The eighth-generation Corvette was one of the most highly anticipated Corvettes in memory. Since its July 18th, 2019 live stream reveal, the new orders for this C8 have far exceeded Bowling Green’s production capacity.
Now that we’re starting to see these latest mid-engine cars on the street, we couldn’t help but ask ourselves, was all the hype worth it? Is it the best Corvette yet?
To get the answers, we posed some questions to Doug Reed, Past President of Classic Glass Corvette Club, and previous owner of six Corvettes. What follows is an edited transcript, adapted for this article. Enjoy!
Ordering The C8
ROD WORLEY – Editor – First off, congratulations on getting your hands on an early production run, C8 Corvette. Before we get into the car itself, can you give us the back story of when you first decided you wanted a C8, the dealership you used, and the ordering process?
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette Club – Well, my first introduction to the car was actually during the Corvette reveal event, which I watched live on streamed TV. At that time, I had some interest.
I had bought a first-year production Corvette previously and had some issues with that car. So my thought process was that, well, maybe I’ll hold off on this one, wait, see if there are any bugs and give them a chance to iron that portion out.
In any case, as time moved on, I kept seeing more articles about the car and more reviews, and that continued to pique my interest. And finally, back in August of last year, I started getting interested
And then I found out that getting an order for the car was a bit of a problem with some dealers. Some dealers were asking over MSRP while other dealers asked for ridiculous deposits or non-refundable ones.
Then one day, a friend who had a C8 on order from a dealership got a call from his salesman, Reggie Stagmaier, from Jim Ellis Chevrolet in Chamblee, Ga. He said he had a client who had a deposit on a C8 since 2015 and had just backed out.
He had put money down on this car, without seeing it obviously, back in 2015. Fortunately for him, the Jim Ellis Chevrolet dealership let him have his deposit back.
Reggie wanted to know if anyone else was interested. My wife and I quickly drove down to the dealership to place our order.
If you don’t know Reggie Stagmaier, he has been around for at least thirty-five years selling Corvettes and General Motors Chevrolet cars. He’s a great salesman and was very helpful in picking out the options for our new Corvette.
The order went in on September 12th. We went through the General Motors strike, which set things back two weeks plus then we went through this pandemic shut down.
Well, as luck would have it, I got a phone call on Friday, March 13th, from Reggie at Jim Ellis Chevrolet, saying that my car was ready to be picked up. I call that Friday the 13th my lucky day.
We drove down to pick the car up, and I’ve been just a happy camper ever since.
History Of Corvette Ownership
ROD WORLEY – Editor – Doug, gauging by your website, this isn’t your first Corvette by a long shot.
What are some of the Corvettes you’ve owned in the past?
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette Club – Rod, you’re right, this C8 isn’t my first. My first Corvette was a 1999 triple black convertible C5.
I’ve always had convertibles until this recent car. We purchased the first C6 model in 2005. It was a Monterrey Red convertible with a camel-colored top and interior.
Unfortunately, that car had some issues. So I didn’t keep it as long as I had kept the C5.
The next Corvette was the 2008 Emerson Fittipaldi Indianapolis Pace car. I immediately fell in love with the car’s whole design. It was just a fun car. The car’s layout was great, and we loved the graphics.
We frequently go up to the National Corvette Museum because we’re lifetime members. During one of our trips to the Museum in 2012, we saw our next purchase, the Chevrolet 100th anniversary edition, for the first time.
That commemorative package had Carbon Flash Metallic paint, with satin-black graphics and unique Centennial Satin Black wheels and red brake calipers. It was beautiful.
We kept that car until the introduction of the seventh-generation. I ordered a 2014 Blade Silver convertible with a gray top and gray interior.
We kept that one until the 2017 Grand Sport Collector’s Edition came out with the Tension Blue interior and Watkins Glen Gray exterior.
Our C8 is Ceramic Matrix Gray exterior with the Tension w/ Twilight Blue Dipped interior. It’s a 3LT, Z51, with almost every option you can get for it.
The wheels are five-spoke carbon flash, and it has the front lift, and we love it.
First Impressions
ROD WORLEY – Editor – In my view, the photos and videos don’t do this new Vette justice, Doug. You have to see it in person to appreciate the overall aesthetic.
Can you take us through what it was like to see your new C8 for the first time and slide behind the wheel?
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette Club – One of the first things I noticed was that the vehicle’s lines are beautiful. The first comment most people make is that it looks European.
I can certainly see the similarities to some of the European mid-engine cars. Of all the Corvettes we’ve owned, this one has brought the most attention by far.
I always like to kid people that it takes me half an hour to 45 minutes to fill the thing with gasoline. Invariably, when we stop at a service station for gas, it quickly attracts a crowd of people asking questions.
You may not realize it, but it’s easy to slide behind the wheel. I’m six foot six inches, and I fit nicely. There is plenty of headroom.
The car has about two inches more legroom than the C7. I honestly move the seat forward just a bit for my comfort.
And of course, seeing that steering wheel for the first time was kind of strange, but I grew accustomed to it very quickly. Now that I’ve had it, I love the steering wheel and the natural hand positions.
The ergonomics of the dash and controls give you the feeling of sitting in a jet fighter. The squared-off steering wheel allows you to see the entire dashboard without obstructions.
The first time I drove that car was unbelievable. The way that dual-clutch transmission shifts gears are both smooth and instantaneous.
The transmission performs flawlessly and firmly engages in either the manual mode or the automatic mode.
I’ve had standard shift transmissions in several of my cars throughout the years. But I’ll tell you what, I wouldn’t want to go back to a manual shift after driving the DCT transmission.
The GT2 seats are extremely comfortable. I also like that the rearview mirror is a camera. You have limited visibility out of the rear window because of the glass’s slant.
The camera provides the best visibility I’ve ever seen in a rearview mirror system. You can see the entire back of the car and a little bit around each side.
The sensors in the side mirrors warn you of people in your blind spot. The ride itself is fantastic.
The magnetic ride suspension has several adjustments to match your style of driving. Overall, the C8 has a firm feel to its frame construction.
I can also tell you the car performs better than any other Corvette I’ve ever driven.
Cabin Storage Limited
ROD WORLEY – Editor – Doug, now that you had some seat time, are there areas you wish Chevrolet would have designed differently?
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette Club – As I said, my overall impression is, without question, this is the best handling and the best looking Corvette that General Motors has ever produced. Bar none.
I don’t know how they can improve on it. I could not think of anything that I would change in that car, except a little more room behind the seat.
On the C7 convertible, there was a space in the back behind the seats where you could put items like hats and gloves and small items. There is absolutely no room behind the C8 seats whatsoever.
Of course, there is nowhere near the storage room in the cabin area as there was in earlier generation coupes.
The storage space in the back is deep. But it’s not quite as wide as a C7.
I don’t think it has quite the same amount of usable space even though the cubic inches are similar. The front storage area will hold some small bags as well.
With the mid-engine set up, I don’t think they could have designed it any other way.
Why Join Classic Glass?
ROD WORLEY – Editor – Why do you think being a club member is essential for a Corvette owner? Why would you recommend the Classic Glass Corvette Club?
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette – My wife and I have been Classic Glass Corvette Club members for about 15 years. During that time, we’ve also participated on the board in various positions.
Chris, my wife, was in charge of membership for a couple of years, and she’s also been Club secretary. She does other things for the Club as well.
I’ve done almost every position in the Club, including being President. We are also lifetime members of the National Corvette Museum (NCM).
We are currently the NCM Ambassadors at Large for Georgia. I will say that joining a club like the Classic Glass Corvette Club will allow you to make new friends that you will have forever.
The catalyst that brings us all together is the Corvette. It’s an opportunity to meet people with similar interests.
We have made friends that we’ve traveled with to various countries all over the world. And I mean all over the world.
Before the virus, we usually had four or five events scheduled every month. We’ve still had some events during this pandemic situation but have kept our social distancing, of course.
Besides the monthly group meeting, we have an event called Corvettes and Coffee. We meet once a month at a different restaurant for coffee and discuss our Corvettes and other experiences.
Our annual picnic is another event our nearly 240 members look forward to every year.
Our biggest Club sponsored event is SuperVette Saturday, at Days Chevrolet in Acworth, GA. This car show is one of the largest Corvette car shows held in the Southeast. 2020 will be our 37th year putting on the event.
Overall C8 Impressions
ROD WORLEY – Editor – We’ve covered a lot of ground today. But is there one question I should have asked you but didn’t.
DOUG REED – Classic Glass Corvette Club – I just wanted to leave you with this thought. The overall performance of the new C8 Corvette is impressive. Not only track performance but gas mileage performance as well.
Around town, I get between 18 and 22 miles per gallon. On the highway, the mileage is even more impressive from a 495 horsepower car.
We drove back from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, with a group of us, and I got just over 32 miles per gallon.
Getting the performance from an almost 500 horsepower car is fantastic.
The overall appearance of this C8 grabs attention and turns heads. The driveability and road performance make this generation more fun than any previous versions, without question.
This new C8 is also a fantastic daily driver. I’ve got about 5,100 miles on this vehicle because it is so comfortable and easy to drive.
By far, the new C8 Corvette is the best handling and most comfortable Corvette I’ve ever owned.
Zora’s Dream Realized
Zora Arkus-Duntov had a dream, and the 2020 C8 mid-engine Corvette is that dream brought to life. All of the C8’s advanced technology, design, and styling changes is a lot for many of the Corvette faithful to absorb, but we’ll get up to speed.
We always do.
After talking to Doug Reed and seeing the new eighth-generation in person, I believe GM has taken the evolutionary steps needed to keep the Corvette at the forefront of performance, comfort, and styling.
As the story goes, Zora Arkus-Duntov’s parting words to new chief engineer Dave McLellan were, “You must do the mid-engine Corvette.”
The good news? Zora, we’re finally here.
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