivers the ZR1’s highest top speed and an available two-way-adjustable High Wing that offers maximum downforce on the track for quicker lap times
• The adjustable High Wing is part of the available ZTK Track Performance Package ($2,995), which also includes a front splitter with carbon-fiber end caps, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 summer-only tires9, and specific chassis and Magnetic Ride Control tuning for greater cornering grip
• Both of the ZR1’s wings are tied into the chassis, like the Corvette Racing C7.R racecar, for strength and stability
• Available Sebring Orange Design Package. Contents include: Sebring Orange Tintcoat exterior color, orange-painted calipers, ZR1 Carbon Flash-painted aluminum wheels, orange custom leather stitch, orange-painted striped ground effects, Jet Black leather seating surfaces with sueded microfiber inserts with orange stitching, Competition Sport bucket seats, carbon fiber and sueded microfiber-wrapped rim, flat-bottom steering wheel, orange safety belts, ZR- logo floor mats with orange accents and bronze-tinted aluminum interior accents
• Performance Data Recorder is standard on 3ZR and available on 1ZR
• Chevrolet Infotainment system2 with 8-inch-diagonal color touchscreen; navigation3 is available. Includes Apple CarPlay4 and Android Auto5 compatibility
• Built-in Wi-Fi® Hotspot with available 4G LTE data (3GB or 1-month data trial, whichever comes first)6
• Standard leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel on 1ZR; carbon fiber and leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel is standard on 3ZR
• Keyless open and start
• Curb-view cameras7 included on 2LZ and 3LZ trims
• Head-up display is standard on all trims
• Bose 10-speaker audio system with bass box included on 3ZR; nine-speaker system on 1ZR
• Heated and ventilated leather-appointed seats are standard on 3ZR
• Competition Sport seats are available on 1ZR and 3ZR
• Leather wrapped interior with sueded upper interior trim included on 3ZR
• Standard dual-zone automatic climate control
• Available performance air intake (dealer-available accessory)
• Corvette Museum delivery and Customer Engine Build Program are available

SAFETY FEATURES

• Four standard air bags8, including side-impact air bags
• Standard Rear Vision Camera7
• Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS
• Active Handling with electronic stability control
• Safety belt pretensioners
• Tire pressure monitoring with run-flat tires

Let's Go a Racing Boys !

 

[Derek Nicol]

no way we want a small 4-banger needing boost to run at same speeds.
Guess simple as USA is large and so are our vehicles

So, youre saying you wouldnt want this Mighty 3 Cylinder 51 Horsepower Chevrolet?..
Yes, this is a CHEVY! complete with Chevy bowtie badges and the Chevrolet name on the back.
Cough.. Daewoo..

 

[teamzr1]

BTW,
the largest segment of those new buyers of a C8 in the USA is people who owned very high dollar Europe cars and never owned American cars
They are dumping their Euro sports cars for a good loss of money to own the C8

 

[Roscobbc]

I read it as C6ZR1 introduced with one wheel spec only.. could be wrong.

Correct. As I said - a bit Yee Haa for the UK. Decided by UK GM 'Exec' as to what UK buyers would want. Seemed incredulous at the launch that my suggestion of black wheels should have been default......

 

[teamzr1]

So, youre saying you wouldnt want this Mighty 3 Cylinder 51 Horsepower Chevrolet?..
Yes, this is a CHEVY! complete with Chevy bowtie badges and the Chevrolet name on the back.
Cough.. Daewoo..
View attachment 12689

Please ! :-(
Not before I eat breakfast !
Would not even want to be caught driving that in the dark

 

[Derek Nicol]

Would not even want to be caught driving that in the dark

Im not sure if the 48 Cu in small block can power an alternator big enough for lights.

You can imagine the reputational damage to the Chevy brand in the UK.
Fortunately, no longer sold here.

 

[teamzr1]

That is what GM gets trying to please people who drink tea

But I agree making cars to look like made in Europe sucks

 

[Derek Nicol]

That is what GM gets trying to please people who drink tea But I agree making cars to look like made in Europe sucks

They made them in Korea.

 

[teamzr1]

Us yanks thinks it is all one and the same as Europe thinks they own all land mass and brainwash men to
think more than 4 cylinders is too macho
We hear it is a rule over there that men cannot sit and have their legs spread to protect their balls

I think you all need to riot for a good cause - V8s with no less than 400 HP

 

[Derek Nicol]

..and brainwash men to think more than 4 cylinders is too macho
I think you all need to riot for a good cause - V8s with no less than 400 HP

It will be zero cylinders soon... United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit on September 23, 2019 in New York City. The United Kingdom will ban the sale of new combustion-engine vehicles by 2030, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced. It will also ban the sale of new hybrid cars by 2035.

 

[teamzr1]

Yes we have an asshole sitting in the Whitehouse, Joey Hidden

He wants to do the same thing here but try and take our Corvettes certainly will start a civil war !

 

[Derek Nicol]

Yes we have an asshole sitting in the Whitehouse, Joey Hidden.
He wants to do the same thing here but try and take our Corvettes certainly will start a civil war !

As someone who loves speed youve got to be good with this though?..

2023 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray: Everything We Know About the Hybrid

E-Ray May Not Be The Only Hybrid C8. We've heard that the E-Ray's electric motors could be paired with a twin-turbocharged version of the Z06's flat-plane crank V-8. The resulting all-wheel-drive hybrid monster could be called the "Zora" to honor the "Father of the Corvette," GM engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. We expect it to have more than 900 hp. In other words, it'll be a true monster of a Corvette.

(It aint gonna be no Prius).

Will be similar to the Ferrari SF90 Stradale
Specifications:
Engine 4.0-litre Twin-turbo V8 With Three Electric Motors
Transmission 8-speed Dual Clutch F1 Gearbox
Drive AWD
Top speed 211.27 mph
0–62 mph time 2.5 seconds
0–124 mph time 6.7 seconds
Torque 590 ft lb
Power 985 hp
Weight 1,570 kg

 

[teamzr1]

That MT rag is wrong as to date, no way it would be in the street in 2023 as the C8 Z06 is slated as a 2023 model year and
it comes on first.
I suspect not until 2025 and that is if by then cars are allowed at all by the morons holding office

More apt for the Z06 with flat plane crank engine first (as used with C8.Rs now)
then next would be Zorra model with added electric front-wheel drive as a hybrid
and then all electric E-ray model
and best a ZR1 with the above and dual turbos

 

[Derek Nicol]

But in principle 1000 horsepower is better than 650 horsepower even if its by adding electric motors to the V8 to get there?
(i dont expect you to be good with the all electric one).

 

[teamzr1]

Only those who voted for Joey Hidden would drive a car with lots of AAA batteries

 

[Derek Nicol]

Only those who voted for Joey Hidden would drive a car with lots of AAA batteries

Thats still not a straight answer.. Hybrid Corvette, yes or no?

 

[teamzr1]

No, we like to respect the past 70 years history of Corvettes with gas engines

 

[Derek Nicol]

No, we like to respect the past 70 years history of Corvettes with gas engines

Interesting, i wonder if you will change your mind when a hybrid Vette overtakes you... all you will hear is the V8.
It almost comes across as a politicised decision.. electric?.. me?.. never!.. good god man!.. who do you think i am?
(oops.. ive brought religion into it now as well).