How Will the 2020 C8 Corvette Production Compare With Other Mid-Engine Sports Cars?

An additional workforce of 400 workers could have some severe ramifications on the production output of the Corvette C8 at its Bowling Green plan. Now with 1,300 workers in total, the plant is ready to achieve record production numbers and enable the Corvette C8 to make record-breaking sales. I will remind you that back in 2014, GM flipped more than 34,000 units of the Corvette C7. With the mid-engine layout, and, I hold my hopes, an affordable price, the C8 could topple that easily. To show you the sheer importance of the new Corvette C8, I will tell you how its production stack up compared to the most significant mid-engine cars in the world.

Can GM Produce and Sell 40,000 mid-engine Corvette C8 units a very first year?

Considering that GM added more workforce to its Bowling Green Plant - the C8 production facility - I can only assume that GM plans to produce thousands of units. Probably more than ever. In that regard, all moves GM makes lead me to believe that the yearly production (at least for the first year) could reach 40,000 units. To put that number into perspective, I will elaborate a bit on the production numbers on other expensive mid-engine sports cars.

Porsche Zuffenhausen Production Facility for Porsche 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster

Obviously, the 718, while probably similarly priced to the upcoming C8, is considerably smaller, less powerful and slower. Porsche, thanks to its masterful pedigree manages to find up to 25,000 buyers for its entry-level sports cars. In 2018 Porsche sold 24,750 units of the Cayman and Boxster. That's massive, yet, a bit less than what they did in 2017.

Yet, not even Porsche has such a demand to create up to 40,000 mid-engine sportscars a year. I will say it once again - if the price remains at attainable levels, the GM could have the best year ever with the Corvette - up to 40,000 produced and sold in the first year. That would be simply staggering.

Honda NSX Marysville Assembly Plant

Americans bought 1,020 units in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Europeans don't like it at all it seems - Acura managed to sell 171 units in 2017, and 2018. Yet, Marysville Assembly Plant is a state of the art facility, on par with the fantastic Zuffenhausen production facility. Honda even assembles engines and motors for the NSX there. On this short list, the NSX seems to be the most complex vehicle. It's a mid-engine hybrid supercar. This affected assemblage times. Right now, the Marysville Assembly Plant can complete 8 NSXs per day. Not that it does that, but it can if the need arise.

McLaren Technology Centre

“Record sales highlight what the momentous year 2018 was for McLaren Automotive when over 4,800 cars left our Production Centre,” said Mike Flewitt, Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Automotive. “That compares to 1,650 in 2015 showing the remarkable expansion in just three years as we work to consolidate growth to 6,000 cars a year by the end of our Track25 business plan.”

Considering all this, I am now, more than ever, sure about the fact that the Corvette will become the best selling mid-engine supercar in the world. It may be that GM did more for the whole mid-engine supercar world than any company ever. It will mate incredible performance with affordability. That never happened. Ever! Please, don't involve MR2s, small Lotuses, Fieros, or such in this story.

Ferrari Maranello Factory Kept the Ferrari Name Exclusive

Firstly, because we are looking at two completely different philosophies. Secondly, because people who buy Ferraris have tons of money, and more importantly, a lof or power. And thirdly, Ferrari is cutting edge. An affordably priced Corvette C8 cannot cut that technological edge.

That will grow to a bit more than 10,000 units after 2019. Obviously, I am writing about all Ferrari cars - mid-engined or not. This shows that Ferrari is adamant at keeping the Ferrari as exclusive as is financially possible. GM isn't adamant about keeping Corvette exclusive. GM is adamant about selling as many of them as possible.

Conclusion

After all, we have to look the truth in the eye and say that Corvette does not actually aim for the same type of buyers as the Ferrari, McLaren, or even the Porsche. That does not mean it is not as good as some of them. With extreme power, new mid-engine layout, and the best suspension ever envisioned on this side of the pond, I, as a European, can finally say that the Corvette C8 may be even better than some mid-engine propositions that come from the Old Continent. This is the first time ever that Europeans could become enchanted by the Corvette. Please GM, don't make it extremely expensive.