Here's One Thing 2020 Corvette Customers Will Be Happy About

Feb. 01, 2020 2:50 PM ET by Aaron Brzozowski Pricing / 11 Comments

We'd sure like to get ahold of this resale data.

The new mid-engine C8 Corvette is many things. It's fast, rocketing from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds with the available Z51 package and its 495 horsepower of thrust. It's also agile, producing up to 1.05 G of lateral acceleration on the skid pad. And, it's an undeniable performance bargain; a base C8 starts at just $59,995 before destination and options, and the Z51 package tacks just $5,000 onto the price.

Apparently, the C8 Corvette also has a strong resale value - or more rather, it will have. Or is projected to have. Kelley Blue Book honored the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette with a KBB Best Resale Value Award, placing it first among all sports cars on sale today.

It's an interesting choice, given that the C8 Corvette still isn't on sale yet.

The award was based on KBB's predicted 2020 Corvette resale value of 54.9 percent of the original MSRP after 5 years of ownership. KBB cited the new 'Vette's "huge" performance increase, its radical styling, and the level of pent-up demand.

Rumors of a mid-engine Corvette have, of course, persisted for years, abetted by GM's multitude of mid-engine design studies like the CERV II, CERV III, and Aerovette. It's an idea that traces all the way back to the "Father of the Corvette," engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, circa 1960.

Kelley Blue Book may have a point. After all, it's rumored that General Motors will lose money on every sub-$80,000 Corvette sold, meaning buyers will literally be getting more than their money's worth on each C8. That could translate to better-than-average resale prices. Further helping the 2020 Corvette, GM's production targets have been reduced in the wake of this past summer's UAW union strike, which caused a delay in the start of production.

So, if you like a sports car that will hold its value well over time, consider a 'Vette.