Chevrolet's decision to extend production of the 2020 Corvette C8 was a good one, as demand for the mid-engine sports car remains high. How high? Well, sales of the Corvette in Q4 2020 were amazing, with the C8 easily out-selling popular but more expensive rivals like the Porsche 718, Porsche 911, and the Mercedes-AMG GT.

In Q4 2020, a total of 8,992 Corvettes were delivered, which was a remarkable year-on-year increase of 158 percent. In Q4 2019, just 3,491 units of the Corvette were sold by comparison. Of the German rivals listed above, nothing comes close. In fact, the C8 outsold all its premium sports car rivals combined.

Even though Porsche had a strong sales year globally, only 2,438 examples of the 911 were sold in Q4 2020 in the US, which is just over a quarter of the number of Corvettes that found homes in the same period. For the year, 8,840 911s were sold in the US in 2020 as opposed to 21,626 units of the Corvette.

The cheaper 718 lineup - comprising the Boxster and Cayman - moved 1,491 units between October and December last year. Of course, the Corvette's far more attractive price surely has a lot to do with these figures. The base Corvette C8 starts at $1,000 less than the entry-level Cayman, yet the C8 delivers 490 horsepower from its mighty V8 and the cheapest Cayman can only manage 300 hp from its turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant. Selling below 200 units each in Q4 were the likes of the Audi R8, discontinued BMW i8, and Acura NSX.

Another much pricier sports car, the Mercedes-AMG GT, could only manage to move 924 units in the final quarter of last year. Then again, it starts at more than double the price of the Corvette C8. Among premium sports cars, the C8's market share increased dramatically, buoyed by its strong finish to the year and helping to banish memories of close to a year ago, when production of the Corvette was cut short.

Elsewhere in Chevy's lineup, the C8 even outsold the struggling - and much cheaper - Camaro in Q4, with the latter managing just 7,549 units, a drop of 34 percent relative to the same period the year before. With the first 2021 Corvette already delivered and hopefully no more production woes to deal with, 2021 should be a stellar year for the sports car.