Just curious as to what people that have had a C7, now have a C8. And what their thoughts are comparing the two. I love my C7, was retired, had to go back to work to pay for the damn thing. Haven't drove one, but have ridden in a C8. No doubt a more exotic car. C8 has a nice sound when they shift, almost sounds like a standard, that little back off when they shift. I think the C7 will stand the test of time, being the last front engine, standard shift. Just sayin!
kevette2001
C7 Versus C8
I had a c7 and now a c8….. really liked both……. The C8 has a bit more power, and the mid engine design makes the entire ride better, and more balanced in a turn or exit ramp… It really drives much different than the C7. But I got the C8 because I sold my C7 went through a few other cars, and realized that I need to go to my casket with a Corvette… I find the quality of the C7 and the C8 to be about the same, both cars are high-quality. certainly on par with a few BMWs I had between the C7 and the C8 ownership.
this response coming from a guy who spent his entire career with Bmw of North America on the corporate side.
this response coming from a guy who spent his entire career with Bmw of North America on the corporate side.
One might argue that the C8 will stand the test of time being the first mid-engined Corvette. I've had a C5, C6, C7 and C8. Each generation is better than the previous one.
Well said!
I think they could get a little more creative with their colors, though. I like the Hysteria Purple for '25. Wish they would bring back the black rose metallic for the C8. Love it on my C7!
Everyone has an opinion so here is mine.
I see the differences in 2 areas
Image. My C7 is a manual. So, it is the last of a breed. Long front end and a clutch. The best looking of all front engine cars. (Jaguar XKE and C2s are up there too) The C8 is an also ran as far as mid-engine car looks go. Still very nice but not unique. Chevy had to go there to stay current in the industry.
Performance. I have been in both on track. They are different but similar. C7 brakes better. C7 is lighter. C7 is easier to work on. Mine is over 800RWHP. If I had a C8 I would also try to get it to get the same HP but it would cost more to get it there and be harder to do and maintain. Trany in the C8 is great. In stock form C8 is better as with $ for $ mods the C7 is a better bet. C6s can also run very hard.
I am holding out for the C9 and hoping it is more of a unique creature. Not sure if GM is going to dilute the image of the Corvette like Ford did with the Mustang. Mustang SUVs are not Mustangs. Corvette SUVs would be ridicules.
To me the C8 is much like the C4. When it came out it was a big hit compared to the C3. But the C4 stayed too long. The C5 came out and was a major improvement. I am hoping the C9 will be a bit more of a styling statement. I expect performance will be outstanding.
My opinions- no offence intended to C8, C4 or Mustang owners.
I see the differences in 2 areas
Image. My C7 is a manual. So, it is the last of a breed. Long front end and a clutch. The best looking of all front engine cars. (Jaguar XKE and C2s are up there too) The C8 is an also ran as far as mid-engine car looks go. Still very nice but not unique. Chevy had to go there to stay current in the industry.
Performance. I have been in both on track. They are different but similar. C7 brakes better. C7 is lighter. C7 is easier to work on. Mine is over 800RWHP. If I had a C8 I would also try to get it to get the same HP but it would cost more to get it there and be harder to do and maintain. Trany in the C8 is great. In stock form C8 is better as with $ for $ mods the C7 is a better bet. C6s can also run very hard.
I am holding out for the C9 and hoping it is more of a unique creature. Not sure if GM is going to dilute the image of the Corvette like Ford did with the Mustang. Mustang SUVs are not Mustangs. Corvette SUVs would be ridicules.
To me the C8 is much like the C4. When it came out it was a big hit compared to the C3. But the C4 stayed too long. The C5 came out and was a major improvement. I am hoping the C9 will be a bit more of a styling statement. I expect performance will be outstanding.
My opinions- no offence intended to C8, C4 or Mustang owners.
I had a C7 Z51 and now I have a C8 Z51. Both cars are great. They both have sexy styling but in my opinion, the C7 lines are more elegant whereas the C8 looks more like a supercar.
The C8 definitely drives better with the mid engine. The car feels like it's turning around you whereas with the C7 it feels more like you're pushing the front of the car through the turns. The front visibility from driver's seat is better in the C8.
What I really miss is the great storage space in the C7 and the ability to put things in the back that you can just reach from the driver's seat.
The C8 definitely drives better with the mid engine. The car feels like it's turning around you whereas with the C7 it feels more like you're pushing the front of the car through the turns. The front visibility from driver's seat is better in the C8.
What I really miss is the great storage space in the C7 and the ability to put things in the back that you can just reach from the driver's seat.
My opinion, FWIW! Owned both - 105,000 miles in 2014 Stingray, 35,000 miles in 2023 Stingray, both bought new.
C7 - much lower fuel consumption (mine was the M7), lower maintenance costs (DIY easier), easier to wash (I do that often, even at motels on trips), can park in garage in neutral, much easier to travel in, classic appearance IMHO.
C8 - very forgiving handling, more comfortable ride (seating farther from rear wheels), more startling appearance, higher-performance transmission (but expensive to maintain), wife hates isolation of passenger (radio LONG reach), severe lack of cabin storage, annoying, intrusive, OnStar!
I’ll probably think of more. Good Luck To All! bob
C7 - much lower fuel consumption (mine was the M7), lower maintenance costs (DIY easier), easier to wash (I do that often, even at motels on trips), can park in garage in neutral, much easier to travel in, classic appearance IMHO.
C8 - very forgiving handling, more comfortable ride (seating farther from rear wheels), more startling appearance, higher-performance transmission (but expensive to maintain), wife hates isolation of passenger (radio LONG reach), severe lack of cabin storage, annoying, intrusive, OnStar!
I’ll probably think of more. Good Luck To All! bob
I’ve got both and like children you love them both. I had a c3 1976 for 20 years and always wanted a contemporary version of it which I think the c7 is, I also like the manual transmission but also love the DCT in the c8. I track both at Mid Ohio and appreciate both but cant let go of the c7. No question the c8 has a more exotic look and is better balanced with better front visibility but my best time is on my c7 But I don’t blame the c8 I blame myself.
As someone said, everyone's going to have an opinion.... For me? NO C8 in my future! No manual option and it looks more like a wanna-be European model than an AMERICAN sports car. C7 is my last.
For me? NO C8 in my future! No manual option and it looks more like a wanna-be European model than an AMERICAN sports car. C7 is my last.
I had a C7 convertible. I have a C8 HTC. I intended to keep both, but realized pretty quickly I'd hardly ever drive the C7 unless I really, really wanted to go out in a manual. The C8 simply does everything better, from laps around a track to tackling the Tail of the Dragon & Cherohala Skyway to 12 hour days on the road with a passenger (30 mpg @ 70 - 80 mph - the C7 would get 32-33 in the same conditions) to trips to Costco with the top down. Unlike the C7, it loses no cargo space with the top down.
Yes, it lacks interior storage, but in truth the C7 'vert didn't have much either. Not like I was going to stash a cooler behind the screen. The DCT is so good I don't miss the manual nearly as much as I thought I might (I do drive in manual mode pretty much everywhere but the highway). Styling is highly subjective, but to me the C7 looks old fashioned compared to the C8. A great goodbye, but it's the past, not the future.
The DCT is more expensive to maintain, for sure, but not so much it's a deal breaker. If you can't afford to change the fluid every 3 years, you probably can't really afford a car like the Corvette. Otherwise maintenance costs are pretty much a wash.
Oh, and my wife has no problem reaching the infotainment system from the passenger seat, nor finding a place to rest her arm. The lack of an oh-shit handle is her only complaint about the wall of buttons.
Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one, and everyone gets to keep theirs. To each their own.
Yes, it lacks interior storage, but in truth the C7 'vert didn't have much either. Not like I was going to stash a cooler behind the screen. The DCT is so good I don't miss the manual nearly as much as I thought I might (I do drive in manual mode pretty much everywhere but the highway). Styling is highly subjective, but to me the C7 looks old fashioned compared to the C8. A great goodbye, but it's the past, not the future.
The DCT is more expensive to maintain, for sure, but not so much it's a deal breaker. If you can't afford to change the fluid every 3 years, you probably can't really afford a car like the Corvette. Otherwise maintenance costs are pretty much a wash.
Oh, and my wife has no problem reaching the infotainment system from the passenger seat, nor finding a place to rest her arm. The lack of an oh-shit handle is her only complaint about the wall of buttons.
Opinions are like belly buttons. Everyone has one, and everyone gets to keep theirs. To each their own.
As a long time Corvette guy, appreciate that I’ve been waiting for the promised mid-engine corvette for a long time………since the 60s. For me it definitely lives up to the hype. It’s a much more civilized and less raw than the C7 and for that matter all past Vettes. That may not be a good thing for some especially considering the loss of the manual transmission option.
I've gone on several long trips since owning the C8 one replicating a trip I took with my C7 through the blue ridge including the tail of the dragon. I have to say the C8 was more enjoyable and with the HTC option more practical, allowing top-down driving without compromising luggage space.
I must tell you however, my desire to manual shift the car has not abated, driving the C8 almost exclusively using the paddle shifters in manual mode. It is obviously not quite the same and quite frankly, if available I would still opt for a manual in my next Vette.
As you may know I have had serious issues with this car unlike my past Vettes. I attribute it to the lack of appreciation and understanding the new architecture and the consequence it presents for appropriate service and maintenance. The DCT requires more attention and is more expensive to maintain than either C7 transmission. Knowing this however, I would have still replaced my C7 with its manual transmission with the new C8 and its DCT.
I've gone on several long trips since owning the C8 one replicating a trip I took with my C7 through the blue ridge including the tail of the dragon. I have to say the C8 was more enjoyable and with the HTC option more practical, allowing top-down driving without compromising luggage space.
I must tell you however, my desire to manual shift the car has not abated, driving the C8 almost exclusively using the paddle shifters in manual mode. It is obviously not quite the same and quite frankly, if available I would still opt for a manual in my next Vette.
As you may know I have had serious issues with this car unlike my past Vettes. I attribute it to the lack of appreciation and understanding the new architecture and the consequence it presents for appropriate service and maintenance. The DCT requires more attention and is more expensive to maintain than either C7 transmission. Knowing this however, I would have still replaced my C7 with its manual transmission with the new C8 and its DCT.
I think a lot of c8 owners really have c7 remorse. You take the body lines the longer front end on a c7 and i feel its the best vette they have made to date. The c8 i am sure its a fun ride but i see more blown engines and tranny problems verses the c7 torque tube or torque converter problems. I am very happy with my c7 manual and would never take a c8 over it. Just one mans opinion.
Loved both of my C7s, Got an early 2014 Z51. Placed a Hold-A-Spot order right after the Detroit Auto Show Launch in January 2013. Picked it up September 2013. Bought a 2017 Grand Sport with the same Tremec 7 speed standard shift as my 2014. The 6 piston front calipers were phenomenal, best stopping car I'll every own. As all my Vettes, they were coupes and tire and road noise loud. Solved by playing my sound system 98% of the time to drown it out. With my wife in the car the sound system has to be off. She hated the noise. When going out together we took her SUV.
Ordered my c8 as I had my 2014 C7 Z51, right after the lunch in July 2019. First ride to town with the C8 Z51 my wife commented how much quieter it was than my Grand Sport, which it was. There is still enough tire and road noise my sound system played 98% of the time.
Thought I would have difficulty getting over ~62 years of every DD being a standard shift. Drove the 1st month exclusively in Manual Mode. But when accelerating from a stop sign on the end of rural road we live on merging into often heavy traffic traveling ~70 mph hit the Rev Limiter a few times fumbling for the upshift paddle to get out of 1st gear. Gets to the ~35 mph 6600 rpm in 1st gear in the blink of an eye. No fun with traffic coming up fast behind as you are at 35 mph!
Soon found Z-Mode Power to Set to Track. Use it often as it shifts as I was my C7s in our rural area. And it's smart enough to shift all by itself when accelerating. Now seldom need to use the shift paddles. Also use My Mode set to Sport. Really like the automatic downshifting several gears in the blink of and eye automatic Rev Matching each. Use that feature frequently when I leave the ~70 mph traffic on the 4 lane divided highway as I turn into our 25 mph speed limit rural road.
Bought my E-Ray because of the AWD, 0 to 60 ability. Have hit 2.1 seconds on the GM Dash Test using Launch Control. GM subtracts Rollout like the car mags so the displayed number is actually ~0.2 seconds higher. Get almost the same power as the Z06 with otherwise wasted braking energy. The EPA average mpg is 25% better than the Z06. It's about the same as the base C8 but with 655 hp. Feel good saving energy as I use the extra power often accelerating. Even with it's 345 section width rear tires, for whatever reason the cabin is somewhat quieter.
Ordered my c8 as I had my 2014 C7 Z51, right after the lunch in July 2019. First ride to town with the C8 Z51 my wife commented how much quieter it was than my Grand Sport, which it was. There is still enough tire and road noise my sound system played 98% of the time.
Thought I would have difficulty getting over ~62 years of every DD being a standard shift. Drove the 1st month exclusively in Manual Mode. But when accelerating from a stop sign on the end of rural road we live on merging into often heavy traffic traveling ~70 mph hit the Rev Limiter a few times fumbling for the upshift paddle to get out of 1st gear. Gets to the ~35 mph 6600 rpm in 1st gear in the blink of an eye. No fun with traffic coming up fast behind as you are at 35 mph!
Soon found Z-Mode Power to Set to Track. Use it often as it shifts as I was my C7s in our rural area. And it's smart enough to shift all by itself when accelerating. Now seldom need to use the shift paddles. Also use My Mode set to Sport. Really like the automatic downshifting several gears in the blink of and eye automatic Rev Matching each. Use that feature frequently when I leave the ~70 mph traffic on the 4 lane divided highway as I turn into our 25 mph speed limit rural road.
Bought my E-Ray because of the AWD, 0 to 60 ability. Have hit 2.1 seconds on the GM Dash Test using Launch Control. GM subtracts Rollout like the car mags so the displayed number is actually ~0.2 seconds higher. Get almost the same power as the Z06 with otherwise wasted braking energy. The EPA average mpg is 25% better than the Z06. It's about the same as the base C8 but with 655 hp. Feel good saving energy as I use the extra power often accelerating. Even with it's 345 section width rear tires, for whatever reason the cabin is somewhat quieter.
Had a 99 C5. Sold it because my motorcycles were faster, cheaper and a lot more fun. C5 turned into just a grocery getter. Sold it 20 years ago. Waited until something came out, a lot more unique. My 2025 base Stingray is way better than I could ever imagine. I can now afford it, and I'm losing my sense of balance. Found a Corvette mechanic here in RGV Texas. Now I don't have get greasy anymore.
I have a 2016 laguna blue convert , i love the lines and look of the car . It’s a comfortable ride. I dont race but just cruse … it does exactly what i need it to do .. I frequently get thumbs up by folk, makes me feel good..
Emphises on "First". C8 will be worth more, in the future, then future mid engine generations.
I've the ad a 19 C7 and a now a 25 C8 ,both great cars ,lost my c7 in a flood of if still have it! Didn't want to buy a used c7 ( no matter how well I'm not) ,Lord made a way to get a C8 ,it's superior car ,though when I see a c7 ,it brings a tear to one of my eyes!
It's not about out performing. It about a better, more engaging, driving experience. And I simply said "give us the option for a manual" not stop making automatic.
I had a 2019 C7 convertible M7 Stingray. Loved it, but decided to sell it in 2022 for a Tesla S Plaid. Two years later I decided I had made a big mistake selling the C7 and happened to see a white C8 when out at the Pebble Beach car show last year. When it first came out, I didn't like the new C8 body style until I saw and fell in love with that one at PB. So...I ordered a '25 ERay HTC 3LZ and cannot be happier. The 4-wheel drive of the Eray will help in inclement weather and the power off the line is simply outstanding -- not quite as quick as my Plaid, but sounds so much better. The handling is absolutely rock solid (unlike my C7 which could fishtail a bit going into and around turns quickly). The steering, power and interior luxury are the most notable improvements Corvette made over the C7. And with ceramic brakes on the Eray there is zero brake dust -- yep, zero brake dust. I couldn't be happier.
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A few ideas on transmissions
I always drove a pickup truck with a manual trany. And I was not happy when they disappeared in all the major pickup trucks. But my last 4 trucks were all automatics and I would never go back to a manual or want a DCT in my truck. The torque converters are a great asset for low speed high torque.
I love my 2016 Z06 M7 and would not trade it for anything. But I would not want a manual in any of my other cars. Give me a DCT or auto please but no CVTs.
I like being a 3 peddle kind of guy in My Vette, not because it is the best trany, but it is the way a real man drove a sports car back in the day. (I was born the same year as the Corvette). But it is no longer that way. I still like the ability to feel the gears. Push/Pull the shift lever and stomp on the clutch. To each his own but I am ok to move on but just not yet for My Vette.
I always drove a pickup truck with a manual trany. And I was not happy when they disappeared in all the major pickup trucks. But my last 4 trucks were all automatics and I would never go back to a manual or want a DCT in my truck. The torque converters are a great asset for low speed high torque.
I love my 2016 Z06 M7 and would not trade it for anything. But I would not want a manual in any of my other cars. Give me a DCT or auto please but no CVTs.
I like being a 3 peddle kind of guy in My Vette, not because it is the best trany, but it is the way a real man drove a sports car back in the day. (I was born the same year as the Corvette). But it is no longer that way. I still like the ability to feel the gears. Push/Pull the shift lever and stomp on the clutch. To each his own but I am ok to move on but just not yet for My Vette.
By 2016 I had owned over the years between 50 and 60 sports, high performance or antique cars, all of them having manual transmissions and all having been bought as used cars. By the time I was 70 I decided that I was old enough to deserve an automatic and a warranty, so I ordered my 2016 Z06 with no regrets. I know many will say the new C8 DCT is a fabulous transmission and (correctly) much more sophisticated than my fluid drive 8 speed automatic, but I really have enjoyed the automatic in the Z06. It is plenty fast and I can still shift manually when I want to, although of course the shifts are a little softer than they would be with a manual transmission. If I had a more understanding wife and perhaps some additional discretionary funds I might have a C8 by now, but for the time being I am happy with the C7 and love every time I get in and fire it up. --Bob
After 3.5 years with the C8 I still miss the C7 manual. Say what you will about the automatic's advantages: performance, easier city driving or smother shifts ... I miss the engagement with the car!
Competitors such as Porsche still offers their customers a manual option: the 718 Cayman and Boxster models come with a 6-speed manual, and the 911 Carrera (including S and GTS trims) offers a 7-speed manual. The 911 Carrera T is also available exclusively with a manual transmission.
Competitors such as Porsche still offers their customers a manual option: the 718 Cayman and Boxster models come with a 6-speed manual, and the 911 Carrera (including S and GTS trims) offers a 7-speed manual. The 911 Carrera T is also available exclusively with a manual transmission.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the DCT is actually a "manual" transmission, but the left foot human driven clutch pedal removed. There is no fluid drive "slip and slide with Powerglide", just a very quick shifting clutch moved by the electronics and as noted, moved at a much faster speed than a human can do. Not sure I want to go back to having to use my left foot every time a gear shift occurs, and taking my hand off the wheel to move a lever each time. I mean, where is the advantage in doing that? And I don't even have a DCT, just the old fashioned torque converter 8 speed automatic in my C7 Z06 that works a lot like the DCT and, for me, pretty well. But of course that is just me, with my left hip replaced a few years back. --Bob
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