5 reasons why the Corvette will remain an old man's car..

[2001ragtop]

A Corvette typically is for someone who has extra funds to have a car that is not practical to own.

The same people who don't drive Corvettes, usually ALSO do not even drive a Camaro either.

My guess is if you have house payment, family, kids, car payments for normal cars, life insurance, credit cards, and especially if your kids go to a private school...

I would assume there is not much funds left to buy something like a Corvette.

It's not even that the car is a 2-seater. Each tire probably costs 600.00 and needs to be replaced after 4000 miles.

I do not even want to imagine what happens if one of those tires drops into a big pothole. You can't expect a corvette to survive the kind of impacts that a full-size truck will survive.

It is just dangerously impractical. And it DOES sit very close to the ground. I doubt you can successfully drive over certain kinds of speed bumps without scratching the car.

And again, it has those magnetic shocks. It's probably a pain if it needs to be towed.

If I was rich I would have one but I would just drive it around the block and park it.

[motorhead]

I see nothing wrong with this article. As usual on here when you don't agree with someones opinion many of you go on the attack. The article makes many good points that are probably true for the most part. Sure there are always going to be a few exceptions ,but I can believe everything he said.

The younger crowd never could afford a Vette for the most part unless daddy bought it or it was very used.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by 2001ragtop

It's not even that the car is a 2-seater. Each tire probably costs 600.00 and needs to be replaced after 4000 miles.

I do not even want to imagine what happens if one of those tires drops into a big pothole. You can't expect a corvette to survive the kind of impacts that a full-size truck will survive.

Tires are about $350-400, expect prices to drop slightly as more cars are produced...and they'll last for roughly 15-30k miles depending on how a person drives it.

Tires/wheels on any GM car or truck had to pass the same durability standards as each other. Including potholes...Trucks might be more likely to "survive" thanks to longer suspension travel...but the wheels are just as strong as a Corvette's would have to be to pass internal standards.

I don't mean to pick on you here, the other points you raised were good ones. But I want to point out that it's these misperceptions, or over-exaggerations...that leads to articles like the one in the OP being written.

Similar ones were written in 2008 about how the new 5th-gen would fail, no question. Gas prices, economy, and public interest would see the car killed again in three years or less.....they couldn't have been more wrong.

I think the guy who wrote this article is barking up that same tree.

[The_Blur]

Originally Posted by LIVEVIL

Just because one 26 year old can afford a 60k car does not mean that it's the norm for mid 20 year olds.

While I don't agree with many of his points as to why it's still going to be an old man's car, I do think that pricing is pretty much 90% of the equation. If it was 40k brand new, a lot more youngins would be able to purchase it regardless of their marital status, how many kids they got at home or what they thought of the C3.

The Corvette is not made for the masses. Average Joe can't have a Corvette at 26. I'm 26, and I'm driving a 13-year-old Firebird when I would clearly prefer a new Camaro.

Purchase price should distinguish the Corvette from other cars. It competes with elite exotics at various trim levels, so it doesn't make sense to produce it for everyone to own. The Corvette is a halo car. It should be a car that someone works toward owning.

[Tysen]

I like the Corvette, but the type of people I've met who own one are not the type of people I want to be associated with. Sadly, I'm starting to see that trend span over to the Zl1. Not a lot, but it's enough to make me worry about the stigma that will one day surround that vehicle.

[motorhead]

Originally Posted by Tysen

I like the Corvette, but the type of people I've met who own one are not the type of people I want to be associated with. Sadly, I'm starting to see that trend span over to the Zl1. Not a lot, but it's enough to make me worry about the stigma that will one day surround that vehicle.

I'll help that stigma to not hold water with the ZL1. I don't care if you live in a trailer park or a 10 million dollar estate, I can get along with anyone or dislike anyone depending on them. I do know what you're talking about though with some ZL1 people that I have met already at shows.

[Tysen]

Originally Posted by motorhead

I'll help that stigma to not hold water with the ZL1. I don't care if you live in a trailer park or a 10 million dollar estate, I can get along with anyone or dislike anyone depending on them. I do know what you're talking about though with some ZL1 people that I have met already at shows.

Even a couple on here, but most I've met are awesome. Just those select few that I wish had bought a Corvette instead, lol.

[rez333]

I think if one has the means, one should definitely buy a fun car. Here in North American, we are the luckiest people in the world. For the price of GT500s and ZL1s all you can get in Europe and Asia are "hot hatches" that North American kids buy to park at their demolition derby University parking lots.

Having said that, most family men presumably want to spend time with their family and getting a 2 seater car reduces the amount of times one can enjoy driving said car. Therefore a performance 2+2 seater is the best that most Family men will get.

And as Blur said, the Corvette is a halo car that one aspires for, and the average Joe can't afford a financial break until their 40s - when the kids leave home and the mortgage is paid off for most people. That seems like a good time to reward oneself, ergo "Old man's car".

I love the Corvette, but I don't see myself owning one any time soon. Maybe when I'm old.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by Tysen

I like the Corvette, but the type of people I've met who own one are not the type of people I want to be associated with. Sadly, I'm starting to see that trend span over to the Zl1. Not a lot, but it's enough to make me worry about the stigma that will one day surround that vehicle.

Originally Posted by motorhead

I'll help that stigma to not hold water with the ZL1. I don't care if you live in a trailer park or a 10 million dollar estate, I can get along with anyone or dislike anyone depending on them. I do know what you're talking about though with some ZL1 people that I have met already at shows.

Originally Posted by Tysen

Even a couple on here, but most I've met are awesome. Just those select few that I wish had bought a Corvette instead, lol.

. . . Now you know I've got to ask. . .

Do you consider me one of these sorry few?

[Tysen]

Originally Posted by Mr. Wyndham

. . . Now you know I've got to ask. . .

Do you consider me one of these sorry few?

No. None of the ZL1 owners I met at Fest are in this category.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by 2001ragtop

A Corvette typically is for someone who has extra funds to have a car that is not practical to own.

The same people who don't drive Corvettes, usually ALSO do not even drive a Camaro either.

My guess is if you have house payment, family, kids, car payments for normal cars, life insurance, credit cards, and especially if your kids go to a private school...

I would assume there is not much funds left to buy something like a Corvette.

It's not even that the car is a 2-seater. Each tire probably costs 600.00 and needs to be replaced after 4000 miles.

I do not even want to imagine what happens if one of those tires drops into a big pothole. You can't expect a corvette to survive the kind of impacts that a full-size truck will survive.

It is just dangerously impractical. And it DOES sit very close to the ground. I doubt you can successfully drive over certain kinds of speed bumps without scratching the car.

And again, it has those magnetic shocks. It's probably a pain if it needs to be towed.

If I was rich I would have one but I would just drive it around the block and park it.

Tires may be $600, but probably not the base car. The Cup Tires on the Z06 and ZL1 may be.

With a few exceptions, GM runs every car through some serious Pot Holes in the normal testing regimen.

I've scraped the front on some steep driveways, but again GM has some pretty tough standards here the Corvette (at least used to) meet.

Towing is tough on any car that low. The owners manual does outline some specific things the Corvette needs. I'm sure C7 is not much different.

I've driven a lot of Corvettes (C4, 5 and 6s) on long trips. The Corvette is amazingly practical. You can pack luggage and two sets of golf clubs in the C6 convertible for a long trip. Try that in a Porsche or any other car remotely in this class.

[steel insane]

damn those old guys...

[Tysen]

Probably the owner's daughter taking a picture for her boyfriend, lol.

[Captain Awesome]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

That article reads like a bitter taste of personal experience. It sounds like someone who wanted a Corvette back in the day but couldn't afford one and still doesn't know how to save up for one. Maybe the author is also bitter about getting older and driving a boring car.

That C7 screams Corvette in such a stylish way that it might cause some weird responses.

Tell him that if we didn't have the ineffectual CAFE standards, he could afford TWO corvettes.