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We're behind the wheel of the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette, and right over there is the assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where a lot more of them will be coming off the line shortly. It's the center of the Corvette universe.
Will Cooksey is riding in the passenger seat of this new 2008 Chevrolet Corvette and he's remembering when he came home from Vietnam, and one of the first things he did was buy a 1969 Vette. He was sufficiently impressed with the car that he went to work for General Motors, hoping that someday, maybe he could build Corvettes.
Now Cooksey is the manager of the Bowling Green plant, where his 1,200 employees crank out about 20 Corvettes an hour, as well as about six Cadillac XLRs a day. Cooksey himself owns five Corvettes, plus a full-blown drag-racing Corvette that will, he says, "run 9-second quarter-miles all day." Cooksey says he owns an XLR, too. "I'm probably one of the few plant managers who buys his own products," he tells us.
Of course, would he have so many if he was, say, plant manager of the Chevy Cobalt plant? "Umm, I doubt it," he says, laughing.
On the Road in the '08
It seems like only moments ago when the Corvette C6 was introduced — a new, leaned-down package filled to the brim with the latest high-performance technology developed by the small group of Vette-dedicated engineers. But that was 2005, and since then the Corvette has twice won its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans since then (and might another time this June), so it's time for what General Motors calls a "midcycle enhancement."
It's a pretty good enhancement, too, because it begins with the new LS3 V8, now standard equipment for both the Corvette coupe and convertible. In a nutshell, the 2008 V8's displacement is bumped from 6.0 liters to 6.2 thanks to an increase in cylinder bore from 101.6mm to 103.3mm. This 6,162cc V8 also gets new cylinder heads derived from those for the 7.0-liter LS7 V8 featured in the 500-horsepower Corvette Z06, with low-restriction, large-capacity intake ports plus lightweight, hollow-stemmed intake valves that are about 9 percent larger.
Once you add a strengthened block, a new high-lift camshaft, a revised valve train and LS7-style fuel injectors plus a new intake manifold, the bottom line is 430 hp at 5,900 rpm, some 30 hp more than before. Torque output is 424 pound-feet at 4,600 rpm.
If you're after every last bit of power from the LS3 V8 (plant manager Cooksey is encouraging us here), you'll want to consider the new, optional, Z06-style exhaust system. At maximum load, butterfly valves open in two of the four exhaust runners to reduce back pressure, and the result is six more hp and 4 pound-feet of torque, for a total of 436 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque.
Top speed is a cool 190 mph.
The Corvette engineers have also done their best to get you up to speed quicker than before with some transmission improvements. The six-speed manual transmission has an improved shift linkage with a more positive, direct feel and stronger, spring-loaded action from gate to gate. No more navigation exercises required when going for a gear in a Corvette. Meanwhile the six-speed automatic has some new hardware and a new calibration that delivers quicker shifts, so the car feels more responsive when you use the steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. Chevy says the 2008 Corvette automatic now gets to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, quicker than ever before.
Exterior Enhancements? Not So Much.
Most of the visual updates for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette lie in the cockpit. There's a metal sill plate to greet you as you open the door, then some new brightwork on the center stack and the center console. Most important, there's a new, optional two-tone leather trim package that finally drags the Corvette's interior out of the 1980s at long last. "We kept hearing complaints that the styling of the Corvette's interior wasn't on par with the exterior," says Tom Wallace, the Corvette's chief engineer, "and I think we've addressed that."
One thing Wallace's team also addressed, but to no good end, is the '08 Vette's exterior appearance. There are new split-spoke wheels derived from the Corvette pace car that will appear at the 2007 Indianapolis 500, plus some handsome-but-generic five-spoke alloys sourced from a new offshore supplier. But otherwise there's nothing to tell your friends that you're driving a cool, new 2008 Corvette instead of an old, ratty, outdated 2007 model. No difference in exterior badges, even.
How come? "Well, we definitely looked at it," Wallace says, "and we even tried some changes. To the taillights, the nose, several other places. But everything we did, the consensus was that what we have looks better."
At least there are two new colors: Jetstream Blue Metallic Tintcoat and Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat.
The Carefully Calibrated Dynamometer
The introduction of the 2008 Corvette took place near the National Corvette Museum, right across the road from the Bowling Green assembly plant. It's a great place, with lots of exhibits that trace the development of the Corvette since those first few fiberglass cars were hand-built in Flint, Michigan, then the years of production in St. Louis and finally modern history here in Bowling Green. You can even arrange to have your new Corvette delivered here at the museum in a special ceremony.
Unfortunately this introduction to the 2008 Corvette included only a short driving loop of 40 miles. Thanks to a drive during the morning in a 2007 model, the carefully calibrated dyno in the seat of our pants did find the extra 36 hp in the 2008 Corvette. Even though this represents just a 9 percent horsepower improvement in the 3,217-pound coupe, the midrange punch definitely seems more potent.
It's hard to say if the quicker-shifting automatic really amounts to a difference you can feel, though. And while the Corvette guys have applied a new, more precise machining process to the rack-and-pinion steering and made some of the internal components more rigid, we can't say that we felt a dramatic improvement.
But given the fact that the main enhancement for the 2007 Corvette over the 2006 model amounted to a larger glove compartment, we'll take what we can get.
When, and How Much?
Cooksey tells us that one day late in June, his plant will make a rolling change from the 2007 to the 2008 model with no plant downtime. By August, the new 2008 Chevrolet Corvette coupes and convertibles should appear at a Dealer Near You.
There are, however, virtually no changes to the 2008 Corvette Z06, as we await the ultrahigh-performance 2009 Corvette model that no one here at the center of the Corvette universe denies is coming. They do, however, worry about the likelihood that most of these super Vettes will end up in the hands of collectors. "I'm not sure you'll be able to touch one for under $150,000," one executive lamented.
Pricing for the 2008 Corvette has not been decided, but any increase will be, we're told, "modest." The current base price of the coupe is $44,250. And the optional 2008 exhaust system should be about $1,000, give or take a little.
We look forward to a full test of the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette. But then again, we look forward to a full test of any Corvette, and always have.
Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.
2008 Chevrolet Corvette Overview
Edmunds experts have compiled a robust series of ratings and reviews for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette and all model years in our database. Our rich content includes expert reviews and recommendations for the 2008 Corvette featuring deep dives into trim levels and features, performance, mpg, safety, interior, and driving. Edmunds also offers expert ratings, road test and performance data, long-term road tests, first-drive reviews, video reviews and more.
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Consumer ratings and reviews are also available for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette and all its trim types. Overall, Edmunds users rate the 2008 Corvette 4.8 on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Edmunds consumer reviews allow users to sift through aggregated consumer reviews to understand what other drivers are saying about any vehicle in our database. Detailed rating breakdowns (including performance, comfort, value, interior, exterior design, build quality, and reliability) are available as well to provide shoppers with a comprehensive understanding of why customers like the 2008 Corvette.
Vehicle
2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 6M)
Review
My wife and I have absolutely loved this car from the day we purchased it. The comfort, performance and reliability can't be beat, especially for the price. You could pay twice as much and still not get a car of this quality. We drove it on a 9,000 mile road trip around the United States in the fall of 2008 and averaged 27 mpg. The navigation was a huge aid. Don't believe the car magazine criticisms of the seats, but ask any C6 owner or try them yourself to realize how comfortable and supportive they are. The 430 horsepower is all you could desire and more. The Corsa Sport exhaust I installed added 12 additional horses and 13 lbs of torque and an aggressive throaty sound on acceleration and quiet cruising. While I aspire to eventually purchase a C7, I will have difficulty parting with this C6, the lines of which I actually prefer.
See all consumer reviews and retings for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette
Edmunds Value
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Available Chevrolet Corvette 2008 Submodel Types: Coupe, Convertible, Z06, Z06 w/2LZ, Z06 w/3LZ, Z06 w/1LZ, Hatchback, ZR1, 427
Available Trims: Base, Stingray w/2LT, Stingray w/1LT, Z06 w/2LZ, Z06 w/3LZ, Grand Sport w/2LT, Z06, Z06 w/1LZ, Stingray Z51 w/2LT, GS, Grand Sport w/3LT, Stingray Z51 w/3LT, Stingray Z51 w/1LT, Stingray Z51, Grand Sport w/1LT, Stingray, Grand Sport, Stingray w/3LT, Hardtop, ZR1, 427
Exterior Colors: Black, Arctic White, Torch Red, Watkins Glen Gray Metallic, Admiral Blue, Blade Silver Metallic, Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat, Victory Red, Machine Silver Metallic, Velocity Yellow Tintcoat, Black Rose Metallic, Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat, Sterling Blue Metallic, Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic, LeMans Blue Metallic, Light Pewter Metallic, Shark Gray Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic, Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat, Night Race Blue Metallic, Millennium Yellow, Navy Blue Metallic, Crystal Red Tintcoat, Jetstream Blue Metallic Tintcoat, Quicksilver Metallic, Laguna Blue Tintcoat, Machine Silver, Magnetic Red Metallic, Medium Spiral Gray Metallic, Sebring Silver Metallic, Speedway White, Supersonic Blue Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat, LeMans Blue, Atomic Orange Metallic, Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat , Brilliant Red Metallic, Carbon Flash Metallic, Carlisle Blue Metallic, Dark Bowling Green Metallic, Daytona Sunrise Orange Metallic, Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic, Laguna Blue Metallic Tintcoat, Magnetic Red Metallic II, 50th Anniversary Red, Inferno Orange Metallic, Magnetic Red II Metallic, Medium Quasar Blue Metallic, Nassau Blue Metallic, Precision Red, Purple Pearl Metallic, White
Interior Colors: Jet Black premium leather, Jet Black premium leather/sueded microfiber, Ebony premium leather, Adrenaline Red premium leather, Black, Kalahari premium leather, Gray premium leather, Ebony leather, Titanium Gray premium leather, Light Oak, Cashmere premium leather, Red premium leather, Adrenaline Red premium leather/sueded microfiber, Ebony, Ebony premium leather, Kalahari premium leather/sueded microfiber, Steel Gray, Titanium Gray leather, Dark Gray premium leather, Tension Blue premium leather/sueded microfiber, Torch Red, Blue premium leather, Cashmere, Dark Gray leather/sueded microfiber, Gray premium leather/sueded microfiber, Jet Black leather/suede, Cashmere leather, Dark Titanium premium leather, Ebony w/Red Accents premium leather, Red, Shale, Spice Red premium leather, Ebony w/Red Accents leather, Kalahari leather/suede, Light Gray, Linen premium leather, Red leather
Popular Features: Alarm, Leather Seats, Power Driver Seat, Stability Control, Trip Computer, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Auto Climate Control, Tire Pressure Warning, Upgraded Headlights, Post-collision safety system, Hardtop, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Aux Audio Inputs, Heads up display, Bluetooth, USB Inputs, Back-up camera, Keyless Entry/Start, Mobile Internet, Heated seats, Upgraded Stereo, Navigation, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Remote Start, Cooled Seats, Soft Top, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Upgraded Engine
Engine/Mechanics: 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (recommended), premium unleaded (required), regular unleaded
Drivetrains: rear wheel drive
