I know that there are quite a few Mark VIII members that have a Corvette while others don't or would like to know some things about it. As with any car there are many ups and downs. I wanted to post this for some of you so that it can serve as a reference...
Let me preface this with the fact that I don't think any car is the BEST car in the world nor do I value something much over something else, they all have their ups and downs.
First the bad:
Driveability issues: Car is very low, this creates tons of potential hazards.
The runflats (stock) are TERRIBLE tires and they are VERY loud on the freeway, this car requires a raised voice on the freeway in comparison to the Mark VIII. They also significantly deteriorate the ride quality... You can CRACK yes CRACK rims very easily due to the stiff sidewalls, and extreme caution in required.
Daily Driver Status: Car is hard to have as a daily driver because of the ride-height and the two seats, which doesn't leave much space.
Also getting in and out of the car could be a problem with weak knees and or joints.
Stock Headlights: Pretty dim, dimmer than Gen II headlights, but I just installed HIDs for $150... not bad 100% improvement.
Turning radius: This car's turning radius is HUGE, if you thought the mark VIII is bad (and it kind of is in comparison to my E36 BMW) the Vette is even worse!!!
Huge blindspot on the coupe. On the left, some may think hey this guy doens't know what he is talking about or his mirrors are adjusted wrong. Nope, it just happens if you're tall and drive a vette. The huge pillar is exactly in the blind spot.
The car is very hard to keep clean.... I have to dust mine every day, it shows dirt like crazy... Depends on the color of course.
That said here are the ups:
Power: Don't need to say much here, this car has MAD power.... stock it is around 350 and 37X pound feet of torque. this car weighs 3200#s...
Mod Potential: Virtually limitless, you add a cam which isn't very hard and you're probably in the high 300s to the rear wheels, cam, headers and intake you're probably around 450... not too expensive either.
Handling: Emm the stiff ride on the Z06 suspension has it's trade offs.
Car recognition: A lot of people know what it is, and most really like the car.
Insurance: Not as bad as one thinks... only 20$ a month more for the Vette over my Mark VIII. $80 for full coverage at 50/100/50
Gas: Well at around 80mph this car is at 1600 rpms in 6th gear. When I bought the car in LA and drove it back here, I got 30.5mpg and never had to stop for gas 350 mile trip, once I got back I drove it for another 100 miles before I got gas. This car gets insane freeway gas mileage. I also average about 25% better than I did in my mark VIII.
Maintenance: These cars are pretty easy to maintain and need very little maintenance that also isn't very expensive.
Let me preface this with the fact that I don't think any car is the BEST car in the world nor do I value something much over something else, they all have their ups and downs.
First the bad:
Driveability issues: Car is very low, this creates tons of potential hazards.
The runflats (stock) are TERRIBLE tires and they are VERY loud on the freeway, this car requires a raised voice on the freeway in comparison to the Mark VIII. They also significantly deteriorate the ride quality... You can CRACK yes CRACK rims very easily due to the stiff sidewalls, and extreme caution in required.
Daily Driver Status: Car is hard to have as a daily driver because of the ride-height and the two seats, which doesn't leave much space.
Also getting in and out of the car could be a problem with weak knees and or joints.
Stock Headlights: Pretty dim, dimmer than Gen II headlights, but I just installed HIDs for $150... not bad 100% improvement.
Turning radius: This car's turning radius is HUGE, if you thought the mark VIII is bad (and it kind of is in comparison to my E36 BMW) the Vette is even worse!!!
Huge blindspot on the coupe. On the left, some may think hey this guy doens't know what he is talking about or his mirrors are adjusted wrong. Nope, it just happens if you're tall and drive a vette. The huge pillar is exactly in the blind spot.
The car is very hard to keep clean.... I have to dust mine every day, it shows dirt like crazy... Depends on the color of course.
That said here are the ups:
Power: Don't need to say much here, this car has MAD power.... stock it is around 350 and 37X pound feet of torque. this car weighs 3200#s...
Mod Potential: Virtually limitless, you add a cam which isn't very hard and you're probably in the high 300s to the rear wheels, cam, headers and intake you're probably around 450... not too expensive either.
Handling: Emm the stiff ride on the Z06 suspension has it's trade offs.
Car recognition: A lot of people know what it is, and most really like the car.
Insurance: Not as bad as one thinks... only 20$ a month more for the Vette over my Mark VIII. $80 for full coverage at 50/100/50
Gas: Well at around 80mph this car is at 1600 rpms in 6th gear. When I bought the car in LA and drove it back here, I got 30.5mpg and never had to stop for gas 350 mile trip, once I got back I drove it for another 100 miles before I got gas. This car gets insane freeway gas mileage. I also average about 25% better than I did in my mark VIII.
Maintenance: These cars are pretty easy to maintain and need very little maintenance that also isn't very expensive.