Mysterious Source Says C8 Price Will Rise for the Second Year
Will the C8 Corvette receive a hefty price hike in just its second year of existence? A source close to Motor Trend says yes.
One Year Bargain?
When GM announced that the all-new 2020 C8 Corvette was going to start at under $60k, it sounded almost too good to be true. But that bargain-basement price might be short-lived if a source close to Motor Trend turns out to be correct.
Photos: Motor Trend
Price Hike
GM proved true to their word when the C8's base price was officially set in stone at $59,995. But a "well-placed" source close to Motor Trend revealed that in 2021, the new Corvette will receive a price hike in just its second year of production.
Photos: Motor Trend
Small or Large?
Granted, how much of a price increase the C8 might receive is the big mystery. It could be a grand or two, or perhaps a more significant number. But MT has its theories.
Photos: Motor Trend
Supply and Demand
When the C7 Corvette debuted, it did so at a very reasonable $51,995 price point - just $1,400 more than the outgoing C6. But only a few months later, GM raised the C7's base price to $53,993 because of what it called "higher than expected demand." By 2015, that number increased to $55,995.
Photos: Motor Trend
Pure Speculation
Sounds familiar, right? If we are to believe what GM is telling us about the C8, the demand for it far exceeds supply at the moment. So it would make sense that we might see a similarly large jump from year to year.
Photos: Motor Trend
Beating Expectations
Truthfully, everyone expected the C8 to come with a much higher base price, anyway. Even though it's been very well received, it makes you wonder if GM is undercutting themselves in the process.
Photos: Motor Trend
Adding It Up
Then there's the matter of options. With the 3LT package and a few other goodies, we've seen C8s stickering for close to (and in some cases over) $100k. So perhaps GM wasn't expecting too many people to order a base car anyway.
Photos: Motor Trend
Genius Move
In the end, somebody has to pay for all the new tooling required to transform the Corvette into a mid-engine car. But in retrospect, the move to come in low on year one seems pretty genius.
Photos: Motor Trend
Believe the Hype
It goes without saying that the C8 would have created a big buzz even if it was much more expensive. But couple that with a low sticker, and the new Corvette is likely the most hyped car in recent history.
Photos: Motor Trend
This Changes Nothing
So we suppose that we can't complain about a $3,000-$4,000 price jump for 2021. Even at that price, the C8 is still the performance bargain of the century. And we're betting they'll still sell like hotcakes, too. What are wondering about is if GM will take a note out of Nissan's book on their GT-R pricing and hike the ticket for admission each year.
Photos: Motor Trend
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