A couple of weeks ago, footage surfaced online showing a GM mechanic taking a customer’s C8 Corvette on a joyride and hitting no less than 148 mph (238 km/h). Now, the dealership at the center of the controversy has given the owner a brand new ‘Vette.
The story started when the car’s owner, Michael, brought his 2021 Corvette to the Fremont Chevrolet dealership due to a worrying noise in the engine. A mechanic soon discovered that one of the spark plugs was loose. The car was fixed and then the mechanic decided to take it out for a little test drive to verify that everything was working.
Unbeknownst to the mechanic, the car’s Performance Data Recorder was on and showed him repeatedly speeding in the car and at one stage, racing a Dodge Charger along a busy highway, hitting 148 mph (238 km/h). The video quickly went viral, forcing the dealership to respond.
Read More: Chevy Dealer Tech Took Customer’s C8 Corvette For A 148-MPH Street Racing Joyride
Speaking with The Drive, the car’s owner revealed that he was in email communication with the owner of the dealership after the incident and out of the blue, was offered a 2022 Corvette for free.
“The owner of the family of dealerships reached out to me… and I’m laying in bed and he texts me at nine at night or something, just apologizing profusely and saying he wants to make this right,” Michael told The Drive. “And then [he offers] me a 2022 [Corvette], and that was pretty shocking. I followed up with [the dealership’s general manager] the next morning and said ‘hey, when can we meet?'”
After taking a trip to the dealership, Michael was able to order a 2022 Corvette, all on the dealership’s dime. He will be able to keep driving his 2021 car until the new one is ready. He’ll then trade in the 2021 model to the dealer and pick up the keys to a new one. The dealership also agreed to Michael’s request for the warranty of his 2021 car to be extended.
“After I saw the video, I felt this is the right thing to do,” dealership owner Inder Dosanjh added. “I heard it, and then it was worse when I saw it. Until you see things, sometimes, you don’t really understand them.”