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A 1LT Grand Sport is the best bang for the buck for todays Corvette. A great value for the guy who values performance and appearance over creature comfort options. JMO.
Well I think any Grand Sport is the best bang for the buck in todays corvette. Holds true if you want a 1LT car or a 3LT car or in between. Only makes sense to buy a Grand Sport if you want all the Z51 stuff plus mag ride.
Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe
Since you're stuck with 1LTs, what are you going to say? "I'm glad I ram my front spoiler into curbs when parking?" "I love being blinded at night with no night tint?!" To a 1LT owner - everything's a 1LT!
Well, I have owned Corvettes since 1986. My 18 is the first one with a front view camera, wasn't available in 2014. None of my C3 cars had a front camera. Yet in 32 years I have never hit my front spoiler. Not even on the C3's I put ground effects all the way around the car. I do not need a camera to keep from hitting my car on something.
Hey bud, I didn't order it, but happened on it at the right time (and still got 13% off of the sticker). Was GREAT timing paying deep into the $50's for a GRAND SPORT!
I agree. I like to buy my own stuff and make it mine, plus I bought it to drive the snot out of!
The e-diff is also standard along with all the other cool stuff like mag ride, wide body, dry sump, upgraded suspension, bigger brakes, wheels and tires, and aero. The GS is a bargain compared to a Stingray or Z51.
The only thing I've done with mine is add the Stage II spoiler extensions.
This is a 2LT with the only options being black wheels, PDR, carbon flash mirrors and trim, and dealer-applied hash stripes.
Since you're stuck with 1LTs, what are you going to say? "I'm glad I ram my front spoiler into curbs when parking?" "I love being blinded at night with no night tint?!" To a 1LT owner - everything's a 1LT!
I never had a front camera and I seem to manage fine all these years. As for the rear view mirror in the 1LT, you know they have those little levers that you move up or down if someone has their brights on behind you. Also, if the auto dimming mirror is important it can be swapped for around $120 instead of having to pay $4-$5k for the entire 2LT package. Actually, the only feature I actually wanted from the 2LT was the Homelink sunvisor, so I swapped out the visor for $200.
I have nothing against the 2LT or 3LT packages, it is just that I don't see the value in the extra content. That said, if the price of a 2LT was the same as a 1LT I would gladly take it.
- HUD, I have had a few cars (Corvettes, Camaros) with a HUD, it is cool at first but then the novelty wears off and I could take it or leave it. Probably very useful for tracking the car but I don't.
- Extra speaker in the Bose system. We are talking about adding a weak Bose sub-woofer and it barely makes a difference in the overall sound. The money would be better spent on a real JL Audio sub, enclosure and amp.
- Seats - the 2LTs have the little Corvette emblems, nice touch. The memory seat feature is cool but I am the only one that drives it. Easy entry exit, again, sounds nice but I don't have that today so don't miss it. Anyway you look at it you are falling in and climbing out of a Corvette.
- Homelink sun-visor and auto dimming rear mirror. I actually like these features and think they should be included in a $60k+ vehicle but they only cost around $300 to add as they can be swapped out directly.
- Front Camera - nice to have but not worth the $4-5k package price to get it. I will just be sure to not pull up all the way or simply back into a spot.
So, I just went through this buying exercise. A Stingray Convertible with Z51, 2LT, M7 and Mag-ride is $71,840 msrp. A Grand Sport Convertible, 1LT, M7 is $70,590 msrp. Even if we made them the same 1LT trim on both, $70,590 vs. $67,385, a difference of $3,205 msrp. This pricing combined with all the other aspects of the GS is what is making it the top seller right now as you get the most for your money with the GS. The tougher decision for me is whether it was worth the $14k more for the Z06 supercharger... I restrained myself and stuck to my budget.
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe
Go enjoy your 1LT. It's all you've got.
Enjoy your base, it's all you've got.
All kidding aside, I purposely ordered my last 2 Grand Sports in 1LT. I could have gotten a 3LT base for about the same money but for roughly $10,000 I thought the GS was a FAR better fit to my tastes than the same $10,000 in 3LT stuff on the base. Further, I think Corvette prices themselves out of the market on some things, both in packages as well as stand alone options. Long beach red is a $1,000 option on a Vette while only half that on a Suburban for the same exact paint code. PDR is $1,700 on the Vette but only $1,300 on a Camaro. I had a 2LT C6 GS and the only thing I cared about in that package was the HUD since the dash speedo was analog and harder to read. The only thing in C7 2LT I cared for was again the HUD, but since the C7 has a digital speedo it makes it easier to read than the C6 dash speedo. I wasnt going to blow $4,500 for HUD especially when you only have to move your eyeballs down a few inches.
I'd take a 1LZ Z06 over a 3LT Grand Sport. No wrong answers, we've all bought what we want and we all win.
I never had a front camera and I seem to manage fine all these years. As for the rear view mirror in the 1LT, you know they have those little levers that you move up or down if someone has their brights on behind you. Also, if the auto dimming mirror is important it can be swapped for around $120 instead of having to pay $4-$5k for the entire 2LT package. Actually, the only feature I actually wanted from the 2LT was the Homelink sunvisor, so I swapped out the visor for $200.
I have nothing against the 2LT or 3LT packages, it is just that I don't see the value in the extra content. That said, if the price of a 2LT was the same as a 1LT I would gladly take it.
- HUD, I have had a few cars (Corvettes, Camaros) with a HUD, it is cool at first but then the novelty wears off and I could take it or leave it. Probably very useful for tracking the car but I don't.
- Extra speaker in the Bose system. We are talking about adding a weak Bose sub-woofer and it barely makes a difference in the overall sound. The money would be better spent on a real JL Audio sub, enclosure and amp.
- Seats - the 2LTs have the little Corvette emblems, nice touch. The memory seat feature is cool but I am the only one that drives it. Easy entry exit, again, sounds nice but I don't have that today so don't miss it. Anyway you look at it you are falling in and climbing out of a Corvette.
- Homelink sun-visor and auto dimming rear mirror. I actually like these features and think they should be included in a $60k+ vehicle but they only cost around $300 to add as they can be swapped out directly.
- Front Camera - nice to have but not worth the $4-5k package price to get it. I will just be sure to not pull up all the way or simply back into a spot.
So, I just went through this buying exercise. A Stingray Convertible with Z51, 2LT, M7 and Mag-ride is $71,840 msrp. A Grand Sport Convertible, 1LT, M7 is $70,590 msrp. Even if we made them the same 1LT trim on both, $70,590 vs. $67,385, a difference of $3,205 msrp. This pricing combined with all the other aspects of the GS is what is making it the top seller right now as you get the most for your money with the GS. The tougher decision for me is whether it was worth the $14k more for the Z06 supercharger... I restrained myself and stuck to my budget.
At the end of the day, you've still got just a 1LT. Ramming your front spoilers into curbs is inevitable. The Z51, MagRide, 2LT, is the sweet spot. If you got a 3LT, basically thrown in for free - that's what I got. Vert, is the icing on the cake for me as well.
At the end of the day, you've still got just a 1LT. Ramming your front spoilers into curbs is inevitable. The Z51, MagRide, 2LT, is the sweet spot. If you got a 3LT, basically thrown in for free - that's what I got. Vert, is the icing on the cake for me as well.
I am cool with your choices, I am just not sure why you can't respect the trims and options choices that other Corvette owners make. Is there some contest going on that I am not aware of?
I am cool with your choices, I am just not sure why you can't respect the trims and options choices that other Corvette owners make. Is there some contest going on that I am not aware of?
My 3LT is loaded to the gills. At -17% MSRP, I basically got it FREE. I respect 2LTs, but have none for 1LTs. I'd never own or buy a 1LT Corvette. Being stuck with a 1LT, brings out the worst in some. No idea why. They should not have been so cheap. No front cameras?? NO heated/cooled seats?? NO rear view mirror tinting?? In 2018!? You've got to be kidding why you'd buy one. Any car that lists for $60K to $140K, needs all the goodies.
Last edited by Skid Row Joe; 11-03-2018 at 10:46 PM.
My 3LT is loaded to the gills. At -17% MSRP, I basically got it FREE. I respect 2LTs, but have none for 1LTs. I'd never own or buy a 1LT Corvette. Being stuck with a 1LT, brings out the worst in some. No idea why. They should not have been so cheap. No front cameras?? NO heated/cooled seats?? NO rear view mirror tinting?? In 2018!? You've got to be kidding why you'd buy one. Any car that lists for $60K to $140K, needs all the goodies.
My 3LT is loaded to the gills. At -17% MSRP, I basically got it FREE. I respect 2LTs, but have none for 1LTs. I'd never own or buy a 1LT Corvette. Being stuck with a 1LT, brings out the worst in some. No idea why. They should not have been so cheap. No front cameras?? NO heated/cooled seats?? NO rear view mirror tinting?? In 2018!? You've got to be kidding why you'd buy one. Any car that lists for $60K to $140K, needs all the goodies.
At the end of the day, you've still got just a 1LT. Ramming your front spoilers into curbs is inevitable. The Z51, MagRide, 2LT, is the sweet spot. If you got a 3LT, basically thrown in for free - that's what I got. Vert, is the icing on the cake for me as well.
What you can't drive and not hit a curb? I have owned a corvette since 1986. I have never ever rammed a front spoiler into a curb.
How did all us forum members ever make due with out 2014 Stingray, and no front camera? Drove mine four years, never rammed it into a curb. None of my corvettes prior to the 14 had a front camera, again never hit a curb.
Really not that hard to drive a corvette and not hit a curb.
Great quote, which is why I don't argue with skidmark, I just point out how ridiculous he is.
First, lets ignore the fact he thinks its OK to go 20k miles between oil changes... and the fact he had nasty body damage on his rear fenders that he didn't even notice for months...
Next, lets all have a good laugh at someone who buys a sportscar and thinks its inevitable to hit something with the front of his car without having cameras. If you need front cameras on your car to not hit stuff, you shouldn't even be driving, much less driving a sports car.
Then, lets all chuckle as he makes fun of 1LT grandsports because they don't have heated/cooled seats and rear view mirrors that tint, while he ignores all the performance and visual upgrades it has over his rat trap.