Thursday 10th June 2021

Corvette gets 2022MY update

The right-hand drive Stingrays that UK customers order are going to be '22 spec - here's what you need to know

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There's not long to wait now! Come October - just four months from now - customers in the UK will be able to order a right-hand drive Corvette. Given everything that's promised and that we know of the car so far, that's a really exciting prospect - especially at 911 Carrera money. However, with the delays that have impinged upon Corvette production, that October date means we'll get 2022 model year Stingrays - this is that car.

Don't worry, it hasn't changed much. The Corvette is still a mid-engined, V8, 500hp sports car. Chevy says this 2022 car has "an upgraded direct injection fuel system, improved engine calibration and an enhanced Active Fuel Management range", though outputs remain the same. Just more Corvette-ness then.

New colours have been added to the rage, with Hypersonic Gray, Caffeine and Amplify Orange Tintcoat now available. Cars without the Z51 Performance Package can now be optioned with a front splitter and rear spoiler to make them look like a Z51, and the Magnetic Ride Control can be added whether the car has the Performance Package or not. US dealers will be taking 2022 Corvette orders beginning next month (price from $62,195 in its home country) with production of the updated cars beginning at Bowling Green towards the end of this year.

All of which you've paid no attention to, right? Because you've been looking at the Corvette Stingray IMSA GTLM Championship Edition. Launched to commemorate the inaugural season of mid-engined Corvette motorsport, the Championship Edition comes in either Accelerate Yellow (like the #3 racer) or Hypersonic Grey (like the #4 car) and is based on a 3LT Corvette with the Z51. Both coupe and convertible get the racy GT2 seats, a numbered plaque, new wheels, yellow calipers and their own indoor car covers that also look like the race car. Sadly there's no chance of UK buyers getting one, even this time around, as all 1,000 GTLMs are for left-hand drive markets. Maybe the next one, right? Because if our previous Corvette stories are anything to go by, there's certainly some pent-up Stingray demand in the UK...

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• Corvette C8 Stingray due on sale in October
• 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C8) | PH Review

[LordOfTheManor]

How much in UK currency ?

[British Beef]

UK pricing will be very interesting, given improted LHD models are priced at £125k in UK

[Turini]

I like these, raises the brand question of Corvette vs Porsche or any other comparable European marque. It’s a huge amount of car for the money with bags of performance. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the marketplace

[Sandpit Steve]

Looks good, best of luck selling them up against the German rivals.

I think they’ll do well, especially if we can get a trade deal with the US to drop the 10% import tariff.

[Burnham]

Its taken me a little while to warm to the design of these, and maybe its the angle, but that rear three-quarter shot of the white one really does look good.

[Arbs]

So who is the supplying dealer for these, Chevrolet direct or do they have a dealer network anymore?

[Gecko1978]

Sandpit Steve said:

Looks good, best of luck selling them up against the German rivals.

I think they’ll do well, especially if we can get a trade deal with the US to drop the 10% import tariff.

Iirc they will be high 80s in the UK if you could drop 10% tariff and then that % of VAT would make them high 70s at which point its aggressive pricing as I assume $65k US car won't have interior quality of a £90k 911 so a big price gap addresses that.

[mac96]

Turini said:

I like these, raises the brand question of Corvette vs Porsche or any other comparable European marque. It’s a huge amount of car for the money with bags of performance. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the marketplace

To be honest, I'd prefer Corvette to Porsche as a brand any day, so my brand prejudice must be inverted! I imagine i am not alone...

Still haven't seen one on the road here in the UK though.

[Sandpit Steve]

Gecko1978 said:

Sandpit Steve said:

Looks good, best of luck selling them up against the German rivals.

I think they’ll do well, especially if we can get a trade deal with the US to drop the 10% import tariff.

Iirc they will be high 80s in the UK if you could drop 10% tariff and then that % of VAT would make them high 70s at which point its aggressive pricing as I assume $65k US car won't have interior quality of a £90k 911 so a big price gap addresses that.

From memory, they’re starting at £82k.
We won’t be getting the bottom-spec $62k US model, rather the $75k one with the nicer interior.

US prices are always plus taxes and delivery, because they vary with state, whereas UK price includes 10% import duty, 20% VAT and shipping.

They’re slap bang between a Cayman GTS a and a base 911, not a bad place to be. Drop the import duty and they’re level with the smaller Porsche.

[Dr Interceptor]

Arbs said:

So who is the supplying dealer for these, Chevrolet direct or do they have a dealer network anymore?

Ian Allen Motors in Virginia Water, Surrey.

Not so handy if you live in Scotland, but ideal for me as they're just 10 miles down the road.

[mooseracer]

Bonkers/brave/weird that they are going to the trouble and cost of producing RHD models for a market that will pretty much disappear over the next few years.

[RJH777]

British Beef said:

UK pricing will be very interesting, given improted LHD models are priced at £125k in UK

Surely the RHD will need to be a good 40k or so under this - the whole pitch of the Vette in the US is it's performance of a 911 turbo at entry level Carrera prices, if they sell it for much more then 80-90k for the entry level I can't see people making the switch.

Certainly if it is around that mark I'd be seriously tempted, if it's well north of a 100k then there's other cars I'd go for.

[Sandpit Steve]

mooseracer said:

Bonkers/brave/weird that they are going to the trouble and cost of producing RHD models for a market that will pretty much disappear over the next few years.

It’s much easier to do RHD with the engine in the middle!

It’s not just U.K. market, also Japan, India, Australia and a fair few others. They’ll do big volumes, even if it’s a fraction of the LHD sales.

[Dr Interceptor]

RJH777 said:

British Beef said:

UK pricing will be very interesting, given improted LHD models are priced at £125k in UK

Surely the RHD will need to be a good 40k or so under this - the whole pitch of the Vette in the US is it's performance of a 911 turbo at entry level Carrera prices, if they sell it for much more then 80-90k for the entry level I can't see people making the switch.

Certainly if it is around that mark I'd be seriously tempted, if it's well north of a 100k then there's other cars I'd go for.

This is the pricing for the launch edition cars, which include 3LT Trim and lots of other bits.



I'd imagine all the launch edition cars are now sold/allocated, but that gives you an idea on pricing.

[Panjy]

I likey

If those price above are correct it's alot of car for the money.

[Dr Interceptor]

Panjy said:

I likey

If those price above are correct it's alot of car for the money.

It should be, they were in the pack sent to me by the dealer - certainly that's what I'm expecting to pay

[British Beef]

Dr Interceptor said:

RJH777 said:

British Beef said:

UK pricing will be very interesting, given improted LHD models are priced at £125k in UK

Surely the RHD will need to be a good 40k or so under this - the whole pitch of the Vette in the US is it's performance of a 911 turbo at entry level Carrera prices, if they sell it for much more then 80-90k for the entry level I can't see people making the switch.

Certainly if it is around that mark I'd be seriously tempted, if it's well north of a 100k then there's other cars I'd go for.

This is the pricing for the launch edition cars, which include 3LT Trim and lots of other bits.



I'd imagine all the launch edition cars are now sold/allocated, but that gives you an idea on pricing.

Good value for what you are getting, especially with entry caymans having 4 cylinders and 911s now with the turbo motor, this is the closest thing to a modern day TVR at that sort of money!

The only 2 things they need to sell like hotcakes:
1. Dealer network - who do they tie in with in UK now Vauxhall is no longer part of the GM group?
2. Great finance package - 5 % deposit and 2% interest over 3 years, with guaranteed 60% residual value.

[Dr Interceptor]

British Beef said:

The only 2 things they need to sell like hotcakes:
1. Dealer network - who do they tie in with in UK now Vauxhall is no longer part of the GM group?
2. Great finance package - 5 % deposit and 2% interest over 3 years, with guaranteed 60% residual value.

I agree... Luckily for me the dealer is just down the road, but I can see it putting people off if they live some distance away.

There is a 'dealer locator' on the Chevy UK website, so I'd imagine they'll be looking to add dealers, perhaps once they start arriving and gaining attention.

[SturdyHSV]

Dr Interceptor said:

Is artic instead of arctic another Americanism I wasn't aware of, or does the new Corvette come in a shade of white inspired by an Iveco lorry?

[Dr Interceptor]

SturdyHSV said:

Is artic instead of arctic another Americanism I wasn't aware of, or does the new Corvette come in a shade of white inspired by an Iveco lorry?

It may actually be intentional, its not the only time its said in the literature...