C8 Chevy Corvette Owners Are Wondering: Why Do You Hate Our Cars?

Writing a story about vehicle owners is a dicey proposition. Imagine you’re by yourself in a busy park, taking in a beautiful afternoon. The sun is shining. The birds are chirping. You haven’t a care in the world. Life is just pleasant. But for some reason, you happen to look down. It seems you’ve posted up next to an anthill, and it’s absolutely boiling with tiny, red-brown drones going about their business just inches from your feet. What do you do next?

Me? We didn’t have the internet when I was a kid, so naturally, I’d poke it with a stick and see what happens. That’s kind of what it feels like to write a story about disgruntled Corvette owners. Nobody’s making me do this (OK, my editor asked, technically), but here I am, stick in hand, holding it precariously over that volcano-like mound of earth and frass. And I don’t really have to tell you what happens next. You’re reading this, after all.

But even as community-centered stories go, this one’s a bit sensitive. Judging from a Corvette Forum thread that currently spans 132 posts long, it seems that a rather vocal subset of the community has detected a prevailing negative attitude toward the C8 in particular. Some are likening it to the negativity that was directed at some previous generations at various points in the Corvette’s decades-long history, such as one forum member who recalled getting the cold shoulder. What’s the saying? History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes?

The switch to the mid-engine format obviously divided fans, some of which believe the only “real” Corvettes have the engine up front. Even among those who appreciate the C8’s improved dynamics, there’s still consternation over the resulting changes to its design.

Some members believe the sentiment is helping fuel a decline in secondary market values. While there may be a nugget of truth to that, it’s difficult to ignore the prevailing economic climate, not to mention the fact that supply constraints are no longer artificially limiting the supply of new Corvettes. Cheaper options for buying new are easing pressure on used prices. Cooler heads seem to have a rather straightforward response to the perceived problem: Haters gonna hate.

While there may be ample disagreement over whether this stigma is even real, there’s one thing the vast majority of community members seem to agree on: Real or not, the hate is unwarranted.

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