Lucas Bell 
Production of the C8 Corvette has not been going exactly as General Motors originally intended, with the planned December start date being pushed back until next month due to the UAW strike that lasted for 40 days late last year. The delay in production has already caused some heartache for Corvette buyers, as dealer allocations have reportedly been reduced by nearly 20 percent for the 2020 model year. Now though, it appears that buyers who will receive their allocation will be missing out on a few popular options: Visible Carbon Fiber Splitter and Side Skirts.
This news comes from a report by the team at Corvette Blogger, who state that the supplier for the carbon fiber aero treatments cannot meet the demands related to the volume of orders. This speaks to the popularity of the 5VM Visible Carbon Fiber Splitter and Side Skirts packages, despite the not-so-cheap sticker price of $4,850. Mid-engined layouts and exuberant amounts of carbon fiber go hand in hand, so we can’t blame C8 buyers for wanting to dress their sports car up like its competitors.
The aero treatments found in the 5VM packages are not just for show, as they work to produce legitimate downforce when the going gets quick. It is a shame that owners will lose out on these performance upgrades from launch, but there is still hope. Owners will be able to order these kits through their local Chevrolet dealer down the line once production can be met, as the upgrades are LPO options backed by a 3-year/36K mile warranty
Whether it be stories about engineers street racing, wheel theft, crashes, or production issues, the C8 Corvette has had a string of bad press by no fault of the car itself. There is no doubt that it is a shame that some owners are not going to receive the cars they ordered at all, but now those who will get their cars might not get it the way it was spec’d. Here’s to hoping by the 2021 model year these issues are ironed out.
