GM intends to slowly ramp up Z06 production in an effort to avoid another Stingray delivery situation.
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is one of the most anticipated sports cars of this decade. Unfortunately for the Corvette faithful, General Motors has just closed the order books for the sports car for the rest of the calendar year, mirroring the situation that previously unfolded with the base model C8 Corvette.
The news was initially sent to dealers by way of a company-wide Z06 update, as first reported by Corvette Blogger. That message included a video message from Chevy’s global vice president Scott Bell, during which the executive confirmed that GM will be halting additional orders of the Z06 through the end of 2022. Fans of the Corvette will remember the mess that 2020 C8 reservation holders faced when supply chain constraints limited production during the car’s debut year. The automaker accepted more orders than it could fulfill, resulting in tremendous wait times for buyers who didn’t make the cut for a 2020 model year vehicle. A large portion of customers even had to re-order their vehicles as a 2021 model.
Those issues combined with various packages being removed from the order book as a result of other supply chain problems left customers far from pleased. In an effort to avoid a similar mess with the Z06, Chevrolet is taking a more measured approach in 2022. Corvette afficiando Rick Conti has uploaded a YouTube clip detailing the update, which you can watch below.
According to the internal memo, General Motors intends to slowly ramp up Z06 production, aiming to “get the car right” before fully cranking up the speed at Bowling Green. This makes sense, since this most recent incarnation of the high-performance model is quite different from the basic C8, especially as far as the 5.5-liter flat-plane V-8 engine behind the driver is concerned. If customers are going to be waiting for their cars, it is best to ensure they are satisfied with the quality of the final product.
Speaking of quality, GM will also be reducing the previously reported warranty transfer timeline, now down to six months from the initial one-year proposal. Perhaps GM hopes that a softer stance on flippers will help get more prospective Z06 customers into the driver’s seat despite the slowed production. Either way, things are starting to look rather familiar as far as C8 Corvette launches are concerned.
Keyword: C8 Corvette Z06 Ordering Book Closed Until 2023