The Chevrolet brand is not one typically associated with luxury but the automobile landscape has never been more convoluted as premium luxury brands introduce entry level sub $30,000.00 models, and brands of the everyday people introduce $100,000.00 plus models. Consider the high performing Corvette representative of the latter statement as their top of the line C7 Corvette Z06 nicely equipped will cost you over $100,000.00 for the right to say you are the owner.
Let me be clear for the hip impaired. My C7 reference is about the seventh generation of America’s iconic sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette! In 2014 Chevy introduced their latest iteration of the Corvette and they knew they had a winner, as this was the first “Vet” in quite some time that they dubbed the “Stingray”. That nickname has been only reserved for special “Vets”. The base model Corvette starts at an MSRP of $55,450.00 and options, taxes, and dealer prep (depending on what state you live in) can easily have you financing or writing a check for over $75,000.00. You have officially arrived in the “luxury zone”.
I am sure there are many of you grumbling that ”for that money I could buy a Porsche” and yes that would be correct but not the Porsche you are probably thinking of. You won’t get the iconic 911 new for $75,000.00 as their base model starts at about $10,000.00 higher therefore leaving you with either their Boxster or Cayman if you are looking to buy new. There are many that would be ecstatic at the thought of driving either of the aforementioned but for many car or Porsche snobs there is no substitute. You can read more about the 911 here but this is about helping you understand the Vet’s position within the luxury category.
The price point says luxury but how does it match up to other factors to legitimize its luxury status? Let’s start with the first thing that hits us, its looks! The new Corvette or Vet, yes I use these two words interchangeably, is a great looking car. Many think it’s stunning and you get no argument from me about how attractive this car is. Just pull up in one and see where the valets park it. It won’t be sitting out back you can be assured of that. So it’s premium priced and a looker. Does that make it legit for luxury status? Not quite but we are almost there. Next up, performance.
The newest Corvette not only has the luxury of speed but it’s an all around great performance car. Whether you are rolling in the base model or embarrassing cars two to three times it’s price in the Z06 it ranks high with some of the top luxury performance cars and in many cases beats them. Lastly, lets talk about the overall experience once you are seated behind the wheel. While Chevy has improved significantly on the car’s interior there’s still room for improvement as the Vet still doesn’t compare to some of the top tier luxury imports and since they are in the “luxury zone” pricing you can no longer make the argument using price.
In summary, looks, performance and price make the latest C7 Chevy Corvette a modern luxury and a new addition to the club but there’s more good news. Since Chevrolet is a brand for the people unlike that German brand out of Stuttgart they won’t limit production creating a supply versus demand model that puts demand so high only the rich and famous can afford them. It’s quite the opposite as Chevy cranks these cars off the assembly line producing more Vets in a year than the total for Lamborghini or Ferrari cars combined. That’s a great thing as this car was introduced more than two years ago and already there are thousands showing up on the used car lots. I just did a national search on a popular auto site and close to 6,700 vehicles showed up for the first year 2014. These cars are like most and they depreciate every year making depreciation your friend if you are smart enough to buy pre-owned. Low mile 2014 Vets still aren’t cheap but you can get nicely equipped base models for less than the new MSRP of $55,000.00 and save anywhere between 20%-25%. If it’ll be a weekend toy and you don’t mind buying one with higher miles there are some that are now slightly south of $40,000.00 asking price. Whatever, your choice this car will guarantee many miles of smiles in both the fast lane and luxury lane. The Corvette is a legit luxury toy.
