Please GM, Fix the Corvette

Yeah, I don't see much validity for a Corvette... its a great bang for the buck, but the buck is a bit out of reach for most people. Typically, the only people interested in a car that is all go and little else is the younger crowd... those who cannot afford it. I'm closing in on the big 3-0 and I can't afford it, nor would I want it. I prefer a little more class in my cars these days... even if its slower.

I mostly agree. However I don't think the price point is off, I think what you get for the price is off. Subtle distinction.

Chevy has the wonderfull Camaro SS and upcoming Z/28 to fill in those not as well-heeled.

What Chevy needs to decide is:
Is the Corvette the "everyman's sportscar" or is it the Chevy halo car?

If it's the halo car, they need to go extreme and build a true exotic. Something that will give the R8 a run for it's design, quality and style.

If it's an "everyman's sportscar", they need to put a real interior in it (one that does NOT include a Cavalier's steering wheel) and make it look like a Corvette... something Larry Shinoda would be proud of.
Porsche makes a simple, hard edged sportscar that is basic and exotic at the same time. The Corvette could follow that direction too.

I think having the Camaro SS gives Chevy the leeway to go very extreme with the Corvette. Make it a pure racing machine or make it a pure exotic.

I guess everyone else is more superfical than I am. I want performance per dollar, to hell with the interior. My 2 favorite vehicels #1 Jeep Wrangler #2 Corvette. Both offer super high performance (granted very different kinds of performance) at a price that is attainable, and both offer crap interiors with dated styling.
I like that Corvette won Le Mans, I've got a folder full of C6R pictures. But then I'm probably the only American who's favorite racing series is ALMS.
You think M3s and G37s don't come with an image? I bet they come with a blackberry belt clip, a bluetooth headset, and a t-shirt that says "I'll only talk to you if you have money."
There is a Z06 that drives but my appartment in the mornings. The sound is incredible, I've never heard anything match it(vipers, ferraris, lambos, not even close)
I'm not some old man holding on to glory days either, I'm 21. When I graduate next year(Mechanical Engineering!) I'm getting a jeep (I need the utility for my rediculously active lifestyle) but I'll get a corvette at some point in my life when I can afford it. Sign me up for my midlfe crisis!

I guess everyone else is more superfical than I am. I want performance per dollar, to hell with the interior. My 2 favorite vehicels #1 Jeep Wrangler #2 Corvette. Both offer super high performance (granted very different kinds of performance) at a price that is attainable, and both offer crap interiors with dated styling.
I like that Corvette won Le Mans, I've got a folder full of C6R pictures. But then I'm probably the only American who's favorite racing series is ALMS.
You think M3s and G37s don't come with an image? I bet they come with a blackberry belt clip, a bluetooth headset, and a t-shirt that says "I'll only talk to you if you have money."
There is a Z06 that drives but my appartment in the mornings. The sound is incredible, I've never heard anything match it(vipers, ferraris, lambos, not even close)
I'm not some old man holding on to glory days either, I'm 21. When I graduate next year(Mechanical Engineering!) I'm getting a jeep (I need the utility for my rediculously active lifestyle) but I'll get a corvette at some point in my life when I can afford it. Sign me up for my midlfe crisis!

Face facts GM doesn't understand. They have a built in customer base that appear to be satisfied so they have no reason to make a better car inside or out. Even when Cadillac attempted to to create a world class car with the XLR, GM cheapened it to make the Vette look better. Make a 80 grand pure racer like the Lambo for the Chevy, and make a 100 grand Halo cruiser like the A8 for the Cadillac brand.

The Gransport is a legit performance package, but other than that I gotta say you're pretty on the money. Particularly with the chrome wheels on the ZR1...what a mistake.

I think this article is way off base....get yourself an M3 if you want one...Or a G37....cars of that ilk never have been nor never will be considered a CLASSIC.

Sounds like someone is just jealous to me.

I'm not going to disagree with the assessment of the car, but have to ask: is this really anything close to a priority for GM right now?

Just selling the shiny flashy bits on the corvette was a mistake. I think the convertible was to, but you know GM wants the money from that. I absolutely love the car and still think it looks great, but it should be a little cheaper and needs a more unique interior from the start of the c7.

I'm 23 and I think the corvette looks tough!

Seriously though, I agree about the price but this is the consequence of foolish journalists comparing the car to similar performing cars instead of similarly priced cars. How many corvette versus 10-20k more expensive porsche or aston martin or mercedes comparisons have been done over the years? The consequence is the price has kept going up to make the comparisons more fair, but an effort to please all have left none pleased. Unfortunately, the car's image has not gone up with the price of the car, leaving it as a luxury car competitor without luxury or as a supercar competitor that gets no respect. That said, I dream to finish grad school and get a vette or gt500 (or at least a solstice or prowler if I can still find them).

I think that the Mechanic's comments are much more applicable to Corvettes of the 1975-1996 vintage. The C5 really began to transform the low-rent image of the car and the C6 has successfully continued that trend. A Corvette has never been on my short list, but I can appreciate that it offers world-class performance at a relatively low price.

Am I the only person in the world that doesn't expect the dashboard in a sports car to be wrapped in dolphin skin trimmed in dodo feathers and the Shroud of Turin to emerge from the airbag compartment to protect my flawless visage in the case of an accident

Mr. Mechanic must be Sarah Palin. Or Patrick Bateman. I've never even thought a person that ostensibly enjoys cars could be so image-conscious.

Once upon a time automotive writers didn't wear Gucci slippers to bed and drink hot water for breakfast. These men had what biology textbooks describe as a phallus.

It's been a while since we've heard from The Mechanic. I was hoping (s)he had moved onto better things.

Oh well.

This is a good point. I hadn't really thought about what reasonable sports-car I aspire to (my dream car is an F430... yeah, right) until not-that-long-ago, and I came up with an M3 (E46/E92). The Vette never even entered my consciousness. I think the C6 is the prettiest car in the last 30 years from a US maker, but if I had $50k, it wouldn't be on a C6. I can't give an exact reason though.

I can totally understand this article. I'm an accountant. I probably am everything pop culture tells about accountants (I'm boring. sue me). Most of the people who can can afford 40k+ cars are by default desk people (again boring or a complete douche). I would NEVER show up to work or anything involving people around me in a vette, nor would any of my colleagues. Bmw says i'm an ass, Audi says i'm a robot, merc i'm vein, lexus boring, infiniti selfish, but a vette says I'm retarded. The thing is, at work, you can be all of the others but not retarded.

Other american premium brands (Cadillac, Lincoln) are just too old to target anyone under 40. They do make some good cars, but come on, have you seen a 25 year old in a CTS or a MKZ?

I think the american cars (vette, GT500) could compete if they can just add a touch of practicality to the desk life. Just something that will say i'm worth the 50k and not just a big engine.

Soooo, you want the Corvette to be a G37 fighter? That's an awful idea. The Corvette is neither irrelevant nor overpriced. Perhaps because I haven't grown up with what the Corvette "used to be" I don't understand it. But in the 28 years I've been alive, the Corvette has improved dramatically (particularly since 1981).

Sure, the Corvette doesn't really compare to any other vehicles in its price range. But I see that as a plus, not a minus. It's in a class of its own. Even the Viper, its closest competitor, can't hold a flame to the Corvette. And comparing it to an M3 or a G37 is pointless.

The Corvette is not overpriced either. A Corvette is perfectly attainable for college graduates. I'm not sure what kind of price point you're really looking for here. Are you expecting it to still go for $30K? $35K? What do you think the Camaro is for?

The only thing the Mechanic is wrong about is that this is a recent development. No, the Vette has always been this way.

GM should buy a Lotus Evora and just learn! It's not all about hp.

I totally agree with this article. I wish I could buy a Corvette..and I can afford a Z06, but the cost my image would incur is too much bare. A Corvette is no longer cool..it's kinky, and there are far too many negative sayings about Corvette buyers as a consequence. The only way out of this cycle..is to fire the body designer and hire a German or Italian to get it right. Look to Porsche and BMW for styling cues. That said, I should note that lately, BMW seems to be going off course. It's not only styling, it's handling and steering feel that needs work. Make it more precise and predictable. Every review on a Corvette for the past 10 years has commented on the car's dangerously unpredictable handling. Focus on the car's overall driving experience and less on dumb brute force hp. You've (GM) proved your point in muscle contest, but can you make a more brainy point? Add sophistication to the car! Make it handle nice with good steering feel. Make a 4 seater sports sedan/coupe outta the thing..and No..the Camaro's 2+ ton is not the solution. Wake the F up!

Another narrow-minded article by the Mechanic.
Corvette is one of the best American cars and relatively cheap (if you consider a fact how much of car you're getting for the money). And the best thing about Corvette that it is unique in its class and to compare it to Infiniti is like blind shooting by a rookie.
Even Jeremy from Top Gear (an American cars racist) was amazed by Z06. Here watch this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSsGZ9imPYg&feature=related

I feel like GM is short changing it's buyers. Dropping a bigger engine and slapping on a Z06 or a ZR1 badge is not a very good alibi to price the Corvette 60,000 dollars over the base. If $110,000 is cheap for a Corvette, then I must be really lucky that I find that price ridiculous and just drop that dough on a Porsche. I would rather sit in a car that I feel is worth the money I've spent. The interior of the Vette is just not comparable to a, yes, an M3 or an Infinity G37. That is so sad since these cars are thousands of dollars cheaper than the expensive Vette.

I agree with the Mechanic on most of his points ie: price,interior and lost connection with new buyers where I disagree is making the corvette a G35 or an M3 . The corvette is an icon as should be treated as such much like other American icons such as Harley Davidson or even the Mustang. I feel if they get the could get the corvette in races like Formula drift or time-attack or take a design study like Cadillac did with the Escalade using celebrities and potential buyers then it could grab some of the prestige it once had. I also think improving the interior much like GM had to do with the CTS would do wonders. I'm not knocking the corvette for what it use to be but what it has become is just not as most would say is a $50k sports car in todays market. I mean if I just wanted a 12sec performance car I would buy a Evo IX for $30k or less and tune it for $5k if I spend $50k I want it all performance,looks,interior and the prestige. I hope the C7 does this and more keep our supercar reflecting our pride much like its competitors from over seas.

Nothing says pimple faced dork like an Infinity G37.

Dude, you haven't a clue what your talking about in this rant (nothing new, maybe?). The Vette always has always been a wannabe. You act like that is something new. Like "it's lost it's way"? The problem is and probably always will be that it is a Chevy first and world class "capable" sports car second. In other words, it's not the car so much as it's build quality (more of a past problem than current, but still a relevant point) and, more importantly, it's credentials. Anyone can build a car with world class numbers. Anyone! But if panache is where it's at (and it often is), then the Corvette will always be a bride's maid and not the bride.

This is the most retarded article I've read yet from the Mechanic - hell, thank God guys like you are turned off by today's Corvette - we wouldn't want such wannabes owning such craft anyways - they're a road hazard. The dicks can most certainly have their M3s and G37s.

For poser value or performance, a C6 'Vette is unbeatable (whether base, Z06, Z21 orZR1) - yeah, interiors have to be improved, but then, that's why you have a C7 expected in 2 years. And if you only wanted a college kid aspirational vehicle - may GM point you to a Camaro SS with 13.x sec Q-Mile? C6 Vettes beating Ferraris in next years LeMans GT1 class will be the thing to watch.

Engine-wise you haven't faulted the Vette and that's because it is simply amazing that it can deliver such performance without stress unlike a Porsche engine. Get your GT3 to a track, the C6 Z06 will show you exactly why you aren't capable of appreciating it - for old soft butts, leather-lined luxury yachts are the thing to buy. If something needs fixing - it's probably the Mechanic.

In my younger years I couldn't afford most any car new. Most of the cars I bought were used, low mileage, but still in great condition. A good used Corvette was really not that expensive. Want something less expensive that is still a lot of fun to drive, there is always the Saturn Sky or Pontiac Solstice although used is the only way to buy them now. If you are concerned about the type of interior materials in this type of car instead of performance then I have to wonder why you are buying one of these cars anyway.

Ahhh, Mechanic the provocateur...is he really anti-Corvette or does he just want GM to do some fine tuning? Agreed, the interior needs to be world class even if GM takes the price down a notch. Is the Corvette irrevlevant - absolutely not. I love Corvettes and am a collector of sorts. C2's are my thing, for me they have timeless beauty and judging by folks reaction they appeal to young buck, old farts, women and kids. Mechanic has a point about the gold chain clan and their affinity for Corvettes but that was hatched in the late C3 and mid-late C4 era (recall the first C4's with their steamroller tires were groundbreaking and shocked everyone including the blue bloods at Porsche). One other other person made a good point in that the C5 began to turn things around and did in fact widen the appeal of the Corvette again. The C6 is a nice car but it's not a significant enough of a change from the C5 so the appeal of the Corvette has plateaued. I do think Mechanic is right in that Chevy needs to do some soul searching on how to make the Corvette an aspirational vehicle for the college crowd. They can clearly build the performance, but they do need to up the hip-cool-sophistication factor. I think it really comes down to a Porsche play - an entry level relatively inexpensive model (Boxter) and an uber-car (911...though there's really not a huge difference in performance, Chevy could differentiate themselves here). Let's hope GM gets the message and does what most of us are suggesting. Improving the interior is a must and I don't think anyone could or would object. How you resolve the youth problem is anyone's guess (though I do think I'm right) but it's important for America for Chevy to do so. The Corvette legacy would be a terrible thing to waste.

I actually agree with mechanic. for $70g you can get GT-R which will outperform Vette on any track. IN fact recent comparison in one car magazine placed vette all the way at the end of their ratings, while placing Porsche and Audi at the front. The design of it is significantly outdated. even for $ 50 g you can get a car that will be more satisfying

As with most Mechanic entries this is pointless. I have to say his provocations aren't as stimulating as they used to be. This is hardly believable and its not even that controversial. The C6 is 5 years old and he says it doesn't stack up to the new for 2009 M3 and its not "cool". And yet nowhere in his pointless rant did he mention any sales figures. This is along the same lines of idiotic politicans and pundits claiming GM doesn't make cars people want to buy when they sell more cars than Toyota and Ford in the US market. The mechanic says the C6 is misguided and doesn't represent what young, cool people want but doesn't offer any sales figures from the competition to support his notion. What a shock.

In a good month Chevy sells 2k-3k Vettes. BMW wishes they sold that many M3s. The G37 coupe barely competes in sales and its thousands cheaper. The Corvette outsells the Z which has a base price $18k lower. All of this nonsense sounds good until you actually start talking about sales and start reading reviews of the 2010 Gran Sport.

You might have missed the mark here ever so slightly, Mr. Mechanic. Does the Vette interior suck? Yes. It's better than it was, but still not worthy of its MSRP. Actually, the Z was in the same category until Nissan upgraded it. I would also say cheesy is in the eye of the beholder. Seeing BMWs on I-635 in DFW driven by mortgage brokers is the height of cheesiness, but that's just me.

No, I think it might be more generational differences than "needing to fix the Corvette." I have owned two Vettes and driving one is fabulous. It's loud, hot and manly. The clutch is heavy, the steering is stiff and the body creaks, but I still felt great driving the snot out of them. There is no substitution for cubic inches, at least in my mind. I bought both used when I was the age my oldest son is now (25). His generation likes video games, Facebook and The Matrix. My generation likes changing our own oil, Jackson Browne and loud V8 engines.

It doesn't make them wrong or my generation right, it just demonstrates the different culture we grew up in.

Now, I totally agree the Vette is too expensive. GM prices their cars unrealistically. Case in point is the LaCrosse. I would love to see a stripped down Vette (take out all the convenience items, such as power accessories and nav) and give us a several thousand dollar cheaper and lighter car we can fool around with. The tuners and kids would love that. So would I.

WRONG! I have a large group of friends with various sports cars. new 911 GT3, new M3, even an F430, and GT-R. Guess which car can outrun all of them. My stock 2008 Z06. If you truly care about REAL WORLD performance, YOU CANNOT BEAT A CORVETTE, especially a Z06. You know how many times any of my friends have been to a track? ZERO. Your article is laughable at best. By the way, my friend that just bought a 911 GT3 is thinking about trading it in for a new ZR1.

Obviously this column is about provoking comments, and has been since the beginning. This one was probably the cheapest shot yet at trying to be provocative, by saying the Corvette sucks. As a C5 owner, I really don't give a crap what The Mechanic thinks, and I certainly don't resemble the stereotype demographic. People who criticize cars based on stereotypes of the people who they imagine drive them are HACKS. And you really find that out in the autojournalism world, there are probably 80% HACKS, including Mr. Mechanic, and maybe 15% who are at least trying to be better writers than that, and only 5% or less are inspired, talented, creative writers with some measure of true objectivity. Here's the perfect example for you: Any automotive journalist who made a mullet reference when reviewing the Camaro is a HACK. Period. Now go back and look at Camaro articles and I'll bet my 80% estimate holds up. I mean really, people, that job doesn't pay all that much, so it's kind of like welfare for journalism majors.

I predict there will be Corvettes and a big Corvette fan base long after the G3x and M3 are long gone. Already in its 55th year, GM has certainly done something right, even if the car has never been perfect. There are too many people who really don't want to give credit to GM for anything, and shooting flaming arrows at GM has been the sport of, you guessed it, HACKS. Enjoy your Infiniti.

As usual, Mechanic, you're way off base on a lot of things. But then again, I know you make this stuff up just to start flame wars.

First, the price issue. You say the Corvette is too expensive, and should be affordable to 21 year olds just coming out of college. News flash: the Corvette was NEVER affordable to freshly minted college graduates. Nor should they be - most college kids would kill themselves with 430+ hp. If a college kid wants a Corvette, there's a robust used market for them - you can buy a lot of fun and looks with a used Corvette. That's what I did, and never regretted my decision for a second.

Also, I think you need to get with the times: there's a small issue called inflation that affects all cars. A base price of $40k 10 years ago is now $48k. That's just life. You're living in the past. And I don't know how you can call the Corvette too expensive, when there isn't another car in the world that offers better performance for the money. Then you contradict yourself, and say you would never buy a Corvette, but would instead buy a $130k Porsche GT3. Last I checked, $130k is much less affordable than $48k. Too expensive? The GT3 barely outruns a base Corvette, matches a Grand Sport (a little more than just looks - tires and suspension upgrades can do wonders), and gets beaten by both the Z06 and ZR1 (of course). If there's a car that's too expensive for what it offers, its the Porsche, not Corvette.

Mechanic - I suggest you take yourself to a local HPDE at a road course near you (Willow Springs, Laguna Seca, etc.). Find someone with a Z06 (preferably black, because they look so mean) to give you a ride at 9/10ths around the track. Chances are the owner will be in his 30's, successful, in shape, no gold chains, smart, and a true driving enthusiast/racer. And chances are good you will have a new found respect for the Corvette.

I've owned a G37 Coupe for 4 years, and I aspire to own a Corvette.

I've owned a G35 Coupe for 4 years, and I aspire to own a Corvette.

While I like the current Corvette, excluding the interior which is awful, it really doesn't have a place as a one car deal for anyone young. It's performance may be great but unless you take it to the track, it's being wasted on the road. I'm 24 and know a few people that have them my age but they also need a second vehicle which means buying both used.

I would gladly take a G37 or M3 over this as both perform great but at the same time have enough room that when you need it, you can use the car for everyday purposes or for trips.

If I was to pay 50k+ for any car, I would get one that not only performs great and looks great, but also one that I'm happy with on the inside as that's where I spend my time. the Corvette is great at performance and exterior looks but I couldn't live with the way the interior is. that just so many other cars you can buy for the same money that perform great, look just as good or better, and have an interior that actually matches the price paid for the vehicle.

Yeah, you looked up from Girls Gone Wild to find a Vette has a 50K sticker now.

Look further down the lot and you'll see Subie STIs over 40k. The 300C that was such an incredible bargain in 05 pushes well into the 40s now. Minivans are passing 35k.

It's not the Vette, it's every car on the market. You can't keep the price down when Congress won't keep the dollar up.

"Come on, Chevy. Stop going in the wrong direction. Nobody ever asked you to make the Corvette the fastest car you could buy or the fastest car for the money."

GM needs it to be the fastest car for the money. They have always hung their hat on the "for the money" line (a point which you brought up in one of your first columns), and the Corvette is no different. They need it. Howie Long and those ridiculously arrogant ads need it. The GM fans' egos need it. The Corvette needs its numbers because without them, what does it have?

When the hell was the 'vette affordable to the younger crowd? When I was in college, I knew exactly one guy that had a Corvette. He worked in a body shop and restored it from a heap. He did an incredible job too. It was a sweet car.

Maybe CA kids have the money (or used to have the money) to buy a Corvette. In the rest of the country, they don't. That's what the Camaro is for (personally, I'd go with the 'Stang).

The Corvette isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn close, especially for the dollar.

WOW...once again, I'm willing to bet you'd buy a HYUNDAI Genesis over a Vette Huh? I notice that all of your little comparos seem to feature Vettes, and its amazing how when these cars are introduced, you guys are suckin the exhaust right outta the pipes once you get a hold of them, but then it seems society tells you what's cool or not, then your opinions change.

Kids aspire to M3's?!?!? You said that Chevy has outpriced the Vette, but hmm the M3 (which I love, but that's not the point) starts at a MUCH higher price than a base Vette.

1980's profile you said about the Vette. Seriously bro, the 911 has looked the EXACT same for 25 years just about, so c'mon!!!

Just admit, this was a way for you to go at the American car industry by going at its benchmark! It easy to write these editorials because you can spin it anyway you want. You barely speak of the merit of the vehicle, just that you think the Asians, and Germans do EVERYTHING better than America.

I've said it once...I'll say it again...just move to Tokyo/Stuutgart/Seoul or even India. Pretty soon, you'll be telling us how the Chevy Cruze should be more like a Geely! GTFOH!

As a 24-year old recent college graduate, I can say that I have been saving up for a CPO Corvette C6 which I will be getting within the next three months. Why? Because unlike the bulkier and more "luxurious" G37, or the even more expensive M3, the Corvette is so many things rolled into one. It is a fantastic performance machine, it is an American icon, and it is just plain bad-ass. Yeah, some of my age group may think it's for old men during their mid-age crisis. But when I do get my CPO 'Vette and smoke their STis, Evos, 135is, and G37s at the track, who'll be laughing now? I love the presence Corvette Racing has had around the world since the C5.R. I watch every race involving the Corvette I can. I refuse to buy a Corvette with an automatic transmission, and guess what, I've found a few 2007 C6s for approx. $30,000! How can you complain that the Corvette is expensive when you're talking about the M3 which is even more expensive? On a basis of price alone that's crap, the Corvette is one of the best bangs for the buck. The G37 is something I would never compare to the Corvette and by reading the posters above, neither would they. If you want a G37-like Corvette you're looking at the wrong car entirely. The Corvette is not supposed to look bloated like the G37. It is not supposed to be luxurious as the G37, but it is supposed to smother it in performance, which it readily does. If I wanted luxury I would get a CPO E-Class or 5-Series. I want serious performance for a great price. My friend just paid $41,000 for a 2010 BMW 135i. I'm about to pay $31,000 for a 2007 Corvette and although a few years older, it will rock the 135is world. As a CPO car it is a bargain. As a new car, at just under $50,000 it is still a bargain. Where do you get those numbers in a car under $50,000? Give me a Z06 any day of the week even over an E92 M3, yeah I said it. What a bust mechanic, what a bust of an article.

I'm 28 and I drive a paid off G37S coupe. My previous rides are a 90 Mitsubishi Mirage (I was 16 yrs old), a 99 Mustang V6, a 2004 Dodge SRT-4 and a 2006 GTO. I consider myself an enthusiast and I happen to agree with The Mechanic. Simple fact of the matter is that for the young and successful, there's no reason to buy the Corvette or anything under the "bang for the buck, sacrifice quality for performance" moniker. Simply put, why would I buy a Vette when I have the money to buy an M3? Why buy a Z06 when I can have a GT-R? The Vette leaves something to be desired when it comes to style, overall driveability and overall fit and finish. It's all about balance. I understand "bang for the buck" and all enthusiasts do, because buying a GT-R is buying Ferrari Enzo performance at a discount. People like me want the entire package...why sacrifice when you can have everything at a price? No one trick ponies for me, thanks!

"The Corvette needs its numbers because without them, what does it have? "

If you remove the performance from a Porsche what do you have left? An overpriced, impractical car. Its ridiculous to say that the Vette is all about numbers- thats the point of sports cars. This is why hp and top speeds increase every few years. Every high powered sports car on the market has more than enough power and yet performance increases in order to have bragging rights. Since you hate GM and American cars you likely idolize the GTR as most import fanboys are prone to do. Isn't the GTR all about numbers? When the car debuted every single magazine and site was enamored with the 3.3 sec 0-60 times.

Lets use some common sense here.

"Simply put, why would I buy a Vette when I have the money to buy an M3? Why buy a Z06 when I can have a GT-R? The Vette leaves something to be desired when it comes to style, overall driveability and overall fit and finish."

I'm not sure what Vette you are talking about but its not any that are on sale today. One of the main advantages of the Vette is that its usable every day. It has more storage space than any other performance coupe and its ride quality is tolerable for everyday use. What compromises does the car force upon its owner? The interior is somewhat dull but perfectly functional and certainly livable. How can ANYONE criticize the Vette for lack of style and then say the GTR is appealing? The GTR has many positive attributes, but beauty isn't one of them. Its awkward looking and hardly attractive. If I didn't need rear seats there is no way I would buy an M3 over a Vette. The base vette outperforms the M3, sounds better and is more efficient by a significant margin. Since its unlikely that I would be taking my car on the Ring I wouldn't get at GTR over the Z06 either. The list of cars and manufacturers that essentially offer more bang for the buck is extensive so its wrong to single out the Vette and say "the only thing going for it is that its cheaper than the Europeans". Infiniti's entire premise for existence is that they offer BMW like performance for less money. Praising the G37 while criticizing the Vette for being a compromised vehicle that strives to do nothing more than be cheaper than its competition is illogical.

"When the hell was the 'vette affordable to the younger crowd? When I was in college, I knew exactly one guy that had a Corvette. He worked in a body shop and restored it from a heap. He did an incredible job too. It was a sweet car.

Maybe CA kids have the money (or used to have the money) to buy a Corvette."

Here is another question: How many recent college grads (especially in this economy) are in the market for a $38k G37 or $55k M3? Not many. The Mechanic is not nearly as naive as he pretends to be so he makes phony arguments just to get hits on Straightline. No one in their right mind would believe the Vette or the other cars he mentioned are on the shopping lists of 25 year olds.

I don't know any real car fans that don't respect the Vette. I was talking to a 17 year old cousin of mine a few months back and he said the Vette was one of his favorite cars. No mention of the GTR. Outside of folks who read car sites every day most people don't even know what the hell a GTR is in the first place.

^^^I dig what Wrinklebump wrote above about the shround of Turin emerging from the airbag!

I, too, own a G35, and think the Corvette is cool. Just last Friday as I left my favorite bar with a buddy, I was struck by the vision of a late model Corvette. It just has a lot of presence, and it sounds great. It does concern me a little that the interior is lame. Just a little more attention to detail would be nice, with better guages and steering wheel.

I've always considered the Corvette to be inexpensive to maintain, due to the proven technology. The magnetorhelogical shocks may be an exception. Am I wrong here? Also, the few corvette owners I've met appear to be people of substance. Self-made people that are genuine and none-too-fussy.

Love the Mechanic!

@1487,

My point about the G is that there aren't many, if any, things about it that feel contrived or sacrificed. In the vette, you're always left desiring more from it's interior. You're left asking yourself why your rump is sitting on a couch chair and your hands are touching a Cobalt wheel. There was a specific design goal inside and out with the G and the car exudes that purpose built quality. The metal trim is metal. The sport seats are sport seats, with leg and side bolster control. The design inside and out and under the hood were never seperate thoughts.

Every piece of that GT-R is the same. I personally think it looks amazing. Same with the M3. It can and will keep up with a vette on a road course and I can take my boss' boss out to lunch in it without looking like a tool? Sign me up.

When GM builds cars that are made by designers and engineers and not accountants looking into the parts bin for steering wheels and door panels, I'll be there. I'm excited about the things to come for enthusiasts. C7 rumors are good so far, the CTS-V coupe is high on my list, and the Camaro is a run away hit in my book. But the current vette? Meh.

I respect the vette for what it is. I do. I just want more from it. Like The Mechanic.

Okay, so the cheesy interior and the Cobalt steering wheel should be replaced soon. But a car that outperforms the 911 and M3 while getting the MPG of a V6 Mazda6 is nothing to scoff at...The price of the Z06 and ZR1 should come down considerably as these are mostly engine upgrades and go fast bits which some add up (brakes, carbon parts) while others dont (suspension).

haha, i thought i was the only one who finds that chrome wheels did not belong to a world-class car like the ZR1.

It is quite simple really. People want value for their money. If you only value going fast then sure, 50,000 to you (and to a lot of vette buyers) is all worth it. But on closer observation you realize that the corvette has become much less of a bargain than the c5 because when the C5 came out the Quality of the build was not as far back behind all many other nameplates. Of course the fact that you could buy one for 35,000 dollars brand new sure helped as well. The C6 however was definitely not as well received. Many years had passed since the C5 which was supposed to be the mark that quality was improving at gm. Yet the most notable change, the headlights. Reminded you that you were driving a plastic tub. The quality on cars both more expensive and cheaper had skyrocketed in comparison to what GM gave us in the C6. And when you climb in the c6 you get reminded that the interior feels like a g6 or pontiac solstice and no where near as good as a Mazda Miata, or Golf GTi. Porsche is no longer in your brain as a comparison point. It is cheaper cars, much cheaper.

@and2222rew, I also like the ALMS, and dig the Corvette's racing credentials.

"Since you hate GM and American cars you likely idolize the GTR as most import fanboys are prone to do. Isn't the GTR all about numbers? When the car debuted every single magazine and site was enamored with the 3.3 sec 0-60 times."

I hate GM and all American cars and love the GTR? That's the biggest straw man argument I've seen in a while! Bravo! I actually have the same problem with the GTR that I have with the Vette. It's a car that was built to generate numbers that impress magazine racers. If anything, the GTR is worse than the Vette because it lacks the aural delights of the small-block V8. I like the Corvette to an extent, but I also acknowledge that it's flawed. Cars like the M3 and 911 offer a much more refined and balanced package (as the Mechanic mentioned) even if they can't put up quite the same Nurburg lap times.

"eswalls says:

08:59 AM, 10/13/09

Simply put, why would I buy a Vette when I have the money to buy an M3? Why buy a Z06 when I can have a GT-R? The Vette leaves something to be desired when it comes to style, overall driveability and overall fit and finish. "

Why? Because a Corvette is a better sports car than the M3 (which isn't even a sports car), and a Z06 is a faster, more reliable, and more durable track car than the GT-R. It's also MUCH better looking than the GT-R. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but you are certainly in the minority if you think the GT-R looks better than a Z06. You probably also think Rosanne Barr looks better than Megan Fox too.

Your "driveability" and "fit and finish" comments are WAY off base. Why don't you go drive one before making such foolish comments?

There's so many odd comparisons here too. Look, the Corvette is a true 2-seat sports car. If it has a back seat, it's not a 2-seat sports car, and thus is not a direct competitor. The GT-R, M3, G37, etc. only compete in similar price categories, but they are NOT true competitors. I used to own a G35 Coupe, and my Z06, and the G35 wasn't even close to the performance of the Corvette. A different animal entirely. The G35 was more of a luxury GT cruiser that happened to handle decently and wasn't slow (although it felt slow in comparison to the Z06). The Z06 was (and is) essentially a street legal race track car. Big difference. Drive them both, and you will understand.

The Corvette competes with other 2 seat sports cars: Porsche Boxster/Cayman, 911, Audi TT and R8, BMW Z4, Dodge Viper, Ferrari F430, Nissan 370Z, and Lamborghini Gallardo. Those are the Corvette's true competitors, and it happens to stack up nicely with all of them, at any price point.

Another stupid article from the Mechanic.

I see alot of guys in their early 20's posting, saying they love the Corvette, and to hell with the interior, and when I get out of college blah blah blah...

Well, I was just like those guys once. In college I wanted a C5 Corvette, very badly. Flash to present, I'm a year short of 30, making very good coin, and I could not imagine spending $50k ore more on a car with such lousy build quality and interior and the worst seats short of the city bus. It is unacceptable. In those few years, your priorities will shift, a whole lot.

The Corvette is all about image and power. screw everything else, including passenger comfort. The seats are so awful because they were an afterthought...a necessary sacrifice to accomodate a bulging transmission tunnel.

For that price, It must be fast, and great to drive, but at the same time comfortable, and well built...and I don't want to cringe every time I press a button on the dash. I don't want an engine with wheels wrapped in fiberglass. So I'm currently torn between a B8 S4 and an E90 M3..

exactly. i too loved the corvette and said i'll get one someday. i can easily pick up a used one with low miles now, but there is just something holding me back. for the money, there really is nothing that performs so well... but no.

i don't have a problem with the interior... and when i see one on the road, it always catches my eye. but i don't want to buy one. can't explain it. perhaps it is the image. everytime i drive one or am in one, i love it... so i don't know what the problem is.

"In the vette, you're always left desiring more from it's interior. You're left asking yourself why your rump is sitting on a couch chair and your hands are touching a Cobalt wheel."

Considering the G37 has an interior that is barely different from the Altima or Maxima I find your comments ironic. The G37 is a nice car, but its hardly exclusive in terms of interior design. The newer Nissans are encroaching on Infiniti in terms of design and materials in the cabin. Considering the Vette is 5 years old I dont feel left desiring more. I dont think the purpose of the car is to rival Jaguar or Aston in interior plushness. Its a sports car, not some hand built, overpriced, delicate Euro GT car. There aren't any cars under $60k that have the same purpose as the Vette that have substantially better interiors.

"When GM builds cars that are made by designers and engineers and not accountants looking into the parts bin for steering wheels and door panels, I'll be there."

The seats, gauges, center stack, door panels and most switchgear in the Vette is unique to the car. The steering wheel design is shared with other GM products, that's about it. The G doesn't share parts with other Nissans and Infinitis? That's news to me. The center stack from the G is virtually the same as the Murano and Maxima.

I guess I'm a statistic because I got a G35 coupe. I'm also in my mid twenties. I looked at a 'vette, and I really don't like the new camaro. The C6 is a really good looking car IMO. For my next car I'd rather have a used Aston Martin, used CLK63 Black Series, an M3, an IS-F, a Porsche cayman S, or...

In recent years (starting with the C5), the Corvette has REALLY grown own me. As a matter of fact, I was signature away from owning a used C5.
I too read the article about the Grand Sport option and I am truly impressed with the Corvette option.

I think the problem is here is this: the Corvette has always had a certain image to it. The Infiniti, BMW and Audi has their own image. Bottom Line is this: How many cars with the performance the Corvette offers can match it for the price? That is what GM is trying to prove. The performance per dollar option. Sure does it have an interior on par with say an Audi? NO, but when you add up the total cost of ownership of a Vette versus a BMW or even an Infiniti, then you will see the difference.

Outside of tires for the Vette, he is a relatively cheap car too maintain. Even Edmunds "Best Buy under $$$$" recommends the Corvette, year after year.

If I had the money to purchase an Audi R8 or BMW M6, I would SERIOUSLY look at a Vette!!!

In recent years (starting with the C5), the Corvette has REALLY grown own me. As a matter of fact, I was signature away from owning a used C5.
I too read the article about the Grand Sport option and I am truly impressed with the Corvette option.

I think the problem is here is this: the Corvette has always had a certain image to it. The Infiniti, BMW and Audi has their own image. Bottom Line is this: How many cars with the performance the Corvette offers can match it for the price? That is what GM is trying to prove. The performance per dollar option. Sure does it have an interior on par with say an Audi? NO, but when you add up the total cost of ownership of a Vette versus a BMW or even an Infiniti, then you will see the difference.

Outside of tires for the Vette, he is a relatively cheap car too maintain. Even Edmunds "Best Buy under $$$$" recommends the Corvette, year after year.

If I had the money to purchase an Audi R8 or BMW M6, I would SERIOUSLY look at a Vette!!!

stingray454:

I like the GT-R over a C6. Its not a looks thing.

Some people keep talking about corvette reliability. For one. A 911 GT3, M3, AMG, Ferrari, or M6 buyer is probably not going to seriously look at dependability ratings. I think even if the Vette was the most dependable car on the road it would still lose sales due to things that the mechanic brought up.

According to MSN autos 1997 to 2003 Corvette owners experienced significant problems. They get their stats from 250,000 subscribing repair shops.

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/default.aspx?make=Chevrolet&model=Corvette#used

I don't know where you are getting your price info, but a new M3 starts at $54k. I don't know too many college grads that can swing that.

"According to MSN autos 1997 to 2003 Corvette owners experienced significant problems. They get their stats from 250,000 subscribing repair shops."

I own a 2002 Z06, and experienced ZERO significant problems over 8 years of ownership. I get my stats from real ownership experience.

"sherief says:

12:31 PM, 10/13/09

Well, I was just like those guys once. In college I wanted a C5 Corvette, very badly. Flash to present, I'm a year short of 30, making very good coin, and I could not imagine spending $50k ore more on a car with such lousy build quality and interior and the worst seats short of the city bus. It is unacceptable. In those few years, your priorities will shift, a whole lot."

You never did buy that Corvette then. Don't be bitter because you failed to follow your dreams.
If you had bought a Corvette, then you would have known the seats are not THAT bad. The ONLY issue I had with the seats is they were not supportive in the turns. They were actually very comfortable to sit on, just not supportive laterally. Should they have been better seats in the Corvette? Absolutely. Is it a deal killer? No way.

I replaced my Z06's factory seats with aftermarket seats based on Sparco racing seats that bolt right in to the factory seat brackets. Nice leather on the huge side bolsters, suede inserts, nice stitching, racing belt pass thrus, very comfortable and very supportive in the turns. So for $2,500, I completely fixed the seat issue, and my new seats are just as nice if not nicer than the ones found in the GT3.

You shouldn't dismiss an entire car if there is a simple and relatively inexpensive aftermarket solution to whatever is bothering you. It's easy to change seats - not so easy to change the styling, layout, or chassis design of a car.

"The Corvette is all about image and power. screw everything else, including passenger comfort. "

Actually image is the LAST reason I bought a Z06, because I could care less about what other people think of my car. I bought the car for ME, not other's opinions. People who buy cars for image generally have major insecurities. See a shrink for that, don't buy a car to cover it up.

"The seats are so awful because they were an afterthought...a necessary sacrifice to accomodate a bulging transmission tunnel. "

WRONG. Firstly, the transmission is in the rear of the car - there is no transmission tunnel, only a torque tube tunnel. And the tunnel has nothing to do with the seats they put in the car. It is a stupid GM'ism, but I think it has more to accommodating more bulging American's butts than anything else. Just like any racing seat, the aftermarket seats I put in my Z06 won't comfortably accommodate a waist size larger than a 36, which if they had this seat from the factory, would probably eliminate 60% of the potential buyers in this country, since 60% of the population is overweight.

Mr Mechanic, you're right, the Corvette isn't cool even though it is basically the symbol of American automotive achievement.

Why? Because you're American and evidently Americans hate America. Germans on the other hand, love America, it seems. I imported my Z06 to Germany and everywhere I go, I get gaping jaws and double takes. At the Nurburgring and the Hockenheimring, which I have frequented for track days, Germans flock to the Z06 to take pictures and talk about how much of a beast it is. More than a few times, someone would comment on how, right behind all mighty Ferrari, they would love to have a Corvette. I have several co-workers who own M3's and they always gush about how my car absolutely destroys their brand spankin' new M3's in performance. So far during my three times to the Hockenheim, I've only been passed by 3 race spec BMW's and 1 GT3-RS, all of which were running on slicks. That's with me completely stock (did change brake fluid, lines, and pads for safety reasons - and no, no stock car is ever good enough for hard core driving - someone should have told that to the R8 driver that ended up in the tire wall) on the stock runflats. Craziest of all, I had a yellow Lamborghini Diablo follow me through several small German towns on my way home and along the way, Germans all pointed in awe at the Z06, almost oblivious to the Lambo.

So maybe the Germans are more American than Americans? Go figure. Too bad we don't export more to Germany and too bad Kroymans (who did Eurospec C6 importing) charged 40% more for all Corvette models, thus eliminating it's affordability for most Germans and making it as expensive as top line Porsches. Otherwise, Germany would be the next big market for GM's Corvettes. And they definitely deserve Corvettes more than all you Corvette bashing haters out there.

1) Cadillac CTS = GM's competition for BMW M3 and Infiniti G37 Coupe

NOT Corvette.

(Think middle to upper-middle class).

2) Chevrolet Corvette = GM's competition for Porsche 911, etc.

(Think upper-middle class who wants to drive like the upper class).

dayabr11, nice point of view. I expect a Z06 would definitely get attention in Deutschland.

"Considering the G37 has an interior that is barely different from the Altima or Maxima I find your comments ironic."

Maxima yes. Altima? Not even close.

The Vette's interior has been criticized since the car was launched. It's not like this is some off-the-wall observation.

There are too too too many cars for the price point at $50,000.
I wouldn't buy a Corvette. I'd rather have a new Nismo 370Z.
Used, I'd be interested in: Audi RS4, M3.
I'd especially like a Cayman S ( which is faster around Laguna Seca than a Vette, anyway )...

They are more polished. They work on the road and the track.

No thanks, Chevrolet. If I want cheap plastic in my car, I'll fill the backseat with Tupperware.

When was the Corvette the everyman car? That’s what the Mustang and Camaro are for. The Corvette has always been something to save up for or drive when you make it big. There was never a time, even in the ‘60s, when someone could have saved enough money for a Corvette shortly after college. One of the only cars to have fuel injection in the ‘50s? Does not sound like something the average person would afford.
From a journalistic point of view, this article SUCKS, and I’m only using this high-school level word because the author is clearly a moron.
His lack of knowledge about the Corvette, and American motoring history in general, is quite evident by his misinformed opinion about what the Corvette currently is, and what it should be.
This is a high-end sports car, a small niche among all car makers, and in fact, it should win Le Mans and have over 600 horsepower. Only thing that separates Corvette from Ferraris and Porsches, and other super cars – it’s half the price, or even less in some cases. If the “sucky” mechanic wants an affordable sports car, go for Camaro. If he wants a high-end supercar, the Corvette is it. The Mechanic - don’t bash it because you have no clue what it is or what it’s for.

Okay...before we all go insane and try to storm the Mechanic's house with pitchforks, lets all try to understand that the mechanic makes these cynical, mad man statements on purpose, to arouse discussion. Yes, the new Corvette Grand Touring is gaudy (there's no performance benefit to buying one). But he really probably does understand that the Corvette is the best purist performance car out there for the money. Nothing under 100k drives better than a Z06. He's not really concerned about the cheap interior that fans will easily overlook, or the price tag that has risen in times of inflation. It's just that praising the Vette doesn't get as many readers... we've all read that before. Long live the Corvette.

Wow, I completely disagree with this article. I think that the corvette is a great look car and I am a 25 year old male... not a 48 year old balding man. Although I find it amusing that the majority of Corvette buyers are such people .. it does not take away from the fact that its a raging performance machine and quite valid in the minds of enthusiasts all over the country .. and world for that matter! You say you would take a 911..yet the base C6 can run with a 911 no problem and still costs ALOT less.

Also, its an everymans supercar because you can take it to the local chevy dealer and get it fixed .. run it on regular gas .. and get 28 mpg... try that in any other exotic.

Dont bash its validity and turn into a rant fest about American cars, please. Remove your subjectivity from your articles .. unless its your intent to get people disagreeing with you. If thats the case, write a real article and stop crying for attention.

Wow, I completely disagree with this article. I think that the corvette is a great look car and I am a 25 year old male... not a 48 year old balding man. Although I find it amusing that the majority of Corvette buyers are such people .. it does not take away from the fact that its a raging performance machine and quite valid in the minds of enthusiasts all over the country .. and world for that matter! You say you would take a 911..yet the base C6 can run with a 911 no problem and still costs ALOT less.

Also, its an everymans supercar because you can take it to the local chevy dealer and get it fixed .. run it on regular gas .. and get 28 mpg... try that in any other exotic.

Dont bash its validity and turn into a rant fest about American cars, please. Remove your subjectivity from your articles .. unless its your intent to get people disagreeing with you. If thats the case, write a real article and stop crying for attention.

If the major concern is that the Corvette is overpriced? Easy solution.....by a used one. You can find a '05 coupe about 30K and the convertible for a few grand more.

shaymasdaddy06 says:

05:37 PM, 10/13/09

If the major concern is that the Corvette is overpriced? Easy solution.....by a used one. You can find a '05 coupe about 30K and the convertible for a few grand more.

BINGO! The only way to buy any GM product (IMHO) is used. Great value and performance there. Used Vettes are a steal (provided proper maintenance records, etc...)

Well Said, shaymasdaddy06.

A lot of people say they don't like the Mechanic, but secretly I think they need him. He's their foil, their shrink, their Darth Vader...

Cal me a dick or a red neck. I own a BMW 335, which FYI the base price is 43K and can get over 55K with all the stupid bells people like.

I did look at a C6 (I'm 34, 32 when I looked) and loved the C6. It does have a stigma of old mans car, but that's because it's expensive.

The one thing I've realized over time is that nice cars are expensive to maintain. My BMW has maintenance and I'm glad. My bosses 911 C4s...first scheduled maintenance is about $2,500. The GTR is something I'd lik, but look into what it costs to run.

I asked a friend who had lots of exotics why all the Ferraris I see of sale say "major" service done and about 7,000 miles. It made me think that there is something to a simple american car. It's not complicated and pretty straight forward. My next car I'm not sure what it will me. I'm leaning toward something that's not turbo, DI, computer out the ass controls. But I do like new cars.

That said I say for the 50K a vette costs and how long it will last being neglected it's a nice ride. Sure it may rattle and the interior sucks, but I loved my 350Z which people complained about the interior...I never noticed I was too busy looking out the window.

I have to agree with the mechanic. Something has always bothered me about the Corvette. I wished so hard for a successful American exotic supercar that could blend style, performance, and otherworldliness into a package I would want to buy.

Look at the Lotus Exige. A car for the true nutter. GM needs to make up it's mind about where and what they want this car to be. A true performance machine or nothing but a compromise.

The Corvette just doesn't do it for me no matter how much value for the dollar it may have.

First off, You can replace Vette seats with recaros and get an interior and dashboard on the car fully wrapped in leather with french stiching. Its missing Dodo bird feathers.

Fast_car thinks the Z-06 is just a bigger engine. No, the Z0-6 is much more than an antry level. If anything its a completely different car, inclunding fenders, frame, etc.
The amount of race techonology that goes into a corvette rivals any Ferarri or Lamborgini, or Porsche.

Plus the styling is authentically Valid for an iconic car.
A Cayman which is priced like a corvette would be insane to even try Challenge Corvettes performance. It would be spanked like crazy, take any Porsche Trim level aganist a similar corvette trim level, see who comes on top.

A G37, or M3, phleeeze... you can admire the made in Japan/Germany lettering, but do not even try challege a corvette, You will be spanked. easily.

Now, I do not know where the mechanic got the idea that corvettes were once priced affordably. They were never Camaros, in the early 80's a corvette was about $24,000.00.

Simply becouse you cannot afford new does not mean you cannot buy used, and be cool.

Let me say it another way. OK, you do not think my corvette is cool, lets meet at the track, and may the best car win.

The Corvette has always been a halo car designed to make the world take notice. That said, it's still become a bloated whale of a sports car, in my opinion.

It has a huge V8, ridiculous horsepower and torque, pitiful interior design, nervous handling, and a body that's just too big for a two-seat sports car.

I've always been a sports car enthusiast while growing up, but I never longed for a Corvette. Instead, I aspired for smaller porsche 911s, lotuses and japanese sports coupes.

Maybe one day, Chevy will wake up and realize that small-block V8s are not a quintessential ingredient for making a true sports car.

Smaller 911, the Corvette is smaller and lighter than a 911. also, packs more power, and more advanced telematics (onstar) than a Porsche, plus, you can getter mileage, and leather covered interior including dash, heads up display,

drbyers, you do not know what you are talking about.

stingray454 says:
Actually image is the LAST reason I bought a Z06, because I could care less about what other people think of my car. I bought the car for ME, not other's opinions. People who buy cars for image generally have major insecurities. See a shrink for that, don't buy a car to cover it up.

Likely the truthiest statement ever uttered by an ILer

Half of you people lead some pretty unfulfillable lives if you can't imagine looking at a Z06 in your garage and going 'Holy mother of God look at this insane beast that wants to rip my pelvis out'

Seems like trophy wives and the dogs that live in their purses have influenced vehicle perception to the point where 90% of car enthusiasts convince themselves they need baby harp seal skin on their shifter

"Let me say it another way. OK, you do not think my corvette is cool, lets meet at the track, and may the best car win."

Did you seriously just quote GM's current marketing slogan?

Sabastian, Yes, bring anything comparable to a Corvettes trim level to the track any day. Lets see who comes out on top.

The Mechanic dude is a granade thrower around a coffee table. He wants a fight.

I strongly feel GM should take action aganist publications that go out of their way to trash their product. There should be consequences.

mbukukanyau:

you think people really care who's faster? the corvette lacks something and it is not performance...

"Mechanic", you're a moron. Not only are you too cowardly to use a real name, but you're too stupid to write. You're obviously an old washed-up, doped-up, Alzheimer riddled Nancy who wouldn't know a real car if one ran you down while j-walking with your walker.

I'm 24. I bought an '04 Z06 Corvette a little more than two years ago, 2 weeks after I graduated college and started my career. No car is perfect, but your sweeping generalizations lack both reality and substance.

Die in a fire "mechanic".

C6 Vettes are a great buy for a max performance low cost sports car (base on performance). Most of the things mentioned in the above article are personal opinions, at least it seems that way to me. The Vette is for a more mature muscle crowd versus young tuner crowd. The G37 and M3 (E92) are nice sporsts cars if that your flavor...and I own an E46 330i ZHP (my tuner toy) and will eventually get an E46 M3 (replacement...will become new tuner toy), but I have my eyes set on a nice C6 Grand Sport Vette! If I were not looking to have kids and did not have my little nephew (need a back seat) I would have one already.

So please do NOT buy a Vette! Just more for me to select from...and I can get an even better price if they are laying around at dealers...LOL!

I agree with what huyracing wrote. The Mechanic even said in the article that the Corvette had better performance than its import competitors. Nonetheless, it's still missing something. If I understand his article correctly, I believe that his point is that people spending ~$50k on an automobile expect more than just a rocket with seats attached to it. Here's an excerpt from his article: "Sure they're [BMW's and Infiniti's] slower than a C6, but they represent a far more modern and upscale interpretation of the everyday performance car. They represent what today's car lover wants: speed, style, quality and a nameplate that says he's successful and he knows what's cool. The Corvette just goes fast."

The Mechanic's point is probably that most people spending $50k are willing to compromise horsepower in exchange for better creature comforts (ex. Higher quality interior, nicer steering wheel, higher quality leather on the seats, better sound system, etc.) More simply stated, they'd rather have a $50k car consisting of a $25k engine and a $25k interior as opposed to one with a $40k engine and a $10k interior.

Personally, I would much rather spend $50k on a luxury nameplate, as such a car tends to give off the image that its owner is a wealthy, sophisticated, and highly-educated professional (regardless of whether it is true). Living in Coastal Los Angeles, I can tell you that most people here have the impression that Corvette buyers are either blue-collar cowboys from the Midwest or retired baby-boomers. Right or wrong, that is the impression that people living along the coast have. Of course, this may be different in more blue-collar parts of the Greater LA area such as Riverside County or Ventura County. One of the Mechanic's points in the article is that Chevy has to change this blue-collar, AARP image of the Corvette in order to "fix it."

As for all the people that think buying a luxury nameplate is nothing more than an attempt by the buyer to cover his or her insecurities, I would respond that buying the fastest car in the neighborhood is no different. Both purchases are done with the intent to attain bragging rights...just different types of bragging rights. Therefore, buying the fastest production car around the Nurburgring is just as vain as buying the fanciest luxury nameplate.

Some may defend their stance by saying that people buy a Corvette to use the car to its maximum capabilities, but let's be realistic here. Most people buy a ZR1 (or a GTR for that matter) to brag that they could go 0-60 in 3 seconds if they wanted to, but they probably will never even try it. How many Corvette owners actually do 0-60 runs or run quarter-miles on a regular basis? Does anyone know how hard it is to pull that off during rush hour traffic in Los Angeles? Are we to believe those 60 year old retirees that stereotypically own Corvettes are peeling out of intersections with their Chevys? I'm sure that the vast majority of them drive their Corvettes the same way that most Ferrari owners drive theirs...MODERATELY so that they don't get speeding tickets or lose their licenses.

While we're on the topic of speed, how many people actually track their cars? I seriously doubt that most Porsche, Ferrari, and Corvette owners are actually tracking their cars. I've read some posters on this board saying that they've tracked their Corvettes, but I think of them as the minority. Can the ZR1 exceed 200 mph? Sure. Are most ZR1 owners either skilled enough or properly trained to drive their cars at such a high speed without losing control and killing themselves? Heck no.

Thus, most Corvette owners are left with a car with a subpar interior for its price range and an excellent engine with a lot of unusable horsepower. And by "unusable," I mean you can't use that engine to its maximum capabilities without either getting thrown into jail or losing control and crashing it into a telephone pole. Since these cars have so much "unusable" horsepower, one can reasonably conclude that the vast majority of Corvette owners buy their cars not to drive fast but to brag that they could drive fast if they wanted to. That's just as vain as someone buying a luxury nameplate.

After all, someone that buys a Lexus with their gazillion watt Mark Levinson audio system has a lot of "unusable" audio power. You can only listen to music at such a high volume before you burst your eardrums and go deaf. Thus, luxury nameplate buyers get that fancy sound system for the same reason that a Corvette owner gets his V8 Corvette...bragging rights. I don't know about you, but both types of car buyers seem quite vain to me.

beermagazine says:

06:14 PM, 10/13/09

Cal me a dick or a red neck.

OK, but you insisted....

Sorry, couldn't resist.

"The Vette's interior has been criticized since the car was launched. It's not like this is some off-the-wall observation. "

Incorrect. When the C6 came out the interior was praised as a HUGE improvement over the C5. The interior did not really start to get criticized until the car was several years old. That said, I don't really care because the leather wrapped interior is as good as what you get in the GTR or M3 IMHO. You don't buy the vette for a lush interior. Its not a luxury car, its a sports car.

aallbook:

"Yes, the new Corvette Grand Touring is gaudy (there's no performance benefit to buying one)."

Not true. Check out the road tests of this car, its on par with the Z06 in most areas. There is not one BMW or MB or Audi under $100k that can keep pace with the 2010 GS model.

"Maxima yes. Altima? Not even close."

You are correct. The G37 interior looks just like the Maxima and Murano. Either way its not distinctive in any way and screams "Nissan". This is a car that tops out at $50k.

"Maybe one day, Chevy will wake up and realize that small-block V8s are not a quintessential ingredient for making a true sports car. "

A Vette without a small block makes no sense. Why would Chevy abandon this proven engine when the power is on par with pricier competitors and the mileage is unparallaled? Also, what Japanese sports coupes are truly comparable to the Vette? I can't come up with any. You say the Vette is bloated but it weighs 600lbs less than the GTR and less than the 911 Turbo as well as a host of other performance cars.

"Look at the Lotus Exige. A car for the true nutter. GM needs to make up it's mind about where and what they want this car to be. A true performance machine or nothing but a compromise."

Why would GM emulate the model of a low volume, overpriced, spartan, hardcore sports car like the Exige? How many are sold? How many Americans are looking for a street legal race car with no creature comforts. Not ONE corvetter basher (including the braindead mechanic) has mentioned SALES. You know, that metric of how many Americans acutally want a product. The Corvette outsells everything from the R8 to the 370z to the RX-8 and yet we have armchair QBs posting here about how GM needs to find a new direction for this failed sports car. That sentiment doesn't pass muster when you look at the sales data. The Corvette GS gets to 60 in 4 secs flat, stops from 70 shorter than any BMW on the market and pulls over 1g on the skidpad- it's not a compromised car.

Bravo, jl88. Bravo.

"Seems like trophy wives and the dogs that live in their purses have influenced vehicle perception to the point where 90% of car enthusiasts convince themselves they need baby harp seal skin on their shifter"

Good point. These complainers don't seem to actually care what the Vette is designed for and are more concerned about the snob appeal of the car. I am glad I am free to buy whatever car I want without worrying about image or being "cool". The Euro car lovers who are bashing the Vette wouldn't own one because they think their neighbors would look down on them for buying a Chevy. The interior bashing is ridiculous and I bet most of the haters haven't even been in the car. I sat in the Zr1 and R8 at the autoshow and the ZR1 interior was actually pretty nice. Was it appropriate for a $100k car? Maybe not, but the exterior styling and performance were enough to cancel out any doubts. The R8 was nicer, BUT it was not much nicer than a $33k A4 interior or even a Passat interior. It still felt like a generic Audi inside and I can get that same quality in a $70k cheaper Audi product. If you want a truly impressive interior in a V8 sports car you need to step up to an Aston or something. Performance cars in the base vette's price range do not have substantially better interiors.

I was 34 when I bought my Porsche 911S. I considered the Z06. Great performance but that's it. The wife thinks Vette's are for retiree's. I can't disagree. When is the last time you say one being driven by a guy without gray hair? The styling is so dated, it still looks just like the 1984 car, except rounded up a bit. Personally I think the fiberglass body is cheap and needs to go. It would be nice if GM stopped designing by owner surveys. All Vette owners say the same thing, "Don't change a thing, except make it faster." They have been listening to these old guys for 20 years. Why is anyone surprised when only guys over 55 buy them, not me. The Mechanic is right on with this article, except about the performance. More is never a bad thing.

1487: "The interior bashing is ridiculous and I bet most of the haters haven't even been in the car. I sat in the Zr1 and R8 at the autoshow and the ZR1 interior was actually pretty nice."

I'm a little confused about the excessive interior bashing too. I can understand if people don't think it's on par with a dressed up Porsche, but let's get real. It's not where near as bad as critics would have you believe. I was sitting in a Z06 recently and I found the interior quite pleasing.

The attacks on the interior come off as an act of desperation. If that's all you got for ammunition, you ain't got much.

BRN Says:

"1487: "The interior bashing is ridiculous and I bet most of the haters haven't even been in the car. I sat in the Zr1 and R8 at the autoshow and the ZR1 interior was actually pretty nice."

I'm a little confused about the excessive interior bashing too. I can understand if people don't think it's on par with a dressed up Porsche, but let's get real. It's not where near as bad as critics would have you believe. I was sitting in a Z06 recently and I found the interior quite pleasing.

The attacks on the interior come off as an act of desperation. If that's all you got for ammunition, you ain't got much."

h_man07: The interior isn't bad but it isn't worthy of the $50,000 price either. It has a Evo and STI beat but even the Tahoe has a better interior than the Vette.

"Incorrect. When the C6 came out the interior was praised as a HUGE improvement over the C5. The interior did not really start to get criticized until the car was several years old."

From IL's test in 2005...when the C6 first came out.

"But as much as the interior is improved in the C6 Corvette, there are still far too many instances of cost-cutting that leave the cabin looking more like that of a great $30,000 sports car instead of a good $50,000 one. Materials quality is lacking, as the center console is decorated with a cheap plastic shroud that would barely pass muster in a Mitsubishi, while most of the buttons and switches still look and feel like they were pulled from the Malibu parts bin. One editor noted that although the leather on the seats isn't bad, she only had to look as far as our $30K long-term Toyota Solara to find superior hides."

1487,

You make good counterpoints and I can tell you are passionate about the Vette. In my comparison to the Exige I think the Vette would be a better car if they just tear out the subpar interior and make it spartan like the Lotus.

Maybe I'm the only person that thinks that but I love cars and I know what I like. I have never desired a Vette and I find that to be an odd thing.

Where I live I do tend to see retired men in their 50's to 60's driving Vettes; never any young people. Now why is that?

Or maybe in the end I just don't get the Vette at all or what it stands for.

The Corvette is a sports car. It should be judged on it's performance, price, and reliability.
Every model of Corvette outperforms EVERY one of it's competition and does it with more reliability and less cost.
Looks are subjective. But, many feel the C6 is a beautiful car.

If you need to buy a car to establish your self worth or to create an image for yourself, you are already a failure. The "Fast and Furious" generation is an embarrassment to car enthusiasts everywhere.

This article made me sick.
The author is a failure as an auto journalist and should be terminated.
I will no longer visit this site.

Allow me to Clarify for you:

THE OFFICIAL CORVETTE CHRONOLOGY OF COOL

1953-1972: Cool
1973-1983: Lame
1984-1986: Cool once again, but only briefly
1987- Now: Incredibly Lame.
Future: Not encouraging.

Glad to be of assistance.

Allow me to Clarify for you:

THE OFFICIAL CORVETTE CHRONOLOGY OF COOL

1953-1972: Cool
1973-1983: Lame
1984-1986: Cool once again, but only briefly
1987- Now: Incredibly Lame.
Future: Not encouraging.

Glad to be of assistance.

someone said,

"The styling is so dated, it still looks just like the 1984 car, except rounded up a bit. Personally I think the fiberglass body is cheap and needs to go. It would be nice if GM stopped designing by owner surveys. All Vette owners say the same thing, "Don't change a thing, except make it faster." They have been listening to these old guys for 20 years. Why is anyone surprised when only guys over 55 buy them, not me."

Fiberglass body is great in keeping the weigh low, as aluminum and magnesium are too expensive. About the styling, the same can be said about the 911 as it was dated back in the orignial model many decades ago. Porsche didn't change much of it because it's an icon to the company. They too, I believe, listen to all their fans about not changing a thing about the look of the 911. When one sees a 911 on the road, he's not going to mistaken it as any other make, and when one sees a Corvette on the road, he's not going to mistaken it as an Audi.
I don't know where live, but I know of many people in their 30s own Corvettes and I'm here in the northern CA. I also know of many who own Mercedes SLs and 911s. To them, these are niche cars. So the criticisum by this certain someone shows a lack of __________ on his part. Totally invalid.

I like Corvettes. However, I think if GM need to totally redo that interior of the Vettes. Hand the job over to those who designed the interior of the new LaCrosse. Keep the price where they are now and they might have a winner. And this is just my opinion.

The Corvette and 911 and fantastic rivals, as they are both old ideas taken to dizzying heights of tune and accomplishment. I also think the GS Corvette is a fantastic value - a superior track toy that is ready to rumble. I will say that the Corvette fans are bringing a lot of passion! Keep it up. Stay collected.

"you think people really care who's faster? the corvette lacks something and it is not performance..."

How funny is that because its a PERFORMANCE car. I agree it lacks a Bentley like interior and we all know how critical that is to a sports coupe.

"When is the last time you say one being driven by a guy without gray hair? The styling is so dated, it still looks just like the 1984 car, except rounded up a bit. Personally I think the fiberglass body is cheap and needs to go. It would be nice if GM stopped designing by owner surveys. All Vette owners say the same thing, "Don't change a thing, except make it faster." They have been listening to these old guys for 20 years. Why is anyone surprised when only guys over 55 buy them, not me. The Mechanic is right on with this article, except about the performance. More is never a bad thing."

1. The C6 improved over the C5 in EVERY way. Performance, styling, creature comforts, interior design, etc.

2. How many Porsche owners are under 50 years old? Most Vette drivers I see are in their 40s and 50s. Most guys who are much younger can't afford a $50k vehicle.

3. Fiberglass keeps the car light. Sports cars want to be as light as possible.

4. The current car can only be improved by upgrading the interior and seats. I'm pretty sure thats exactly what GM is going to do in 2012.

"The attacks on the interior come off as an act of desperation. If that's all you got for ammunition, you ain't got much."

Give that man a prize. He is on to something.

"From IL's test in 2005...when the C6 first came out."

sabastian:

Please find another source. Before the CTS came out I can't think of one American vehicle that was endorsed by IL. Finding an IL review that dislikes a GM product is like finding a GOP bashing bit on Olberman's MSNBC show. IL is hardly objective. BTW, that quote doesn't really offer any details about why they say there is blatant cost cutting. Its funny when people say "this isn't a good interior for a $50k V8 sports car" when there aren't really any direct competitors that cost so little. For the record, I don't find the interiors of the 911 or Boxter to be all that great.

nebaius:

1. Young people can't afford the vette
2. The exige is a niche car that doesn't sell. Copying that formula would be foolish
3. Whether or not young people buy a car is irrelevant. Lexus is the #1 luxury brand in the US and young people don't buy Lexus vehicles.
4. You have yet to address the fact that the Vette is successful and has been for over 50 years. It is illogical to suggest one of the best selling performace cars on the market is missing the mark.
5. The Vette's interior quality is a matter of opinion, not fact. Vette bashers keep saying its subpar as if it's a fact but they don't really tell you what cars in this price range are better. Have you seen the GTR interior? For $80k do you think that is honestly superior to what you get in the base Vette?

I just think they should make a 2+2 Corvette with all the fancy bells and whistles that kids these days crave (like the DB9 vs. the Vanquish). Awesome interior, fantastic carbon fiber exterior, great dynamics of the regular Vette and the same engine. Charge a $40K premium, and watch as no bald men or children buy it. Only footballers from europe can afford it, and everybody hates on it.

jederino... except the awesome interior and fantastic carbon fiber exterior that you asked for, I think the Camaro would fill your request.

Seriously, who knew The Mechanic was so image conscious. But I agree with him when he says GM needs a car that young professionals/car enthusiasts can lust after. A classic/retro look isn't what said car buyers want these day. They just want something that is semi affordable with performance credentials and will still look good for the next ten years untill they get a new car. GM needs to build a sports car that will appeal to a greater audience, a market similar to which BMW has created with the 3 series. After all this would be more inline with the Chevrolet brand then say a halo car wearing the Cadillac nameplate.

The new Corvette has good looks but has become too big with a cheap interior. The modern car buyer looking for a performance car demands a car that checks all the boxes on their wish list. I think a better example of what GM should create for this type of buyer is something along the lines of the old Z3 roadster. Something that almost anyone would like to own or at least appreciates it's presence in the car market. A car that still invokes passion from on lookers for its timeless style 15 years from now. fresh style even

When I visited Australia last I talked to a kid that really, really, wanted to know more about the Corvette. He thought the Corvette and the Viper were the best cars in the world. I've never run across that attitude in the states and the car shows I've visited like SEMA do not typically place Corvettes as attention grabbers. Because they don't get people's attention. Maybe its because everyone and their dad has a 'vette.

One thing I noticed is that A FEW of people that own Corvettes seem to bash other people's vehicle likes and talk down about other cars. Those dicks will definitely help a younger crowd like their cars. You people are acting just like the Mechanic.

Keep writing the articles Mechanic you got 100+ reader posts on this one article!!

"Please find another source. Before the CTS came out I can't think of one American vehicle that was endorsed by IL. Finding an IL review that dislikes a GM product is like finding a GOP bashing bit on Olberman's MSNBC show. IL is hardly objective."

Ok, you can't just pull out the bias argument whenever it's convenient. You quote IL all the time when it benefits your argument. You can't just ignore them when it doesn't. But since you asked, here's an excerpt from MotorTrend. You know, the magazine that has a domestic car on its cover almost every issue?

"Look closer, though, and you wonder whether any other automaker in the world could get away with charging more than $45 grand for a car with such poorly fitted panels and a steering wheel from a Chevy Malibu. What's more, our tester groaned and creaked like the ship in "Master and Commander" every time we drove up the angled ramps in the underground garage at Motor Trend Towers, and the detachable roof squeaked and rattled constantly. You can't help feeling that, if GM had spent just a little more money and had been prepared to sweat the details just a bit harder, the C6 could've been the first Corvette that didn't rely on price to make it a winner."

Hmm...kind of backs up my "for the money" statement from before.

i respect all others 2 cents given to this writing.
in my opinion, the new corvette is the best.
the corvette that are made today deserved to be compared to the exotic italians or brute
power germans cars.
i hope that we american must adjust to the movement of improvement
not be stoic. i hope we move forward from our arrogance.

I just bought a C6.
Thanks for applauding my patriotic act - while calling me a fat, bald guy - and my wife a stripper.
Please let me know what kind of car you just bought so that I can stereotype you.

I have read Motor Trend for 30 years. My wife thinks its stupid.
After I read this blog - I tend to agree now.
I can afford any car made.
Read that as ANY car made now - or any collector car in existence.

I have taste, class, a beautiful wife and no gold chains or grey hair.

My buddy got a $136,000 Audi R8 - and I got a $60,000 Corvette.
We both wrote checks.

His Audi is Daytona Grey Pearl and my Vette is Cyber Grey.
When we park them side by side at a restaurant - his gets interest, but:

Mine gets awe.
Mine is the one people want to buy.
Mine is the one they have always wanted.
Mine is the one that they can possibly afford.
Mine has a heritage.
Mine has history that means something to them.
Mine is a Corvette.
His isn't.
That is what a Corvette is about - just as much as how it drives.

Any person who thinks - for one second - that America's youth does not want a Corvette is smoking way too much crack. I have been to Infiniti and BMW dealers with my 15 year old son. His eyes glaze over. I mean he literally cannot wait to leave their showrooms of shiny little sedans from far away lands. To him, they are like gay little trinkets for girls.

I took him to see Corvettes and the change in him was remarkable. He instantly wanted one. Isn't that what you want to happen, Chevy Product Managers?

To wrap up, I have never responded to a blog or article in my life.
But, this is the gayest article I have ever read.
In fact, one could say it sucks.

GM: Please keep making the C6 better - then - please - bring us a C7 that those of us in the correct demographic can afford.

Keep the corvette where it's at.

First of all the Infiniti and BMW are hot because the women desire men with those cars, because they're sexy, fast and comfortable.

Second, the Camaro is there to take the corvette's spot, starting at base 22, it's more than capable of succeeding the corvette. I mean, HELLO

1487:

during your mindless quest to defend the corvette name, you missed my post where i said interior wasn't a factor in my unwillingness to buy a corvette. yes, it has super car performance... that was NEVER a topic of debate. people lust after it, but few actually put their money where their mouth is. that's me... i lusted after the corvette since the C5 came out and the performance only got better since, but i could not pull the trigger and buy one. maybe a mid-life crisis will get me in one, but for now i am not interested.

i think its like that girl you want to hook up with occasionally, maybe even date casually, but not marry.

"GM needs to build a sports car that will appeal to a greater audience, a market similar to which BMW has created with the 3 series."

Its on the way, the ATS will be a 3 series competitor.

"during your mindless quest to defend the corvette name, you missed my post where i said interior wasn't a factor in my unwillingness to buy a corvette. yes, it has super car performance... that was NEVER a topic of debate. people lust after it, but few actually put their money where their mouth is. "

In your mindless quest to prove me wrong you continue to deny reality by making a ridiculous statement like "few actually put their money where their mouth is" when the sales numbers show otherwise. What part of this is confusing? EVERY single car that people are saying is superior falls far short of Corvette sales. This is not my opinion, this is not open to debate or back and forth dialogue- it is FACT. Accept and move on. The Corvette must be more appealing that the cars you people are praising because it crushes those cars in sales. As I said, the much cheaper 370Z can't even match the Corvette's sales. Nissan is struggling to sell 300 GTRs a month. If I could afford a Corvette and I had other practical vehicles I would buy one in a second. My age isn't a factor, only my budget. If I was 35 and had the resources I would get one. I don't get into tired 80s stereotypes about low class people driving the Vette or Camaro. Thats for badge snobs who want to deny the bargain those cars represent.

2009C6owner:

Your comments summed everything up nicely. Any young person who cares about performance respects the Vette, period. The mechanic and badge snobs need to talk to REAL enthusiasts and not people who admire cars based on supposed badge pedigree. Truth be told the mainstream European brands don't have many all out performance cars in the vein of the Corvette. To suggests that glorified turbo compacts are taking the Vette's place as an aspirational performance vehicle is ridiculous. What self respecting 40 year professional male would be caught dead driving around in an EVO or Sti with huge exhaust pipes? The G37 is nice, but its not a sports car and its hardly legendary. The car has been out since 2004 and you cannot displace the Corvette as an icon in 5 years.

Some people are never satisfied. For speed, handling, value, the Corvette is a great car. Certainly it has an image, so do the previously mentioned BMW, Mitsubishi, etc. I'd much rather the Corvette's image than that of a Mits Evo or Subaru WRX STi. Tall wing, gold wheels, bazooka exhaust with whining note, etc. Where I think GM could broaden the 'Vette's appeal is by decontenting it a bit without reducing the quality of the bits underneath. Why does every car have to have leather interior? Grippy black cloth on a set of basic Recaro's is much preferable to the flimsy GM seats covered in average quality leather. How about a steering wheel that is specific to Corvette, without the radio and trip computer buttons. By the way, ditch the trip computer. If you can't figure distance to empty on your own, you should be on a Vespa, not in a 'Vette. No need for the HID headlamps, just decent halogen's with a good pattern. Silver painted wheels are fine, make the gray ones a no cost option and eliminate chrome from the 'Vette vocabulary. Basic sound system with a USB port, no need for CD player and make satellite radio an option as it's gotten worse with the XM/Sirius merger. On-Star? Off the list. $1200 for adjustable exhaust, make one good one or call the folks from Borla to make one, who needs the complexity. Magnetic shocks are nice but too expensive as well, call the folks at Bilstein or Fox for quality products at a better price. Lots of other places to cut content without dimishing the quality of the drive. Ditching some of these things may also begin to raise the opinion of Corvette in the mainstream's eyes. After all, chrome wheels are invisable in that huge cloud of tire smoke!

There are too many misleading or just false points/comparisons in this artlce to even tackle.
Just to bang out the biggies...

-Why the hell are you comparing a vette to an m3/g35? even the bmw fanboys i know atleast compare to the m5.
-bmws and inifinits dont come with an image? what? The g is the new 3 series in terms of image.
-The grand sport package has been around atleast since the c4, and is a legitimate mod package. Infact theyre actually pretty sought after. Look at how the other compared cars do w/ trim levels...
-$48k is a lot for a 600hp sports car?
-"Sure the C6 runs 12s but nobody really cares." Is the vette not meant to be a performance model? What? After I read this I knew this article wasn't meant for people like me (gearheads)

Its news to me people think the c6 aint cool, and I think this article is so far off base its rediculous. If your going to throw performance out the window, and judge the car on IMAGE alone, then why would you ever choose beemers or infinitis to compare to?

I never post on these types of things, but the extent of this guys warped view on the vette/auto industry in general were too offensive for me to not chime in.

No idea what the author is talking about. I just bought an 09 base Corvette for $42k a couple months ago. It was $11k off msrp or slighty under invoice, I thought it was the deal of a lifetime! There's only a handful of cars that can smoke me that cost less than $100k. I can run low-mid 12's, get 30 mpg on the freeway and it's a Chevy so it's cheap to maintain and repair.

I'm not sure what the author means by the Vette not offering a balanced package. It's light, fast, brakes well, gets great gas mileage, corners etc. I mean it's 430 hp in a 3200 lbs. car.

A Porsche Carrera is twice as much for less performance. Maintenance is much more. If you plan on keeping the car forever like I do, the Vette will save you tens of thousands over the long run. You can get a new Corvette LS3 crate engine for $6k, as far as I know, no other mfg can offer over 400 hp in a brand new crate engine for even $10k. A Porsche or M3 motor will cost at least $20-25k for a new one. For less HP and a lot less torque and no better gas mileage.

My friend paid the same as me for a G35. M3's cost more. Every time I drive my Vette, I get tons of stares like it's a 6 figure car or something. I guarantee you I get more looks in my Vette than the Infiniti and BMW drivers, those cars are a dime a dozen.

If people want to pay $20-40k more for a better interior but less performance, more power to them. But don't call yourselves a performance enthusiast if you put an interior over horsepower, torque, cornering, braking,e tc.

"Ok, you can't just pull out the bias argument whenever it's convenient. You quote IL all the time when it benefits your argument. You can't just ignore them when it doesn't. But since you asked, here's an excerpt from MotorTrend. You know, the magazine that has a domestic car on its cover almost every issue? "

1. I rarely quote Il for obvious reasons. Even they get something right every now and then as when they showed the Lacrosse is better than the ES350.

2. Motortrend has a long running love of imports and anyone with eyesight nows they do not show favoritism towards domestics on the cover. That was one of the lamest things I've ever read.

"Hmm...kind of backs up my "for the money" statement from before."

everyone knows the Vette offers the most car for the money. the problem with your statement is that you are suggesting that its a poor car but it sells because it's "cheap". First of all any car starting at $49k aint cheap. Secondly, I have stated repeatedly the car has no immediate competition with a superior interior. BTW, I just read a MT test of the 2010 GS and they made no comments about poorly fitting panels or squeaks or rattles. I'm sure you are aware that the first cars tested are often preproduction cars. That could explain that car. If you buy a $70k M3 you get components found in a $30k 1 series so pardon me if I don't get bent out of shape when the Vette shares one component with another Chevy product.

"I'm not sure what the author means by the Vette not offering a balanced package. It's light, fast, brakes well, gets great gas mileage, corners etc. I mean it's 430 hp in a 3200 lbs. car."

He means its not 3600+ lbs and $55k with a dull German interior like the M3. If you don't need a backseat there is no reason to get the M3 over the Vette. I'll take less weight, more power and 26mpg on the highway over more weight, forgettable 3 series styling that will leave your car unnoticed by most and a ridiculous 20mpg on the highway with a 16 gallon tank. Got to love that "superior" German engineering.

I own a 2007 Z06. The 2nd Corvette, my first a 1969 new. I bought the car for performance! Not to impress someone, but something I enjoy driving. It was the first car I bought in over 30 years.

My 1969 Corvette coupe 350/350hp 4-speed poi-traction, am/fm radio was $5k flat. No airbags, antilock brakes, power steering/brakes/heated power seats/navigation/chrome wheels/cd player/cruise control.... you get the idea. When I bought that car I was making well under $5 an hour. Is the Corvette for everyman, I hope not. It wasn't then and it isn't now. The only fault with the car is I have to change clutch fluid every thousand miles due to a bad design in clutch seals.

I felt compelled to reply on our own blog - and I'm not even a Corvette guy

http://cornerbalance.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/op-ed-please-edmunds-fix-your-authors/

I think GM has made tremendous strides to make the Corvette more world friendly, and to bring it's overall quality levels up to where they need to be at this price point. Is there more work to be done? I hope so - that's the nature of a cars evolution. But I cannot think of another car that offers this level of performance, and has remained so consistent since it's inception.....except a 911. Go figure (and yes, I'm a total 911 nut!)

"2. Motortrend has a long running love of imports and anyone with eyesight nows they do not show favoritism towards domestics on the cover. That was one of the lamest things I've ever read."

So MotorTrend is biased now too? Who is left? IL's off the list, C&D is off the list, I'm sure all of the British publications were never even on the list. Also, rather than addressing the evidence that I provided, you simply attempted to discredit the source. If you read the excerpt, they actually provide justification for their gripes. Did they simply fabricate the squeaks in rattles? Did the first year Vette not have the steering wheel from a Malibu?

"Secondly, I have stated repeatedly the car has no immediate competition with a superior interior."

No immediate competition? C&D recently ran a comparison test featuring the Vette convertible and three other (similarly priced) cars.

"everyone knows the Vette offers the most car for the money. the problem with your statement is that you are suggesting that its a poor car but it sells because it's "cheap"."

I never said the Corvette was a bad car. I actually like it a lot, but I recognize it for what it is. It provides a lot of performance at a fairly low price, and to top it off, it's wrapped in an extremely attractive exterior. The problem is, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Money spent on performance requires sacrifice in other areas (the interior). It's a reality of the business world.

I thought I would waste my time and respond to "The Mechanic" . Do all the Corvette fans

around the world a favor and buy a Lexus. This way you can rub the interior all day and feel

good about yourself. You are an ass......pure and simple. And this, coming from a guy that has

owned 12 Porsches in the last 10 years. I've spent many hours in Porsche showrooms watching

country club guys impress themselves about paying the Germans $800 to paint their a/c

vents. Take a look at the price tags on Porsche's in the last 7 or 8 years....they're a joke.

Maybe that's why Porsche's allocation for the US this year is about 9,600 cars...down well over

50%. Maybe that's why for the first time in years Porsche is running TV ads with 1.9% financing

begging people to buy their cars.

The Corvette ZR-1 has won virtually every performance test it has been involved in....NOT leather

interior test.......performance test. I previously owned Corvettes and I have another one now.

I love it and I'll buy another one. And guess what, tool ? In the last 5 or 10 years I have met

more Porsche owners that bought Z06's than any other time period I can remember.

So please, buy a Lexus and rub the interior.

I'm personally tired of giving my money to the Germans....I'll keep it home, thank you.

Oh, and I'm a gentleman, professional and hold a master of science degree.

Happy rubbing.

I don't think "The Mechanic" knows much about cars. I have yet to enjoy reading a single article in his blog. The Grand Sport is a very affordable and capable track car with dry sump lubrication and the "Z06 look" means it can wear wider tires.

Yes, a bunch of fat bald guys buy and drive Corvettes only on the street, but that is a marketing problem not a product problem.

I would also argue that the new dream cars he mentioned cater to douche bags (who also never track them). The real solution for the Corvette is to simply upgrade the interior and do a better job of marketing it to youth--as a halo Chevy or dream car worthy of a bedroom poster. The Camaro is slotting in nicely as the affordable performance option.

All in all, the Mechanic doesn't impress me.

Well said Detroit Bandit. Let me relay a true story that will make all the Vette guys

smile and further make The Mechanic look like the ass that he is....

Recently, my 15 year old ( who loves Corvettes ) invited his 15 year old friend over

to our house. When my son took his friend out to the garage and opened the overhead door

there stood my performance cars side by side ( 1996 911 Turbo and 2007 Z06 ) ...my son's

friend took one look at the Z06 and said to my son " THIS CAR IS AWESOME " and got down

on the garage floor just to get a better look at how huge the rear tires were. The

911 Turbo was an after thought.

So much for the "kids don't think Corvette is cool" theory.

Here's a thought for "The Mechanic" ...how much do you think my son's friend cared if

the Z06 had imported stitching from a special village in Spain ? Answer: Zero

I love both my cars....but I love knowing that the U.S. built such a..as my son's

friend would say...."awesome car".

First of all, let me repeat myself... I like the Corvettes...

But for those who commented how 15 yrs olds like Corvettes over any other makes (Infiniti?? BMW?? Porsche??) are just plain dumb! What do they know? They can't even drive yet, let alone most would not even have to money to buy the 4 tires that would go with the Vettes. Give me a freaking break! And for those who even agreed to that who made the comments were even ______________ <----- !!!

"my 14 yr old nephew thought the Bumble Bee was the best performance car on the road..." duh!

at first i had my doubts about this "Mechanic".. but now I know, its all about the comments. These articles are like a calling card for people who just don't know better, even if they can afford the aforementioned automobile.

clever sir, clever...

Dear Alman08,

Obviously, you didn't get my point. So I'll try one more time. I was pointing out that many

teenagers, young peope, etc. love Corvettes and think they're "cool". I wasn't comparing

Corvettes to every other car on the road. Think as you like and drink the "import car Koolaide"

no matter what they charge you. But I can tell you I constantly have kids ask me about my Z06

or give me a wave. What's not not to like about a sleek, wide 505 horse road rocket.

And since you wrote a second comment being an even bigger wise-ass... enjoy that pizza

delivery with your sideways baseball cap in your EVO later today

LOL, usapride, judging from what you wrote with that screen name, you are just as big of a dumb ass as "the mechanic". And the next time before you want to make a wise-ass comment, spend a little time to "try" to understand what others wrote first. I said try, because at your level, it might be a tad difficult. Perhaps on that your 15 yr old can help a bit.

and Mr. "usa! usa! usa! usa!", don't bother replying to my post because I won't be reading this one anymore... you're beyond stupid!

Well, I'm responding anyway....just to entertain everyone else.

First, there was no reason for you to respond directly to me because my original comment was

never directed at you ....nor did I reference your name or any comment you made. I was actually

commenting on the premise of the original article. So I have NO idea why you wrote back as if I

was talking to you.

Second, I hope all the guys here who actually STILL give a flying cr-ap about our country notice

how uncomfortable you are with a simple, lower case name "usapride" ....that's classic urban,

smug, one world don't be patriotic self loathing.....maybe that's a small reason why our country is

in the condition we presently are.....

Third, you're from "LA baby" ....I know the mindset well......let me guess you have an "Obama"

sticker on your car ?

So let me change my past assertion...."you can deliver pizza with a sideways baseball cap in your

eco friendly, ball-less, candy-ass electric car " so everyone knows you're saving the world in

honor of the Messiah

Oh, check that.....Alman 08.....you're not from "LA" you're from northern California.....not much

difference.....that would be the "People's Republic of San Francisco" ....that might mean you love

Obama even more than I thought....lol....let's all hear it for one world socialism !

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong Every car saying something. Even BMW's Mercedes and everything else out their. So what is wrong with the Corvette he does not like? the price? too expensive? Not expensive enough? He rates but never say anything, just generalizations of what kink of people drive them? I guess for the life of me i have never seen anyone with gold chains on yet! But i have driving BMW's and Mercedes and the like.
I think some one has sour Grapes and wants a Corvette and can not afford one. SO WHAT!!!

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong Every car saying something. Even BMW's Mercedes and everything else out their. So what is wrong with the Corvette he does not like? the price? too expensive? Not expensive enough? He rates but never say anything, just generalizations of what kink of people drive them? I guess for the life of me i have never seen anyone with gold chains on yet! But i have driving BMW's and Mercedes and the like.
I think some one has sour Grapes and wants a Corvette and can not afford one. SO WHAT!!!

Porsche is upscale? That is a Joke< HA HA Good one. I guess i would say Ferrari is upscale or Lamborghini or mclaren. Porsche is just a VW supped up. Hell the performance is not even that great.

Why is 50 Grand now too much to spend on a car?. What good performance car out their is not in the range? Someone needs to spend more time not watching Girls gone wild and maybe Drive a few cars and say something that makes sense!

"But these days everything goes fast. Guys realize they don't really need a car any faster than an E46 M3, which runs low 13s in the quarter-mile. Sure the C6 runs 12s but nobody really cares. These days, guys want a more balanced package."

That statement says it all, When did you meet someone that said that? My car goes fast enough i want something that is more balanced with a Cup holder and MP3 input. Or maybe a Remote car starter would be nice. He must really not like real Race cars or he would never say something so stupid.

Very good points Johnny.....

Btw....the timing of the new Motortrend cover this month is PERFECT for this discussion....

It features the new Corvette Grand Sport with the quote: "As fast as a 911GT3 ..for half the price"

Bravo.

I demand Mechanic to write his column more often....Man... , we are waiting for Your populistic, but sharp view..:)

I personally don't think Vette losses anthing,
I think it's just not pretty(ugly face and too short tail )enough .... Viper looks so much better !
Vette Should look like this Transformers concept (without this hidious 4 pipes at the back..:)

"dream car for America's youth: Infiniti G35 Coupe and the BMW M3" - they are yuppppies not America's youth...!
There's sth wrong with young Americans: Infiniti and BMW M3 are great cars, but emotionless, ..they aren't cool nor cult cars!... Mustang , Camaro, Vette Z06(427 motor - how cool is that!) that's the other story...
Conclusion: Modern Muscle needs more film support like last part of "Fast and Furious"/"Transformers" "series"..:)

"I'd buy myself a Porsche 911" - I would love to own old 911 (prefere futuristic 928, though), but new one's are too popular and gernam-like-boring....
........................................................................................
I generally agree with: cruiserhead1

"What Chevy needs to decide is:
Is the Corvette the "everyman's sportscar" or is it the Chevy halo car?

If it's the halo car, they need to go extreme and build a true exotic.

If it's an "everyman's sportscar", they need to put a real interior in it (one that does NOT include a Cavalier's steering wheel) and make it look like a Corvette... (I belive it don't need posh/to elegant interior to be cool...It can be simple , but needs some cool gadgets)

I think having the Camaro SS gives Chevy the leeway to go very extreme with the Corvette. Make it a pure racing machine or make it a pure exotic.

Since I was a young boy, I've always wanted a Corvette. The last one GM made that I wanted was in 1967. Everything since then has been one pompously grotesque excuse for a 'Vette after another. Another major reason I wouldn't want a Vette now is, I'd have to have it serviced at a Chevy dealer. Nothing like taking a tarted up, low quality, pimp-mobile to an incompetent shop of losers.

GM and their merry band of wayfaring losers lost their way back in the late 60's or early 70's. Everything they've produced since then has just been more of the same wretched crap. They never caught on to the concept of Continuous Improvement. Instead, they clung to the pitiful stylistic charades they employed over the past 60 years. Most of the USA caught on to the "Lipstick on a Pig" routine, but alas, as PT Barnum said - there's a sucker born every minute.

I think to make the corvette more desirable, it has to match its high performance with exterior and interior quality. Corvettes, to the casual eye, have looked the same for years and outside of some enthusiasts, no one can tell them apart. (may be that's why corvette owners are on older side) I assume that's because GM doesn't have enough money to invest in new design. The corvettes interior is made from other cheaper GM cars which is very noticeable for the prospective buyer who is shopping for other 50K+ Europena and Japanese luxury cars. The impression of quality is not solely based on performance (most buyers just drive on local highway- not a track!). It's based on the dealer attention/service, reputation of the car, the exterior and interior of the vehicle. How will does Corvette do compared to Porsche in those areas?
The blogger is wrong. GM shouldn't be chasing people who can barely afford a corvette. If someone wants a cheap V8 car, then get a camaro or mustang. They should be going after customers who want performance luxury car in the 50K+ range and can comfortably afford it. And that means better service/attention than a Chevy dealer may be able to give. GM should hand it over to cadillac which at least has some experience competing with other luxury dealers.

I can't believe the obsession with interiors......these are performance cars. People here who

commented that Vettes haters have to yell about interiors or steering wheels have nothing else

say because they know that Vettes are basically kicking the snot out of almost everything else

performance wise.

Porsche repeats the same designs over and over......from the Cayenne to the new Panamera ( which btw literally looks like a station wagon )

This idea that Porsche doesn't share parts or cut corners is hilarious. Take a look at the first Boxsters and 996's......

Age - has anyone takin a look at the geezers driving Porsches and Ferrari's ? That's because only older guys can afford them.

I've owned and been a fan of Porsches for years....but Vette has opened my eyes big time in the last 10 years.

Face it Vette haters - Vettes have closed the quality gap....they're durable as anything....the new ones look great......and Vettes are terrrorizing Porsche and Ferrari in American LeMans GT2 in a matter of months

Porsche pricing has gotten beyond absurd......it's insulting. A well equipped Boxster S is pushing

$70,000 and a Vette for 20 grand less will pi-ss all over it.

Can't wait until 2010 American LeMans GT2..as the Corvette Racing Team say's.
"JAKE NEVER FORGETS"

Vive Le Corvette !

1487....your response below is on the money !

Bravo !

Btw...when you mentioned the EVO and Sti you left out the sideways baseball cap ! lol !

1487:
In your mindless quest to prove me wrong you continue to deny reality by making a ridiculous statement like "few actually put their money where their mouth is" when the sales numbers show otherwise. What part of this is confusing? EVERY single car that people are saying is superior falls far short of Corvette sales. This is not my opinion, this is not open to debate or back and forth dialogue- it is FACT. Accept and move on. The Corvette must be more appealing that the cars you people are praising because it crushes those cars in sales. As I said, the much cheaper 370Z can't even match the Corvette's sales. Nissan is struggling to sell 300 GTRs a month. If I could afford a Corvette and I had other practical vehicles I would buy one in a second. My age isn't a factor, only my budget. If I was 35 and had the resources I would get one. I don't get into tired 80s stereotypes about low class people driving the Vette or Camaro. Thats for badge snobs who want to deny the bargain those cars represent.

2009C6owner:

Your comments summed everything up nicely. Any young person who cares about performance respects the Vette, period. The mechanic and badge snobs need to talk to REAL enthusiasts and not people who admire cars based on supposed badge pedigree. Truth be told the mainstream European brands don't have many all out performance cars in the vein of the Corvette. To suggests that glorified turbo compacts are taking the Vette's place as an aspirational performance vehicle is ridiculous. What self respecting 40 year professional male would be caught dead driving around in an EVO or Sti with huge exhaust pipes? The G37 is nice, but its not a sports car and its hardly legendary. The car has been out since 2004 and you cannot displace the Corvette as an icon in 5 years.

A couple of things...

Young people can't afford a corvette??

I'm 28, I have a vette and a bmw... The vette isn't that expensive.

Couple things I think the editor left out.

Many guys I've spoken to have always admired the corvette.... As a kid it's a car I always loved. My dreamcar? Probably something italian, but I've had it for the corvette since I was little and I know many guys that have as well.

I see kids gawk and get all excited when they see it, I get compliments all the time from people about it, people walk up to ask me questions about it.

I've owned Audi, BMW, Mercedes and I will say I enjoy some of the creature comforts in those cars more however I don't get half the enjoyment from those cars that I do from the vette -nor the attention.

Why you would even both comparing the vette to a G37 is beyond me. The G37 is a decent car, but completely different class, sorry.

Here is the biggest difference... Many people have always looked at the vette with a sort of awe, it commands respect (for the vehicle), it's an icon, people think corvette and they think sleek, fast, sexy, king of the road. Many young boys hope to one day own one... Many of these other sports cars, people like them for awhile, then go to something else -flavor of the month.

And again, they ARE affordable... Even new, it's not that bad! There are many younger professionals making good incomes these days. The ZR1 is a different story, but to be honest it's nice to finally see GM produce a monster version to compete with some of the other manufacturers flagship vehicles.