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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.
Used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2008 Chevrolet Corvettes for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 230 used and CPO 2008 Corvettes listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 21,049 and mileage as low as 16,800. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 300 on a used or CPO 2008 Corvette available from one of 2,632 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette ?
Save up to $300 on one of 11 used 2008 Chevrolet Corvettes for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $21049 as of Apr 22, 2018, based on data from 11 dealers and 8 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 2.3 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette trim styles:
The used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is priced around $33991 with average odometer reading of 46598 miles.
The used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Base is priced around $30906 with average odometer reading of 30878 miles.
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What options are available on the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette?
Available Chevrolet Corvette 2008 Submodel Types: Z06 w/2LZ, Z06 w/1LZ, Z06 w/3LZ, Coupe, Hatchback, Z06, ZR1, 427, Convertible
Available Chevrolet Corvette 2008 Trims: Grand Sport w/2LT, Z06 w/2LZ, Z06 w/1LZ, Stingray w/2LT, Stingray w/1LT, Z06 w/3LZ, Grand Sport w/1LT, Grand Sport w/3LT, Stingray, Stingray Z51 w/2LT, Stingray Z51 w/1LT, Stingray Z51, Stingray Z51 w/3LT, GS, Base, Stingray w/3LT, Grand Sport, Z06, ZR1, 427, Hardtop
Exterior Colors: Torch Red, Watkins Glen Gray Metallic, Blade Silver Metallic, Admiral Blue, Corvette Racing Yellow Tintcoat, Long Beach Red Metallic Tintcoat, Sebring Orange Tintcoat, Shark Gray Metallic, Admiral Blue Metallic, Quicksilver Metallic, LeMans Blue Metallic, Ceramic Matrix Gray Metallic, Machine Silver Metallic, Medium Spiral Gray Metallic, Sterling Blue Metallic, Millennium Yellow, Night Race Blue Metallic, Sebring Silver Metallic, Velocity Yellow Tintcoat, Cyber Gray Metallic, Speedway White, Atomic Orange Metallic, Atomic Orange Metallic Tintcoat , Black, Black Rose Metallic, Daytona Sunrise Orange Metallic, Electron Blue Metallic, Laguna Blue Tintcoat, Light Pewter Metallic, Magnetic Red II Metallic, Magnetic Red Metallic, Magnetic Red Metallic II, Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat, Victory Red, Arctic White, Carbon Flash Metallic, Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat, Crystal Red Tintcoat, Dark Green Gray Metallic, Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic, Jetstream Blue Metallic Tintcoat, Laguna Blue Metallic Tintcoat, LeMans Blue, Navy Blue Metallic, Supersonic Blue Metallic, Yellow
Interior Colors: Jet Black premium leather, Jet Black premium leather/sueded microfiber, Adrenaline Red premium leather, Black, Kalahari premium leather, Gray premium leather, Light Oak, Ebony, Ebony leather, Gray premium leather/sueded microfiber, Adrenaline Red premium leather/sueded microfiber, Ebony premium leather, Light Gray, Cashmere leather, Dark Gray premium leather, Kalahari premium leather/sueded microfiber, Blue premium leather, Cashmere, Cashmere premium leather, Jet Black leather/suede, Kalahari leather/suede, Red, Tension Blue premium leather/sueded microfiber, Titanium Gray leather, Torch Red, Dark Gray leather/sueded microfiber, Dark Gray premium leather/alcantara, Dark Titanium premium leather, Ebony premium leather, Ebony w/Titanium Accents premium leather, Red premium leather, Shale, Titanium Gray premium leather
Popular Features: Bluetooth, USB Inputs, Back-up camera, Keyless Entry/Start, Mobile Internet, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Cooled Seats, Remote Start, Upgraded Engine, Alarm, Auto Climate Control, Aux Audio Inputs, Leather Seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control, Post-collision safety system, Power Driver Seat, Stability Control, Tire Pressure Warning, Trip Computer, Upgraded Headlights, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Hardtop, Heads up display, Heated seats, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Upgraded Stereo, Navigation, Soft Top
Engine/Mechanics: 8 cylinders
Transmission: MANUAL, AUTOMATIC
Fuel Types: premium unleaded (recommended), regular unleaded, premium unleaded (required)
Drivetrains: rear wheel drive
Used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Overview
The used 2008 Chevrolet Corvette is offered in the following submodels: 427 Limited Edition Z06, Convertible, Coupe, Z06, Indy 500 Pace Car Replica. Available styles include 2dr Coupe (6.2L 8cyl 6M), 2dr Convertible (6.2L 8cyl 6M), and Z06 2dr Coupe (7.0L 8cyl 6M). Pre-owned Corvette models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2008 Corvette comes with rear wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed manual.
