It's clear that the Corvette of today is a different machine compared to its 1953 debut.
Back then, sports cars were just beginning to have their time in the limelight. Though the Corvette is considered by most to be the true debut of mass-produced sports cars, it wasn't the runaway success that you might have thought it was. In its first year, only 300 Corvettes were produced, and quality issues left a sour taste in the mouths of those who wanted to bite into Chevrolet's new and exciting performance vehicle. Sales suffered through the decade, and General Motors even considered pulling the plug on the Corvette.
And yet, Chevrolet and GM pressed on, improving on the C1 each year of its availability, until eventually it became renowned for its quality, power, and undeniable aesthetics. By 1962, Corvettes were being sold in excess of fourteen thousand units a year. A 327 cubic inch V8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, and up to 340 horsepower in a sports car that was valued at roughly $30,000 if it were sold today, paved the way for the Corvettes legacy to continue into the next century. With every new Corvette model, a new generation was able to experience the exhilirating, unparalleled feeling of driving America's sports car.
Which brings us to today—it's the year 2021, and Chevrolet has just recently announced the existence of the newest Z06 model of the Corvette's eigth generation, coming next year. Expected to boast a 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crank, and delivering over 600 horsepower, the Corvette of tomorrow blasts past other modern supercars, in speed and style. Much like the technological improvements to its engine, the design of the Corvette has evolved far passed what was originally conceived in the 1950s. The C8's body hugs the pavement to maximize torque, and features an incredibly angular design, emphasizing the sheer velocity that this machine is capable of. Chevrolet produced over 20,000 Corvettes in 2020, far surpassing any figures from the C1's lifespan.
Given that so many car brands have been criticized for labelling a new vehicle as something it isn't (I'm looking at you, Mustang Mach-E), it's important to ask: Does the C8 still carry the spirit of the original Corvette?
It turns out, there's a lot more that connects the C8 to the C1 than its namesake. For starters, the original Corvette concept was intended to have a mid-engined layout from the very beginning. In Corvette designer Zora Arkus-Dontav's designs, the C1 was intended to be mid-engine—though this design was transferred to the CERV 1 in 1960 instead. Making the 2020 Corvette into a mid-engine sports car brings it closer to the original concept of the vehicle than many of its predecessors.
Another link between the C1 and C8 is its pricing. One of the main attractions to the Corvette is its value, and both models came at relatively affordable prices, with the original equating to about $30,000-34,000 in 2020, compared to the 2021 model starting at about $60,000. You might be thinking—hold on, that's almost double the price of the original! Well, when you consider the Corvettes competitors being priced well into the six digits, Corvette remains the best value for those looking for leading performance and style.
Most importantly, the Corvette of today carries the legacy of being an absolute wonder to drive. Since the beginning, Corvettes have been all about delivering the thrill of driving. Ask any Corvette owner; nothing has compared to the experience of driving a Corvette since its inception in the 50s. Every Corvette has been an evolution of the original, and each iteration has one main thing in common: being the the number one sports car in the world...
...and the C8 carries that spirit proudly.
Posted by
Cameron Chappus
