Pricing Through The Years......What about Now?

[foreignbishop]

So I did a little research (feel free to kill this thread if it's redundant John) about the Corvette's pricing over the last 2 gen's. Mainly concerning the base model and Z06 because they are the first 2 models released in the last 2 gen's (C6 and C7). If we can dispense with the C8 $169K price fantasy (since this is clearly a Corvette, C7 is done, and GM likes to keep customers by selling ya know...cars). Where do you think the C8 will enter?

Beginning of Gen and End of Gen for C6 and C7 -Autotrader

YEAR BASE Z06

2005 $43710 N/A
2006 $43690 $64890
2013 $49600 $75600

2014 $53000 N/A
2015 $55000 $79000
2019 $55900 $80900

PS: Go Bruins

[C8Driving]

Good to know foreignbishop. What are you thinking the C8 will start at?

[John]

Thanks foreignbishop. So in six years from the end of the C6 to the end of the C7, the entry car went up $6,300. However from the end of the C6 to the beginning of the C7, it went up $3,400. Since the C8 will have the $2,000 automatic as standard, if all else were equal, the entry C8 would start about $61,300. I personally think that is light. I would believe closer to $65K to start, and with several things that we might think would be standard on the entry C8, becoming instead options many would purchase.

[foreignbishop]

I think $61,300 is fair. I was originally tinkering with $59,995 before destination but what's another $1300? I think it's fair to say $60-$63 after destination. The whole "If you could afford the 2019 base you can afford the 2020 base" would apply at those price points.

[Z_Rocks]

Speaking of Z06, how come I don't hear anything about the C8 Z06 having a S/C like in C7? Is the Z06 getting a totally different engine than the Base C8, unlike the C6/C7 having the same engine with added S/C?
That could flip the whole pricing on the C8 Z06.

[John]

The Z06 will not be coming until 2021. Give us crazy, can’t-get-enough-info-and-renderings folks just one day after 7.18.19 and the impatience and questioning will start in a flurry all over again.

[JustOneMore]

I also think $61,300 is light. Adding $2,000 may be light considering the DC may be more than the traditional auto. But to quote an unknown source "There are three groups of people, those who understand numbers, and those who don't".

[jagamajajaran]

foreignbishop, your 2014 MSRP is only partially correct. The C7 Base Stingray Coupe was introduced to the world at a price of $51,000. It wasn't until March 3, 2014, that the MSRP increased to $53,000. In July of 2014, Chevrolet announced the 2015 Base Coupe price to remain at $53,000, but in early August, they raised the 2015 Base Coupe price to $54,000, and raised it again to $55,000 during the 2015 model year. If history repeats itself, GM will introduce the C8 just a little over the outgoing C7 MSRP, which is great for initial marketing purposes, and then will raise the MSRP several times over the first two years. This is also why I plan to order my C8 as early as possible.

[dweaver]

Thinking DCT is just a $2k cost is a bit hopeful IMHO. Of course, if it is the one and only trans, there could be some economies of scale, but that's pretty aggressive.

As far as pricing, there is alot of "it depends". It depends on if and where they cut corners on the interior for example. It depends if they (GM) are willing to let the car operate at either a loss (doesn't work out well in the long run, see Viper) or at lower margin (but what would be their plan to get the margin back?). Being ME doesn't inherently make it more expensive, but to me, this whole car smells like Corvette going after the big boys in their playground, and not just in terms of performance this time. For example, the Corvette has always been competitive with the 911, but fell short in fit and finish and the interior. It seems to me that they want to smoke the 911 now, which means they have to address that fit and finish and interior (the spy shots seem to point in that direction). That ain't free.

My fear, they artificially set the price low to keep people happy, and cut corners in the process. The automotive press goes back to their tried and true (and accurate) bashing of the Corvette in terms of fit and finish, etc and the car suffers.

[John]

The C7 won Wards’ “10 Best Interior” in 2014. Wards does not exclude anything because of price (below $500,000), so that was a very strong accolade about the C7’s interior. A supplier would not give me a single detail, but said the C8’s interior was a very nice improvement from the C7’s. Looking forward to seeing it.

We have repeatedly seen the much superior paint since the new paint shop started in November, 2017.

So that leaves the proverbial “fit” issue. I had issues with one exterior panel fit on my C7 (fixed by my body shop), and in the interior, the arcing aluminum interior piece going over the dash was a full 3/8” higher than the aluminum piece above the front of the door armrest which reaches upwards to create that upside down “U.” I was able to bend the door part of it myself, so is now perfectly aligned, but that is the kind of fit-n-finish issue that we hope that the C8 improves on. An owner should not need to fix something himself, and secondly need a body shop to fix a separate issue, on a $94,000 car.

Here’s to hoping!

[foreignbishop]

Considering what Porsche was doing in 2004 A-LA C5, 2006 A-LA C6, and 2014 A-LA C7, I think the interior improvements over the years have been addressed drastically when compared to the only thing they can be compared to....itself. This is not a Porsche. GM doesn't break out a white pen and get blemish free hides for its leather surfaces. In the end, it's a domestic car with world beating performance. Each generation they get a little bit better. IMO, no reason to think it won't continue that trend now and that means keeping the price point in line. I'm obviously biased with my expectations on price too

[meyerweb]

Porsche sells about 15,000 sports cars (Cayman, Boxster, 911) a year in the U.S. GM is, apparently, planning on building 40,000 a year. That won't happen if the base car is offered at Porsche 911 prices.

There may well be multiple trim packages that will get the car in the 911 range, both in terms of price and materials, but I'd be surprised if the base C8 isn't very similar to the 1LT C7 in terms of materials, features, and prices (with expected increases to account for new model inflation, the DCT, and other improvements).

Could there be a 4LT package that covers everything in really high quality leather, "real" Alcantara, adds lots of real carbon fiber and aluminum (not aluminum colored plastic), piano lacquer black surfaces where leather isn't appropriate (none of the frankly cheap looking matte black on the C7's dash), color matched seat belts and floor mats, embroidered logos on the seats and consoles, and a dozen other other high-end touches for an extra $10 or $15k? Wouldn't surprise me a bit. But GM is in the business of selling mass-produced cars, and setting the base prices too high doesn't fit that model.

Regarding price, I think DCTs have come way down in price from the early years. (You can't judge actual cost based on Porsche pricing - the margin on their options must be in the 500% to 1000% range.) I'm not convinced that a DCT isn't cheaper to build than the very complex torque converter automatics in most cars today. They are simpler internally, have no torque converter (which means no lockup mechanism), and the software isn't any more complex for a DCT than for a slushbox.

Volkswagen charges only $1100 for the 7 speed DCT in the GTI (over the 6 speed manual).

[bobbytinvab]

I mentioned in another thread that a group of F/L/P/M car guys were amazed at $70K for a C8. If the base price undercuts by more than $5K to $65, those guys will buy one for sure. I truly hope that GM get the C8 "right" for multiple reasons

[ZORA 69]

Base / Base Model is going to be $60,400, or so reported a few weeks back from a reliable source. I would think that is in line from previous model updates/ repricing. But this car is inclusive of a more expensive DCT. $63,900. Seems to make a little more sense for the Base/ Base price. If GM prices the base model too high they will not be able to sell the 40,000 cars I feel they are planning to build in the first year, with significant plant upgrades and hiring 400 additional employees.

[Milliwatt Rob]

Not long after the C7 was introduced, GM started offering pricing promotions. I know, because I ordered my 2015 Z51 roadster in September 2014 under "Friends and Family" or "Supplier Pricing", can't remember which.

If you have to be among the those in on the very first orders, you will pay top price, but holding back a little bit may produce substantial savings, and more options on the order sheet.