If you’ve always wanted that Corvette but just couldn’t find the right time to buy, let me help make that decision for you. It may come as no surprise to you that nobody wants to buy a Corvette in the dead of winter. Especially when this particular winter has been a total jerk.
GM announced that, in the month January, sales of its C7 generation were 800, which was a record low. But there’s more to it than just Old Man Winter and his angry ice rage.The C7 generation ‘vette first hit the streets in 2013, and is entering its final year as GM gears up for a C8 version – and it’s said to be a hotly anticipated mid-engine version. According to Jalopnik, dealerships, in an attempt to maintain good favor with GM so they can get their hands on as many as possible when they’re built, are still reportedly ordering a bunch of the C7 model. And since nobody is buying them, this has resulted in a 232-day supply that’s now just sitting on dealer lots.
It’s possible that a lengthy shutdown and retooling of the Corvette plant will give consumers a reason to take a bite out of the estimated 9,000 C7 gen Corvettes now just sitting around collecting dust – or, more likely, snow.
But there are plenty out there who will surely find the C8 to be worth the wait: prototypes have been caught of the car being tested in California, and everybody is freaking out as debate still rages over what to expect. Will this car will drop the manual option like Ford did with its Shelby GT500, or if GM will go a more traditional route? Will the ‘vette off the option of a hybrid powertrain, as some have speculated?
You’ll have plenty of time for guesswork while you wait to what is likely going to be at least this summer before you get a chance to see the new generation model. And, heck – if you can’t wait, you might find yourself in a good position to bargain on a C7, as dealers slog through their inventory to clear the way.