C8 Corvette is a Crowd-pleaser Everywhere it Goes

C8 Corvette may get some negative press on social media, but every time GM shows off the new car at an event, it is among the most popular vehicle on display.

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette is ushering in the next era of the legendary American sports car, bringing about the long-rumored shift to mid-engine. Many people love the new Corvette, but others hate it. The people who dislike the C8 are the loudest online, but every time General Motors shows off the new car at an event, it is among the most popular vehicle on display.

For example, Chevrolet featured the C8 Stingray shown here at the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas. In a massive event with hundreds of heavily modified performance cars, this relatively stock Corvette was never without a crowd. This was the first chance for many people to see the car in person and the crowds seemed to love the next generation car.

C8 Corvette in Sin City

The fact that Chevrolet was able to draw a huge crowd without a big debut was impressive. What made it more impressive is the fact that the C8 Corvette on display was not a gussied-up model. It is a basic preproduction model in 3LT trim with most of the optional upgrades and a few items from the Chevrolet Accessories catalog.

This new Corvette Stingray was painted Ceramic Gray Metallic and it featured the Adrenaline Red interior. On the inside, this C8 was sporting the GT2 seats, carbon fiber interior trim, the Performance Data Recorder and the premium Chevrolet infotainment system with a 14-speaker Bose sound system. It was also equipped with the Engine Appearance Package, the Performance Exhaust system, black painted brake calipers and the body-color removable roof panel.

The only major options that were not included with this C8 Corvette are a stripe package and the Z51 package. Considering the popularity of the Z51 package, and the fact that it makes for the quickest new Stingray, we were surprised that they didn’t include that as well. However, that didn’t stop this car from drawing a massive crowd all week long at SEMA.

Chevrolet Accessories

We mentioned in the introduction that this C8 was relatively stock. If you have configured a newer Corvette or Camaro, you are familiar with the long list of accessories that can be added when the vehicle is ordered. For the SEMA, Chevrolet added a handful of those items.

This included the “Performance Pewter” wheels, a red engine cover, a chrome lug nut kit with wheel locks, black painted rear rocker extensions and premium carpeted floor mats.

Again, this new Corvette wasn’t modified, and it didn’t even have the most exciting performance options. It still draw a huge crowd for the entire SEMA Show. Everyone who checked it out seemed to like the new look in person. The vibe was very positive in the crowd.

The brief auto worker’s union strike delayed production, so the C8 Corvette is going to arrive later than we expected. Until those cars start showing up in showrooms and local car shows, these display vehicles at public events are going to be popular attractions.

Photos for Corvette Forum by Derin Richardson

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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