From the comments:billgiacheri wrote:For $47,480 it better be good. that is $2500 less than the GT350.
I think your price estimation is a little decieving. You are talking about a theorectical price on a bare-bones base GT350 with no markup, against a SS with loaded to the gills with every imaginable option. I reality the gap is well in excess of $10,000.
According to an online inflation calculator, $46k in 1997 (the year the C5 debuted) is worth just a bit more than $68k now. MSRP on a Corvette now starts at $55k. The $33,295 a top of the line Ford Mustang Cobra cost in 1997 (according to Car and Driver, in a nice review) had the same purchasing power as $49,300 does now - which is more than the MSRP of a base gt350 (of which there may of course be none in existence).
The problem in this is that as inequality has grown since the 1970's, fewer people's incomes have kept up with inflation. But that's not mostly the car companies' problem. If anything I'd argue that given the enormous performance gains, the prices of cars today suggest a market working relatively well for consumers.
This is interesting. I didn't realize that dealers were a feedback mechanism to GM. Maybe I will go to a dealer and have a discussion.If you want Chevrolet (or any manufacturer) to make different cars (or offer different configurations at different prices), contact the manufacturer and tell them that. You can also do that through the dealer. Dealer sales teams have a communications channel to the manufacturer to voice concerns/suggestions. If there is enough interest, the manufacturer will respond.
According to cars.com a base V8 Camaro coupe started at $18K.kevm14 wrote:$37k in 2015 was $24k in 1995. What was a Z28 in 95?
That's $29,360.20 in 2015 money. The 2015 V6 Camaro starts at $24,700. We can redo the calculation with 2016 prices are official and the inflation rate is known, but I image it is very similar.Bob wrote:Looks like the base price of a 96 Z28 was $19,360 in this MT article.
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112 ... ewall.html
When you consider that the performance level of a 95 Z28 was lower than today's V6 Camaro, I would say that the current Camaro represents a good performance bargain.
I would agree with this. In 1997 I was in high school. The C5 Corvette seemed to cost an unobtainable amount of money. Even a $20K F-Body seemed unreasonably expensive. Now, its less so.kevm14 wrote:Other people are weighing in about price perception vs reality:According to an online inflation calculator, $46k in 1997 (the year the C5 debuted) is worth just a bit more than $68k now. MSRP on a Corvette now starts at $55k. The $33,295 a top of the line Ford Mustang Cobra cost in 1997 (according to Car and Driver, in a nice review) had the same purchasing power as $49,300 does now - which is more than the MSRP of a base gt350 (of which there may of course be none in existence).
The problem in this is that as inequality has grown since the 1970's, fewer people's incomes have kept up with inflation. But that's not mostly the car companies' problem. If anything I'd argue that given the enormous performance gains, the prices of cars today suggest a market working relatively well for consumers.