Quote:
Originally Posted by Z OH 6
Honestly, the C8 Stingray is fantastic bang for the buck too, as well as the upcoming C8 Grand Sport. The only con against both of these cars is a lack of manual for those people that want manuals.
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I wouldn’t put the C8 Stingray in the “bang for the buck” category—at least not based on my experience.
To match the equipment that was standard on my ’17 ZL1, I had to add nearly $11k in options to my ’21 C8. Getting basics like HUD, heated/ventilated/memory seats, blind spot monitoring, and a heated wheel required stepping up to the $7k 2LT trim. Then another $5k for Z51 package just to the get performance exhaust and eLSD, plus $1,800 more if you wanted the Mag Ride shocks.
Even things like Alcantara (standard on the ZL1) meant upgrading to GT2 seats for another $1,500—and yes, even red seat belts cost extra.
So that $59,999 base Stingray turned pretty quickly into an $75K car just to match what came standard on a ~$65k 6th gen ZL1.
The only real extras my C8 had over the ZL1 were the front and rearview mirror cameras. Otherwise, they were essentially optioned the same—aside from the transmission.
And to top it off, the C8 didn’t even include a tow hook. Had to spend another $100 for the OEM one.
People joke about a “Corvette tax,” but based on my ownership experience—it’s real.
From a performance standpoint, the only real advantage the Stingray had over the ZL1 was quickness off the line and handling thanks to the mid-engine layout. Performance per dollar, The ZL1 definitely had the edge.
In my opinion, the 6th gen Camaro ZL1 will go down in history as the best performance car for the money GM ever produced.