Corvette Stingray Coupe

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Coupe

It's been a tumultuous first half of the year as automakers everywhere have been hit hard by the global semiconductor chip shortage. General Motors has not been immune to the shortage which has already affected the production of trucks like the Chevy Silverado 1500. Production of the Corvette Stingray sports car was also affected earlier this year for another parts supply issue and now Automotive News is reporting that GM will once again halt Corvette production next week. However, this latest production setback doesn't have to do with the chip shortage and GM hasn't disclosed the specifics of what has caused it.

Production at the Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky will be halted on Monday and only resume again on June 1. This will be the plant's third shutdown since February that is related to parts supply issues.

"Our supply chain, manufacturing and engineering teams are working closely with our supply base to mitigate any further impact on production," said spokesman Dan Flores.

This isn't great news for the Corvette, which is already in extremely high demand after sales in North America jumped by 73 percent in the first quarter. However, Q1 2020 sales were affected by the initial stages of the pandemic at that time.

Already, over 277,000 GM vehicles have been affected by the semiconductor chip shortage and the latest Bowling Green Assembly shutdown will only add to the company's woes. Ongoing Corvette production issues are also unlikely to increase the odds of the more powerful Corvette Z06 getting here anytime soon. Its high-revving V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft should make the C8 an even more engaging sports car. This engine should produce over 600 horsepower, making it a lot more powerful than the regular C8's 495-hp V8. Right now, though, we hope that the latest shutdown doesn't extend beyond June 1.