As others have mentioned, there's lots of good arguments from both sides.
The question as stated isn't really as simple to answer as "yes or no" because it all depends on how much you want to read into it. I voted "Unsure" for that reason.
A lot of people have very personal ideas about what makes the Corvette a Corvette. And this love, while good, is different for everyone.
(The questions below can either be worded as "Did you..." or "Would you...")
Did you buy a vette for the "bang for the buck"? What determines "bang for the buck" and are there other cars that are close competitors given your personal criteria?
Did you buy a vette because it's American? Or more just because you won't buy "import"?
Did you buy it for the looks?
Did you buy it because you loved it as a kid and regardless of what it is now, you've had your heart set on getting one?
Did you buy it because overall it's less complex than other cars? (if you actually plan on turning your own wrench or expect to have it serviced)
Did you buy it as a status symbol?
Maybe just one or maybe many of these questions apply to potential buyers. And each question will be weighted differently.
For some, the V6 may be a good option. For others, not so much.
Here a few thoughts or questions in no particular order.
I've seen people talk about "that V8 sound". Is there a sound difference between engine types? Sure. And yes, you can typically hear the differences between the the layout and number of cylinders. But not even all Corvette V8's sound the same. I think the V8 sound of the Corvette has changed drastically over the decades. Does the C6 427 sound like a C3 427? Not even close at any RPM range. But that's a V8 sound, right, and that's all that matters! Right??? :eyerole There are so many factors that make a car's final note sound like it does, to be using such a generic line like "that V8 sound" carries little weight with me. It's different for everyone. What you like as a V8 sound is quite different than what I like or expect.
I've noted in other threads that over the years, people have complained about there not being enough options from the factory, but then any time the company starts offering more options, people start whining. I like "options" especially if it means selling more Corvettes.
We currently have 3 engine options. Base (350), Z06 (427), and ZR-1 (350 supercharged). So what's wrong with four options? Why didn't everyone buy the Z06 or ZR-1? Was it because you didn't need all that engine/car? Was it because it was too expensive? Whatever your reasons were for getting the base model, it fit your requirements, whatever they may be. And I bet you're happy as ever! So why try to take that away from someone that may only be able to afford a V6 model (assuming the purpose of the V6 is purely retail sticker pricing)? Would you look down on them? Do you think ZR-1 owners look down on base model owners? Maybe some do. But does that really change how you feel about owning your own Corvette?
For those that simply and vehemently state, "I wouldn't buy it!"....yeah, OK, so? You also didn't buy a ZR-1 but that didn't stop GM from making it. Nor did it stop GM from offering other RPO's that you didn't purchase. Generally speaking, you didn't buy any other car besides what you have. "Why?" It doesn't really matter what your answer is. You obviously aren't, or wouldn't be, the target market and thus they wouldn't be making it for you.
There's those that say, "The no replacement for displacement!" Really? 'Cause last time I checked, the ZR-1 was the better performing engine. (Yes, add more cubes to the LS9 and you'll have more power. But that's not the real argument in this particular case.)
For the sake of argument, let's just ignore the whole LS9 supercharged setup. If it's all about
displacement, then why not just make a larger bore and stroked 6 cylinder?
As for the argument of being a leader versus being a follower...Sometimes we need to look at things from a slightly different perspective. Hell, let's learn from our history since we're probably going to repeat it.
Do you know why the Corvette brand is still around? Because we were following Ford. If it wasn't for the Thunderbird, the Corvette never would've made it out of the 1950's.
And why was engine size/displacement/power increased to a V8? Because we were
*gasp!* following the Europeans! They were cleaning us up on the racetrack. So we had to figure out a way to compete. A bigger/better/faster engine was one of the ways to do that. Carrol Shelby took the idea one step further by creating a better chassis to handle the bigger engines.
So as far as "leading versus following", it doesn't really matter to me who develops the technology or 'standard' in the industry. If someone else does, fine. Let's either stick with our own designs and improve them, or take someone else's design and make it better ourselves; As long as we're competitive at a price point that the market can bear.
If it's all about the torque you get from more displacement or more specifically the low-end torque that eludes many in the anti-turbocharger camp, then we can go back to the larger bore 6-cylinder. Or, let's get really insulting and suggest a V6
diesel!
hnoes "Whoa! You didn't just go there?!?!" Yes, I did.
Lastly, why isn't anyone clamoring for a V10 option? Is that overkill? I'm sure it has a phenomenal sound! And you can get some serious displacement from a V10! Whatever arguments you can make for V8/V10 you can take the other way with V8/V6.
It stands to reason in my mind that whatever you can do with a V8 you can do with a V6. And whatever you can do with a V6, you can do with a V10.
So should a Corvette have a 6-cylinder (note, I didn't state
V,
I, or even
W configuration) option?
I'm unsure. It would all depend on GM's rationale for having it and where they focused their research. Their track record for researching the buying public's psyche is hit or miss.
When you start hearing the rumblings of a V6 option for a vette - they are sending a message.
