GMSV to begin production for Australian and New Zealand bound C8 Corvettes this month

UPDATE, September 7: Regular production for Australian and NZ bound C8 Corvettes is due to begin later this month.

In a statement on social media, the importer revealed it has registered its first right-hand-drive C8 Corvette in Australia, which is to begin road testing in Victoria shortly.

Accompanying images shot at GM's Bowling Green plant in Kentucky, USA, show a red car labelled ‘FOR EXPORT’, alongside a white RHD convertible.

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While the C8 did make a brief appearance at The Bend Motorsport Pack in May, COVID lockdowns have put GMSV's official launch plans on ice. The company says it hopes to engage with owners, clubs and fans "when restrictions allow."

A GMSV representative told WhichCar the first C8 Corvette shipments are still anticipated for Q4 of 2021.

The story to here

August 18: A 2022 Chevrolet Corvette C8 2LT has been spotted on its way to Australia, as General Motors Specialty Vehicles continues to take orders for the mid-engined supercar.

The first Corvette to be released with a mid-ship powerplant, the C8 will also be the first generation of the Corvette nameplate to be officially imported to Australia, coming through GMSV in Melbourne.

In addition to one C8 in which already exists in Australia – having been used by GMSV for promotional use – a Motor reader spied this second Corvette en route to local shores on board the car carrier Themis.

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On its way from the United States to Melbourne, the ship stopped over at the Port of Auckland on August 14, finished in the same red paint as the example already in Australia.

Themis departed the New Zealand port and resumed its journey towards Melbourne, with stops in Brisbane and Port Kembla scheduled before it reaches its final destination, potentially towards the end of the month.

Its VIN suggests this is a non-USA vehicle and a part of the captured test fleet coming Down Under to join its sibling as a promotional vehicle. GMSV has now confirmed it is a second marketing vehicle for its head office.

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The first right-hand drive Corvette C8s are expected to go on sale in Japan before arriving in Australia and New Zealand, initially slated for the fourth quarter of this year although production delays due to supply issues in the United States have potentially pushed it back further.

GMSV has previously confirmed local pricing of the C8, with the 2LT starting at $144,990 and the 3LT available from $160,500, while convertible versions of both variants incur a $15,000 premium.

Last month General Motors filed a trademark application for the Z06 name in Australia, hinting at the top-spec performance variant coming to the local market in the future, featuring the first ever flat-plane crank V8 engine produced by GM.

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