GM Will Penalize Corvette ZR1 Flippers By Punishing Second-Hand Buyers

The flagship Corvette ZR1 is almost here, and buyers are ready for it. Of course, flippers are equally excited—just not for the same reasons. Chevrolet, however, seems determined to spoil their plans with a strategy that we’ve heard of before. The automaker has announced that anyone who sells their ZR1 within a year will face two specific penalties.

Related: GM Penalizes Corvette, Hummer, And Escalade V Flippers By Cancelling Their Warranty

First, Chevrolet will blacklist these customers from having access to other highly desirable models in the future. Second, they’ll remove the warranty coverage from the car in question. That certainly hurts the second buyer, but no doubt Chevy hopes it’ll discourage flippers from getting involved at all. Trying to sell a nearly new car that starts from $175,000 without any warranty coverage could prove tough.

A Familiar Plan, With Familiar Consequences

This information comes from famous Corvette dealer and enthusiast Rick Conti. He highlighted a letter from Chevrolet that will go along with every Corvette ZR1, ZO6, and E-Ray sale for the foreseeable future. In it, the automaker lays out all of the terms of the agreement. In short, it aims to penalize flippers and make it more difficult for them to turn a quick profit on these highly sought-after Corvette models.

But let’s be honest, this plan does little to actually stop flippers in their tracks. What it does do is make life miserable for second-hand buyers more than anything else. It doesn’t prevent flippers from snatching up the cars in the first place, and it sure as heck won’t stop dealers from slapping on those outrageous markups for the 1,064 hp Corvette ZR1.

What it will do is ruin the ownership experience for some second-hand buyers, though. As Chevrolet points out, it’s the first owner’s responsibility to tell the second owner about this whole situation.

Inevitably, some flippers will sell the car without disclosing this fact. Then, the second owner will be out of warranty coverage before they even get it registered in their local state.

What Else Can They Do?

The folks at CorvetteBlogger floated an interesting idea: maybe Chevy should simply offer 12-month, non-negotiable leases on these models. That would force flippers and dealers into a corner, ensuring that the cars end up with people who actually want to drive them—not just flip them. Alternatively, Chevrolet could bypass the the pointless middleman altogether by selling directly to customers, cutting out the unnecessary markup and tracking the cars in real time. It’s a thought, right?

But until that happens, it seems like Chevy’s “plan” is just another way to penalize the wrong people—while still letting the flippers do their thing. Go figure.