AutoTrader Find of the Week: Chevrolet Corvette C6 is a Performance Bargain
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Even as the hype train continues to roll on for the modern, mid-engine C8 Corvette, prices remain strong for the previous-generation C7 models.
Perhaps because the C7 was the last front-engine Corvette. Perhaps because it was a performance juggernaut. Perhaps because Chevrolet got the styling so bang-on. For whatever reason, C7 owners are not so easily parted from their ‘Vettes.
The rock-solid C7 market is bolstered by the fact that Chevy is estimated to have only sold about 150,000 examples — roughly three-quarters the volume of each of the previous two generations, albeit in about half the time.
Translation? The C7 is beloved, but relatively scarce. Unlike the car it replaced, the C6, it certainly never overstayed its welcome. And that’s good news for you.
Because the C6 was around for nearly twice as long as the C7, it shifted an additional 50,000 units. It is currently in low demand and high abundance. And there are some simply ridiculous bargains to be had as a result, on just about every budget.
Yes, there are still some mind-meltingly cheap C5 ‘Vettes out there, but the word is out on what a bargain those are — and there are fewer and fewer listings all the time. Plus, prices are starting to climb on the highly desirable Z06 models.
And sure, the automotive media skewered the C6’s mid-2000s Fisher Price interior and laughably flimsy fibreglass bodywork without mercy. But there’s a bright side. Its engine was still an LS-based single-cam iron monger, so they’re reliable and easy to fix. And that flimsy bodywork tends to avoid whisky dents and rust. Who's laughing now?
Playing with around $30,000? Here’s a black-on-black targa roof C6 for sale in Toronto on AutoTrader, which, despite having done 138,000 km, doesn’t look like it’s aged a day.
Fancy yourself more of a cargo shorts-wearing golf enthusiast? Well, strap on your socks and sandals and behold this heavily-optioned convertible 3LT model in Monterey Red for sale in North York for a mere $33,000. The tan convertible roof might not be for everybody, but you can tell your friends it's a really rare option (a quintessential part of the Corvette ownership experience).
Nobody would ever suspect you bought either of these old ‘Vettes for less than the price of a new Hyundai Sonata. Besides, the Sonata doesn’t have a 6.2-litre, 400-horsepower LS2 V8 under the hood (or as nice of an interior).
But what if you’re a more serious enthusiast who wants a Corvette to drive and not just bring to show and shines?
How about this six-speed manual hardtop 3LT 2005 model for sale in Rockwood, Ont.? It’s only done a measley 48,000 km, can be had for $34,000, and will humiliate that jerk kid on your street who hasn’t moved out of his mom’s basement because he financed his life away for a Dodge Challenger Scat Pack.
This 2011 model for sale at Roy Foss Chevrolet in Thornhill, Ont., bumps the power up to 430 horsepower with the newer LS3 V8 engine. It also features the blessed six-speed manual, is practically brand new, and can be had for about $20,000 less than a brand new Mustang GT Performance Pack.
“But I have Mustang GT Performance Pack money to spend,” I hear you cry.
Well then, might I direct you to this 2013 Z06 model equipped with the 7.0-litre LS7 making 505 horsepower for sale in Calgary? This is the car Jeremy Clarkson famously did a zero-to-175-mph run in a single gear. And this particular one is even optioned with a 60th Anniversary Edition appearance package — so again, you can talk proper Corvette drivel when you buy it.
This older 2006 Z06 for sale in Longueuil, Que., is only $50,000. I can only assume that for this kind of money, this supercar-killer of yesterday is cursed by a literal demon that haunts its owner à la It Follows. It seems way too good to be true.
OK, but what about the big dog? The ultimate C6 Corvette? The supercharged LS9-powered, Ferrari-terrorizing, 638-horsepower ZR1?
Yeah, you will still be looking at over $100,000 for a ZR1. This 2011 model for sale at Manhattan Motorcars in Scarborough, Ont., is a fine example.
But here’s the thing: a low-mileage example of C6 ZR1 is still cheaper than a brand new base model C8 out the door. Sure, the C8 has more accessible performance — it’s certainly not trying to kill you while rattling itself to pieces like the C6 ZR1 — but let’s be real, that’s what makes the C6 a little more interesting. It’s kind of scary. And you can (must) have it with a manual transmission. And in just a few short years, it’ll become a genuine classic.
Also, only 4,684 C6 ZR1s were ever produced. Compared to the roughly 100,000 C8s currently in the market, the older car is most definitely the more Corvette Corvette.
I get it. Corvettes, especially the C6, come with a stigma. But what the stigma tends to overshadow is just how much performance value the Corvette offers, particularly in the C6 generation when Chevy started to get really serious about taking on the best Europe had to offer. And for the moment, I’m not sure there’s a better raw performance bargain in any sports car currently on the market.
