How The 2023 Corvette C8 Z06 Is Made
We take a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to explain how the C8 Corvette is made. With help from Engineering and factory, we detail the complexity of modern assembly, supply chain, and how American manufacturing is alive and well. The business and finance of dedicated sports cars is always a complex topic. However, the mid-engine Corvette is a rare success story. Fans of all brands ranging from Ferrari, Porsche, Ford, Toyota, and BMW will learn something in this video.
#cars #technology #howto
Index:
00:00 Intro - What to Expect
1:16 Always More to the Story
2:38 The People Behind the Car
6:27 Rare Experience to Buy a Z06
7:37 Explaining the Assembly Process
12:09 Complexity and Supply Chain
13:55 Assembly vs. Manufacturing
16:42 The Many Trim Options
21:19 Building the Car vs. Engineering
22:22 Understanding Build Times and Speed
24:11 Different Varients, Different Issues
26:40 Making Things Easier To Build
28:07 Engine Building Z06 and Sting Ray
29:45 Understanding Engine Break-in and Dyno
32:31 Building the LT6
34:50 Rare Manufacturing and People
36:08 Conclusions and Take Aways
38:07 Doing a lot with a Little, Support SavageGeese
I'm going to make it my mission to inform more people about this channel. The quality of your content is unrivaled on this platform and you deserve to be rewarded for it. And Dell Precision's are the most insane powerhouses I've ever come across in my shop. Love working on those beasts.
Thank you, it is very helpful. Always need more eyeballs!
Yea this is another channel that amazes me how low the sub count is for the quality of content....blessed these guys put in this kind of effort
Damn it's always funny to see a channel I follow in the comments section of another I follow.
@@xmlthegreat I was just thinking that LOL such a small world
@@savagegeese you guys crushed it. Congrats. My grandfather worked for GM for 40 years. He was a very proud man. If he could see this video today, I am sure it would fill him with pride. You guys are the best in the business
This channel is second to none. Thank you for the non-stop quality content.
They must be KZhead rich if they can afford all these crazy expensive cars.
I love this channel, and I’m an older lady! I love cars.
I feel like when Jack joined the channel it really became whole. The content has been everything I would like to see in a channel like this.
Nope it's none. These two have the personality of a tic tac.
I’m a long haul, about to retire trucker who hauled parts for the C7 and C8 corvette(fully assembled dashboards on huge racks from Alabama going to their plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky)and for the Mercedes SLR(the very expensive undercarriage carbon fiber aero pieces from an out in the middle of nowhere, down a dirt road manufacturing plant in Mississippi to I can’t remember where)….the general public would be shocked to see where all these vehicles parts come from.. mostly small towns and small manufacturers. The logistics to ship, install all of this in seriously tight time frames is truly amazing. The small town manufacturer employees are really the unsung heroes of these amazing specialized machines. Most of todays automobiles are made from parts from dozens of small manufacturers in the USA. To get to walk around the bowling green and Mercedes plants and also to walk and tour these small manufacturers is something I’ll never forget.
Wow, thank you for sharing your experience! And you are so correct. Thank you to yourself, as well, for it's everyone involved that should be praised.
There is a reason why people like you exist. This channel is the epitome of all things automotive. The technicality and the sheer passion says it all. Major kudos!
A bad job assembling cars
GM choose the perfect people of this channel to do this video. Amazing filming and editing. These types of videos are amazing. I have never ever, liked the Corvette, but that has changed since the C8. A simple thank you for doing these and please don’t stop.
No one does it like you guys. Absolutely no one. Hdr looks so good, the editing is fantastic, even the texture behind the title screens is so pleasing. This was absolutely incredible folks. Genuinely love y’all for all you do.
You guys are simply amazing. Every long-format video is a welcome treat for us car/mechanic/engineer guys, and a nice break from our own little journey we call lives. Hope for you guys to continue on as long as there's still some steam left in you, and more car stories yet to tell. 🤙🏼
Creating a car on your video game doesn't make you a mechanic or an engineer.
@@pissoff234 ok big man.
Fantastic video. I was fortunate to win a C8 a couple months ago from the museum raffle. The whole experience was something I will never forget. This video was amazing and second to none.
You are the luckiest man on earth! Holy shit you got a free C8?!?
@@davidhorvath66 Thanks David. Technically not free after fed and state taxes but still a heck of a lot less than buying one at MSRP. I purchased 1, $100 raffle ticket. Very fortunate to say the least.
@@brianb7844 Those would be the happiest taxes I ever paid.
@@davidhorvath66 They sure were.
Congratulations, that's fantastic!
You guys are my heroes. Best KZhead channel of any kind, bar none. Educational, entertaining, incredibly high production value, and doesn’t follow the typical cookie cutter format that most other channels do. Every time I meet anyone who is into cars, I ask them if they watch savagegeese. Never stop, guys.
Very cool. I work for an OE(on the design side) and have been lucky to walk through a couple plants. What sticks out most to me about Bowling Green is the sheer amount of complexity. The auto industry as a whole has been trying to reduce part/configuration complexity (in part due to the success of brands like Tesla that have very little complexity), so to see that GM understands the importance of customization/personalization with the Corvette is great. Thanks for a great video.
That really stood out to me as well. I've been doing JIT on a very small scale with highly custom machinery for basically my whole career, first as an engineer and now an engineering manager, and it's a nightmare. Doing it with a basic platform with low part complexity is really not a major deal anymore. Doing it at this scale with the clearly high part complexity even with a base platform is very impressive, and I think it's hard to describe just how impressive it is unless you've actually done it yourself.
Spiritually, complexity is also an expression of things 'going mental'. The beauty of simplicity is underappreciated because we have been conditioned to fit into a power-tripping society. (But this is not to be confused with the equally problematic uniformity/consolidation agenda that is part of scarcity management.) Imagine a car that doesn't rust/corrode, where after 20 years there is a very new engine worth the swap, which is then done, because the chassis is still so good and also because you couldn't imagine ever letting go of it, because it has served you so well. Imagine you bought it when you were a youngster, and eventually you became more comfortable, so you simply got a swap to a comfort suspension, with plenty of parts available to make it cheap, often the parts being used but almost as new. The price we pay for passion should not be other people's misery. Those who have the courage to look will see a contradiction in passion at someone else's expense. A typical spiritual path would be to accept letting go of things or ideas and then realizing that nothing is lost through that step, but only gained.
@@anthonyantoine9232 awesome American Technology..for some of us it's the passion
The complexity in Bowling Green that everybody seems to be bragging about is why GM will never make it in the EV business w/o filing for bankruptcy AGAIN.
A while back SG did a deep dive video on current gen Porsche 911s and the takeaway was how much I learned from the content presented.....I was nothing short of impressed. This video has just raised the bar by not only teaching me more about how the C8 Corvette came to be, but also introducing the real people behind the scenes in all facets of the build process. This is a rare treat for the enthusiasts who watch and are genuinely interested in the story behind the product presented. I am very appreciative of the effort that went in to make this possible. Thank you SG.
This entire channel is a passion project, infotainment married to dedication. As so many others have stated, nobody is doing what you guys do, and I wish for nothing but continued growth and success in both your automotive endeavors and in your lives. Keep it up!
👏
Never been a Chevy guy but this has to be their greatest product line ever
Jack and Mark, and all who are involved with SavageGeese, you deserve every bit of praise you get 🙌🏼 I got goosebumps just looking at the thumbnail, reminding me of all these kinds of shows on TV that I used to watch as a kid, in awe of so many incredible cars being made, thank you so much for this! 🙏🏼
This is seriously the best automotive channel on youtube. The videography, the opinions being well thought out, the editing, the engaging people who know. Seriously, the best.
As a 2020 C8 owner I greatly appreciate all the content y’all provide. Not just Corvette content. The quality and level of detail y’all do is simply incredible! I did museum delivery and didn’t get to take my plant tour back in 2020. I plan on going very soon to use my rain check on the tour. Thank y’all so much for what y’all do. Keep it up please.
Which trim level did you get n how do you like the car
I just bought the 2023 stingray convertible with z51. Car is unbelievable and I don’t care what anyone says, you aren’t getting that much car for the price anywhere
@@SameerMalik-es5ij honestly I’ve never heard anyone say that they don’t like the c8. Car is awesome I’m every way imaginable. I Hope you enjoy your car for years to come n that it treats you well in return.
@@justdoinit2378 Thank you sir, and same to you
Best automotive KZheadr by far. No formulaic bs. Whether it’s this excellent video, the real world reviews or the livestreams that I enjoy while waiting at the Taco Bell drive thru. After watching a SG video you are a little more knowledgeable about the automotive world. The fact that SG doesn’t have a million subscribers only tells me that Alexander Hamilton was right-the masses are asses!
630k subscribers as of now. The difference between that and 1M? Negligible in real world terms so your point holds no water.
@@cenciende9401 you must be a newcomer to the channel, and KZhead in general.
*whoooosssshhhhh*
It's pretty surreal watching a great mini-doc on a subject I spent 6-7 years of my life on. This does such a great job of explaining some of the complexity without getting into the weeds. I really do love this channel and the passion before it. Great work!
You two nailed this one. I’ve been watching your videos for years now. I think the long format is your super strength. The amount of detail in this video is phenomenal. I love these long format videos and the livestreams. Keep ‘em coming and don’t give up.
The video work is absolutely amazing!!! Framing, color work, b-roll, etc. This is on another level of quality. Paired up with a great story on the corvette and this is peak automotive youtube. I've been watching since the supercharged FR-S. This channel has gone a long way. Keep up the great work!
damn, wasn't expecting such an emotional roller coaster. being able to watch your own car get built and documenting it is truly something special
I'm not crying you're crying
This channel is a gift to the car community and is criminally underrated. Between the technical deep dives and putting every car on a lift to show the underbody, I truly appreciate the work you put in and it’s always so interesting. I hope you get all of the recognition you deserve soon!
Appreciate y’all coming to our plant!
Thank you Morgan! I hope we can show just a small window into your world, I was greatful for the experience.
Yes it was a great video and nice for someone to show and care about the actual workers putting in the hours to build a dream car for people like you!
Morgan, I am the proud owner of a 22 HTC. Watching this video makes me even more proud. The passion you guys put into building this fantastic machine is awesome. The fact that the whole team, from design to build, takes great pride in their jobs is very evident from this well put together video. I look forward to being there sometime soon to take the plant tour in person.
OUTSTANDING...yes, I'm shouting! Story line, video shooting, editing, total package. I did the tour during C7 days and I'm looking forward to doing it again with the C8. This is your best work yet. Thank you.
Wow. What a video. I don’t understand how you guys don’t have a million subscribers. This isn’t content it’s art and passion. Well done. Keep up the amazing work. Now I want a corvette.
Loved every second of this. The HDR looks great!
This could literally be released in theaters as a full fledged documentary. This is way beyond any KZhead level content and should be a prime time commercial ad release. Awesome job. Bravo 👏 keep it coming.
This channel is no joke, and it’s heartwarming to see this kind of content. A lot of us would not get to see or hear this kind of information if not for a couple guys like Mark and Johnny B58 gold Bullion Corvette. This stuff means a lot to us weirdo car enthusiasts, so thanks guys.
Thank you for this. The attention to detail and work you put in on this channel is really unbelievable
I have no clue how your channel makes any profit with the amount of time and dedication you bring to these special videos. Thank you for your continued efforts and bringing great content to the YT community.
Yeah, you used to learn about this in school.
Corvette Team should be super proud of their work, the C8 is a magnificent car!
This car is a car to that makes you proud to be an American...The one and only American sports car....I've only owned Two and I never regretted one moment.. Very special car and very special owners. Corvettes are a unique in many ways..
Hands down the best car nerds KZhead channel. Telling the stories of why a manufacturer does the things they do and how they get it does is so fascinating.
What a passionate statement from experienced drivers/testers. A big compliment from Germany, Gentlemen - I am very impressed by your overall work and in-depth knowledge of the industry.
Videos like this don't have tons of reward for the creator, But the value it gives to the people who watch is un matched.
❤
Love this video. Worked at the Poletown plant in Hamtramck from it's opening (until 2008) after spending many years at Fisher Body in Livonia. I now work for a different branch that I'm not allowed to divulge on any social media platforms, but we're directly related to Bowling Green. I love seeing all the assembly line footage. The people on the line are THE heart of it all. Great video!
Just wow for this video and the c8 Corvette. The corvette never did it for me until going mid-engine and after seeing the passion and QC taking place in Bowling Green, its now my aspirational car.
Fantastic video. Being an owner of the C8 Stingray, it’s awesome to see the passion of the people building them. I had an opportunity to see your Z06 at Chicago Auto Pros. You really provide the automotive industry a great service.
Really enjoyed the demo of the Bowling Green plant. I'm a '16 C7 Z06 owner and love my car and especially driving it. I really enjoyed towards the end that you interviewed several people, one lady, I think her name was Morgan, talked about working in the performance engines department and how much pride she takes in assembling performance motors. I wish you had interviewed more people along the way, they all seemed to take an enormous amount of pride in the jobs they were doing and the products they are producing. It's this commitment to excellence that helps propel the world of Corvette from being just a dream to a 5 year old, making yourself a promise that one day, I'll own one of these exciting cars to making it a reality! The heritage you touched on with delivery at the museum to a plant tour to meeting people connected to these cars is pretty amazing. I think if I ever purchase a new Corvette in the future, I'd take the time to do the museum delivery and more importantly to see the car in the plant and the biggest thing I'd like to convey to all of the men and women involved in designing, engineering, manufacturing and assembling these cars is that you're making dreams a reality and thank you.
As a 28 year GM Global Prolpulsion System Mfg Engineer and auto enthusiast, I am very glad you guys do what you do. It's quality work and THIS video focusing on an aspect that is almost never appreciated (manufacturing) is very welcomed. If you ever have the desire to tour a Powertrain Mfg Plant, hit me up and I will line you up with the right people. Thanks again for the content!
Next level production quality in your "How it's Made" C8 Corvette release. Who would take the time do this? Logistically it must have been quite a challenge. But you guys told an often untold story about the people involved. We really get to see the people behind the cars we love. You guys even started getting me think about experiencing Corvette ownership although I am a Honda and Porsche enthusiast. If you do a savagegeese on computers series and bring in all the passion and in depth discussion you guys offer on the auto side, I would definitely watch and even consider some of those products. Dell makes great stuff. I used to be into computers but now there is so much out there, making it difficult to decide what to buy when having to replace an existing PC or Laptop
Excellent video production and content guys! I love seeing the behind-the-product stuff and hearing the perspectives of the people that do the work. Let me buy a beef n cheddar for Mark and an espresso for Jack to show my appreciation.
The Corvette has always been special. When you own one you can feel it it's not just another Chevy GM product. Glad to see the Legend lives and thrives.
Best doc I've seen on Bowling Green. Access isn't easy. They've shown you great respect.
Honestly, your guys' videos are the only "car videos" that would make me tear up -- not only are you guys passionate but you're able to use this platform to allow others to express their passion through your videos and that is absolutely amazing!!
I just want to know if Mark and Jack have an entire production team that I don't know of because the production and final product is always insane to me. Thank you for such a great video - all your videos for that matter. EDIT: lol, finally got to the section where Mark gives props to his sponsors and he confirmed that it's just him and Jack.
This sealed the deal for me. We love the Z06 and everyone behind it.
Man buns and Muscles Sequence Edition : North Face is the OG Patagonia. That engine builder knows that, along with extreme workout plans. A+++ work here, guys.
The quality of this video is beyond belief, I enjoyed every minutes of it. Thank you so much Savagegeese team!
What a blessing on a Sunday morning, quality corvette content, and playoffs later on 🏈 Kirkland gods are smiling on us all today lads
Your content and quality is unparalleled
Jeff Browns hair is the full Z07 package
You guys briefly mentioned visiting the Type S, GT3, and GT4 assembly line. I would LOVE to see a similar How its Made video for each of those cars ❤
I’m loving the work you put in for the HDR version! It’s worth it as the colors really pop and you get to experience the Corvette colors a bit more realistically.
It was very moving and emotional for me to watch so many Americans building America's supercar. ❤🏁
I've worked at the Tonawanda Plant...full 30 years assembly, retired now for 14 years, but of all the several lines during that time, none were for the Corvette, but still makes me proud of our great engine plant!...awesome video over all!...thank you!
Mark and Jack, only you guys to do justice to the technology of a car! Thank you!
You guys are amazing!!! America loves corvette and SG, thank you for doing the amazing people of the plant justice and showing their incredible work! Thank you!!
just did the tour back in November with a museum delivery, what a great staff....major thanks to Lillian and Pabb! you are truly appreciated!
First off I have to say that the production and technical value of what you do to me is underrated just to be on a platform like social media opposed to a full production on a commercial level, like television or a commercial broadcast. The footwork and time just out in the field alone is a massive amount of work for just a few people to do, in itself. On the side is GM , and how it produces the Corvette and many other vehicles, and is a tribute on how the engineering field in the GM corporation has improved drastically, over these past years. But not only that but the pride that goes into the workmanship in the vehicles they're making now, especially in the Corvette. In closing , thanks for all the great work, and video production that you put out on KZhead.
I can't get over how EXCELLENT you guys do with these videos! Man, this one was a real treat. Seeing the passion from everyone over at GM build this car into what it is today boggles my mind. Amazing! How in the hell you guys aren't at 1 mil subs is beyond me. I don't even watch any other car channels, yours is the best, the gold standard. Thanks guys!
These videos are so educational, well produced, and makes you appreciate everything and everyone involved.
It's nice to see people who take real pride in their work. It really shows in the final product. Enjoy your new Vette Jack.
I'm dumbfounded how this channel doesn't have a million plus subscribers already!
These videos are some of the best on KZhead, Thanks Jack and Mark for doing so much work to bring these to us.
I use KZhead mostly on my TV and the video quality on this one was incredible. Many TV productions are far worse and they have all the money in the world. And the corvette content was top notch too. I enjoy watching assembly lines, there’s something really cool how everything works and on time.
Easily the best doc I've ever seen. Thank you from those of us that will always find the Chevrolet Corvette as American as apple pie, and nothing less than magical. :0)
What a quality for a short documentary. You convinced me, as an American of the dream car, to pursuit the quality and pride of the craft. Thank You.
Kudos to everyone involved with the manufacturing of this car. The C8 is incredible!
Outstanding video as always! I don't think a single other KZhead channel comes close to the quality of car content you've provided over the years. Thank you!
Criminally underrated channel. The only channel for which I make a conscious effort to watch & like videos within a day of being released.
that engine builders forearms were insane
I'm not a big Corvette fan but man this video makes me want one! I really appreciate the the time you spent on this video keep up the great work!
You guys have the best content and production of ANY site on KZhead! Awesome work!
The men that build this vehicle deserve a pat on the back. Well done men!!!
This HDR content needs to continue. ❤ It added a layer of production that I didn't know existed. 😊 Keep these HDR and long format videos coming. 😊😅🎉
This channel is such a treat man. Looking forward to the next one of these. I'd really like to see one of the lc500 and how its built
This is beyond the scope of most other factory tour videos. Well done!
This is so well produced and fascinating. Congratulations! As a child growing up in the 1960's I was given a plastic model Monza show car, the real car was not mass produced. It featured a mid engine layout/design. It was at this point being 8 years old that a GM mid engine car became my ultimate sports car. I have settled for a very nice car, a 2015 Mustang, and know the Corvette is and will always be just a dream. Still, I appreciate the effort made to build this mid engine car and realize that for many, with the cash, a dream is now fulfilled. It took GM a long time to make this car, it was worth getting it right. I remain impressed by the fact that building the Corvette is a passion and ultimate goal for many GM workers.
Recently watched a video about the economics of YT car review channels. Made me appreciate even more the amount of effort vs possible returns that these guys go through.
I tried to look for a factory assembly for c8 recently and realized there were none! This video and the amount of love put n shown in making the car added you guys my sub on first video! Thanks keep making the same ❤
Next level channel for giving us this video seriously props
This channel is the benchmark 🔥🔥🔥
This hit every point of why Corvette and the C8 in particular became my favorite car. From the long history of the company to the passion of the employees working on the project to the astonishing performance for the price, I will get a Corvette and drive it with pride!
This Channel is one off, from the engineering to marketing, from the film making to content creation all perfect...
Excellent job as usual savage geese. This really makes me appreciate the people at Bowling Green, and the enthusiasm they have for this car. I own a 2021 Z51/mag ride C8 and continue to be amazed this car got approved for production by top management.
I have been to bowling Green museum delivery the gm employees have to bid on this job! All dedicated employees I'm proud of how they assembled my c8 thanks employees! It's dedication!
Those workers at the end were really cool wish them and the rest of the corvette team the best!
Bravo 👏 this is a timeless piece of automotive history!
You guys are absolutely changing the game. Thank you for your passion!!!
I love American cars !!!! Great video......Thanks from Canada.
I love the HDR! It makes it look so much better when watching at 240p on my small & dim 5yr-old smartwatch screen!
Want to say thank you for continuing to make genuinely real long format content guys. Esp in a world driven by short format. Loved this makes me want a Z06 more! Wish I had a connection to getting one.
Great vid. Definitely much different to how they do things in Japan. It's interesting to see both processes on the building and creating a vehicle.
Magnifique ! You can feel the passion of these women and men working there, they seem cool making the most beautiful supercar in the world, La Corvette !
The long form videos are the best part of this channel. Thanks for continuing to bring us these awesome videos!!
I’ve always enjoyed and respected your content. And this video hasn’t lessened that, at a matter of fact it increased! Thank you for everything and keep it going!!❤
Incredible video seeing the c8 being built, i love it and thank you for making this all happen 💛🙌
The HDR presentation looks awesome on my Samsung 65S95B TV. The Z06 is an amazing car. Excellent work as always!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I’m a 2022 C8 owner…. Waited 684 days from initial order entry to taking delivery with my Wife at the Museum. I have had a variety of other “fun cars”… mostly German over the last 20 years. Once I placed the order this was the first car I really drilled down into the history of car’s development and the mystique of being a Corvette-er. I joined the Mid Engine Corvette forum and spent hours reading the experiences of other Vetters… And after the long wait, the delivery experience at the Museum was the crowing touch to becoming a Vette owner. Loved this video as much as I love our C8 Z51 White Knight!