By Steven Symes 
It wasn’t that long ago anyone wanting to get their hands on a new C8 Corvette of any kind had to be willing to pony up some serious cash. Some dealers were marking the mid-engine sports cars up by substantial amounts, laughing all the way to the bank. But those days are over as some dealers are now offering discounts below MSRP for new C8 Corvettes.
C8 Corvette wrecks Dodge Challenger in a street race.
Like we’ve seen with other once-hot cars, C8 Corvettes are stacking up on dealership lots across the country. The situation is worse at some dealers than others, but if you’re in the market for a new ‘Vette you finally can hunt for good deals.
Just doing a quick search of inventory through Autotrader in the Phoenix, Arizona area, we were able to identify quite a few 2024 Chevy Corvette Stingrays offered at several thousand dollars below MSRP. The same was true in Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, and Seattle. We wouldn’t be surprised if one could talk a dealer down even further on price.
Of course, some dealers aren’t willing to provide such deals. In some areas of the country, demand for a new C8 Corvette is still fairly strong. Still, this is a big turn of events considering how the market has been for the past few years.
There are a lot of theories about why this shift has happened. One is that supply and demand are finally starting to equalize. When the C8 launched in early 2020, it seemed like everyone wanted one of the first mid-engine Corvettes, including people who previously had turned their nose up towards America’s sports car.
Some have moved on to the next new shiny thing, or they’re more interested in the C8 Z06 or E-Ray, making the current Stingray not as desirable.
The fact that the C8 now has several production years, so there’s a healthy stock of used models out there, could also be behind the change. Supply constraints which kept production numbers low in the beginning have also faded into the past, meaning more people who really want a C8 have been able to get one.
Another big potential driving force is greater economic uncertainty. Layoffs are all over in the news, different markets have been volatile, and a lot of consumers are pulling back on spending as a result. That means fewer people are looking at expensive hobby cars.
We’ve seen some talk about how enthusiasts are realizing the C7 Corvette is a good deal and can be had with a manual transmission, which somehow translates into a softening of demand for the C8. That might be a small factor, but people knew this back when the C8 launched, so we think the shiny new toy syndrome is a much bigger reason for the shift.
Whatever the reason, now is the first time ever you can wheel and deal for a new C8 Corvette Stingray. The big question is are you going to do it?
Image via Chevrolet