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The new mid-engined 2020 Chevy Corvette is a wonder of modern automotive performance — and only poised to get better, with an onslaught of faster, more powerful versions reportedly planned for the next few years. But its arrival also bodes well for anyone who’s still interested in the delightful, outgoing seventh-generation Corvette, which has seen prices for both new and used examples drop as a result.
And those bargains are only getting better. As Jalopnik discovered on Monday and we confirmed today, there are roughly two dozen 2019 Chevy Corvette Z06s formerly of Hertz’s rental car fleet that have recently landed on used car lots across the nation.
Why now? Well, the incipient arrival of C8 Corvettes into rental fleets may play a role, but given that Vette production has been waylaid by the coronavirus pandemic and the thousands of customer orders still waiting to be filled, it’ll likely be a hot minute before mid-engined Chevys start trickling into rental car lots en masse. A more likely explanation, perhaps, is that Hertz is also in the midst of attempting to avoid bankruptcy, according to Automotive News, and as such it’s tossing Corvettes onto the market to drum up some short-term cash.
Regardless of why, the end result is the same: Corvettes at bargain prices. Prices and mileages vary a little, but generally speaking, the Z06s in question all have between 20,000 and 35,000 miles, and can be had for somewhere in the range of $58,000–$64,000. (Our particular pick would be this example found in Marietta, Georgia, which has 25,855 miles on the clock and selling for $59,144.)
Here’s the good news: the Hertz Z06s all appear to be the top-trim 3LZ version, which means they come with perforated Nappa leather on the heated and ventilated seats, added leather trim around the interior and a 10-speaker Bose stereo; they also all appear to be coupes, which, really, is the Corvette body style you should be coveting, anyway. Plus, many of them are being sold through Hertz’s own car sales network, which means no-haggle pricing, an addition 12 months / 12,000 miles of powertrain warranty on top of what the manufacturer offers — even, in many cases, the ability to complete the process online and have the car delivered to you.
Granted, there is a caveat or two with these Hertz Corvettes: they all wear the same livery (Corvette Racing Yellow paint with black racing stripes), and all come with an eight-speed automatic transmission. But if you can live with that, there are bargains to be found.
