Despite the recent unveiling of the new Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet is having difficulty selling its seventh-generation Corvette. How much difficulty, exactly? According to MSN Money, only 1,345 Corvettes were sold in October. That's a 49 percent drop from the previous October. Overall, sales are off by a troubling 20 percent for the first ten months of 2017, and the year is quickly coming to an end. What to do? Discounts. Even the Corvette Z06 is being discounted.

In fact, the Corvette Z06, previously the fastest and most powerful within the C7 lineup prior to the ZR1's arrival, is among the Chevy vehicles with the largest discount right now. How much, exactly? Try $9,107 below the $80,445 MSRP. Bear in mind that tacking on extra features quickly jacks the price even higher, easily into the $90k range. Given the end of year discount, perhaps now's the best time to buy a C7 Z06. Sure, the ZR1 will be arriving soon, but the Z06's 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque isn't exactly for amateurs. The LT4 supercharged 6.2-liter V8 made the Z06, until the ZR1, the most powerful production car ever from General Motors. Discounts of up to $9k don't come along often.

But going back to the dismal Corvette sales in general for a moment. It's troubling. Like the now discontinued Dodge Viper, the Corvette, especially the Z06, is more of a trophy car for the brand. It attracts customers to dealerships, but they typically wind up with a Malibu, Equinox, or Colorado. You know, something mainstream. Despite the base Corvette Stingray's more affordable $56k starting price, buyers just aren't responding. Not exactly good news for Chevrolet just as its rumored to soon to debut the next generation C8 Corvette. The C8, as we all know, will likely feature the most significant change to the Corvette in its 60+ year history, the switch from front- to mid-engine.

Question is, will that be enough to reenergize GM's premiere sports and, in the case of the Z06 and ZR1, supercar? Hopefully, the C8 will make its world premiere soon, perhaps as soon as Detroit in January. For now, the C7 soldiers on for the 2018 model year relatively unchanged.