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-   -   Should Chevy Corvette have 2 versions? (https://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42290)

Curacao 02-22-2010 08:16 AM

Should Chevy Corvette have 2 versions?
 
As sure as the sun rises and God makes little green apples, there will always be a Chevrolet Corvette.

Exactly what the next generation of America's most revered sports car will bring is the topic of intense study within General Motors, however.

The Corvette is arguably the world's best sports car. It has looks that would make Ferrari proud, performance to match Porsche, and a price that undercuts both by tens of thousands of dollars.

It also has countless fanatical admirers and a devoted owner base built up over decades.

This is not a formula an automaker messes with lightly.

However, there's a school of thought within GM that the next Corvette -- which probably won't hit the road for at least three to four years -- must break the mold.
Chevrolet finds itself on t
he horns of a dilemma. Should the new Corvette embrace higher technology and the higher price that would go with it? Or should the mid-2010s car reach out to buyers enraptured by the 'Vette mythos but unable to afford today's car?

It may do both.

Prices for the 2010 Corvette start at $48,930. It's a bargain compared with other beautiful high-performance sports cars like the $114,200 Audi R8, $192,000 Ferrari California and $76,300 Porsche 911.

However, the Corvette is out of reach for many buyers. At the same time, its relative affordability keeps Chevrolet from equipping it with higher-tech drivetrains, expensive lightweight materials and the most advanced electronic systems the world's other supercars offer.

One school of thought within GM says Chevrolet should split the Corvette into two models -- a high-end vehicle that offers everything Audi, Ferrari and Porsche do and a separate, more affordable model.

"To compete fully with Porsche, prices would have to go well over $100,000. That's not a volume car, so it makes sense to have another model that appeals to buyers who are a little younger," said Bill Perkins, president of Perkins Automotive Group, which includes Merollis Chevrolet in Eastpointe and Taylor Chevrolet in Taylor.

GM has not made any decisions yet. If it takes the two-model route, however, the cars would have different styling, names and powertrains


The upside is obvious: Make a great car better and charge a higher price for it while tapping into a pool of new customers.

The risks are equally clear. By fiddling with a winning formula, GM risks alienating existing buyers without winning new ones.

"Any time you talk about changing an iconic model, there are always pros and cons," said Rebecca Lindland of consultancy IHS Global Insight.

Porsche has shown the strategy can work. Its Cayman sports car offers Porsche performance and looks for a lower price than the 911. It boosted sales without tarnishing the 911's reputation.

Standing pat may not be an option for the next Corvette.

"Generation X doesn't relate to the Corvette," Lindland said.

Indeed, Corvette sales hit a 49-year low of just 13,934 in 2009, Edmunds AutoObserver.com notes. Corvette's 48.3% decline was far worse than Chevrolet or GM as a whole suffered in recession-plagued 2009.

A more affordable Corvette would be a return to the model's roots, IHS analyst John Wolkonowicz said. As late as the mid-1990s, "mere mortals could afford Corvettes," he said. "A college grad could order a new 'Vette. You don't see that anymore."
However, the more affordable version must not be a 'Vette-lite, IHS consultant Bruce Harrison said. "It must be a no-excuses car -- it almost needs to be everything today's Corvette is."

If GM can build that car for around $40,000, there's room for a separate top model with prices that start above the current Corvette and extend well above $100,000, he said.

Source

Shadow 02-22-2010 09:48 AM

It's already here with the ZR1:rolleyes:

Here's a though GM?

Rather than complaining about what "can't be done" because of cost, figure out a way to make it happen.

Try cost cutting at the TOP. Saving money on exec. perks and salaries, might just equate to more $$ available for R & D and manufacture;)

The technology is there. GM just needs to figure it out rather than buying the finished product from brand X.

Quote:

Porsche has shown the strategy can work. Its Cayman sports car offers Porsche performance and looks for a lower price than the 911. It boosted sales without tarnishing the 911's reputation.
Key point: "Porsche performance and looks..."

As the one individual pointed out, it can't be a "vette-lite."
It's going to have to retain the vette styling and appeal, much the way the Z06 vs ZR1 does. At speed down the highway, you can hardly tell them apart.

I'm sure there are those that will buy the "new and improved-supercar" if they make it. Just like there are those that can drop that kind of coin on the ZR1:thumbsup:

For me, for the street, can't justify it.

Bottom line, if they play thier cards right, they could keep production costs down, sell the new supercar for an astronomical amount, make some cha-ching! on it, and still keep the dedicated fan base they depend on to keep the model line alive.

...if they play the cards right:thumbsup:

Mark Dalton 02-22-2010 01:05 PM

I'm kind of torn on this one. I'd love to have a ZR1 or even a new ZO6 but it's not gonna happen financially. My '02 Z stickered for 50k 8 years ago and that's the most I could ever spend on a car. So whether they make another high end 'vette or not means nothing to me. I'd rather have a "low end" car I can have fun with and mod if I get the itch for more. I think Gordon's right though. The technology is there, it's just up to GM to find a way to make it affordable for the consumer, if they want to. :yesnod:

Z06 Rocket 02-22-2010 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curacao (article) (Post 109030)
Should the new Corvette embrace higher technology and the higher price that would go with it? Or should the mid-2010s car reach out to buyers enraptured by the 'Vette mythos but unable to afford today's car?

GM has not made any decisions yet. If it takes the two-model route, however, the cars would have different styling, names and powertrains

This is nothing new...... Can you say CAMARO?? Essentially a Corvette in a more affordable body. They even had "similiar" looks in the past. I know several LSX Camaros (and Firebirds) that would smoke a stock Vette because of a little love and care to the motors which started out the same......

Shadow 02-22-2010 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Z06 Rocket (Post 109052)
This is nothing new...... Can you say CAMARO?? Essentially a Corvette in a more affordable body. They even had "similiar" looks in the past. I know several LSX Camaros (and Firebirds) that would smoke a stock Vette because of a little love and care to the motors which started out the same......

...all day long. Where the vette had them was handling.

you could make the Camaro handle great, but it still wouldn't outhandle a vette.

I agree with your comparison:thumbsup:

Pres712 02-22-2010 06:54 PM

Interior
 
I vote for the "lessor" Vette. If you want hi-end go for the ZR1. But PLEASE do something about that cheesy interior. Find some healthier cows, the leather doesn't last long enough or retain it's shape. The seats suck even if you opt for the "sport seats", lumbar etc. I have them on both of my Vettes and on the '86 the lumbar quit years ago. When I replaced the seats the parts that make up the pump, lines and bladder just crumbled when the covers came off. I fully expect the '03 to do the same. I personally think they are going backward...my '86 seats are far more comfortable then the '03! I had a friend that just bought a new Nissan Z and it puts the Vette interior to shame and it's about $15/k cheaper! I know, I know, if you want quality buy a Porsche. I say BS, the quality is out there if they want it. I think they have a side job helping out Mid-America, Eckler's etc. Keep's them in business!

floridaZ 02-22-2010 09:52 PM

I think a "low-end Corvette" could be great. But not a Corvette though. I think Chevy should shoot for a $250-$30K "starter" sports car. Something reminiscent of the 240Z or a 1st gen Miata (minus the gay jokes). There aren't really any real sports cars offered nowadays, the closest we get are more touring cars.

I think a lightweight, balanced, slightly underpowered car would do well if any car company actually get around to doing it. Small track, sub 2600lb, RWD car perhaps with the same motor as the Cobalt SS. It would make for a car that could be a terror on the autocross but fuel efficient enough to compete with other "youth-oriented vehicles" like Scion.

Then we could have the Corvette/Z06 on a completely different chassis to take up that segment, and the few ZR1s for the upper echelon. It will never happen, but it would be awesome.

Shadow 02-22-2010 11:11 PM

Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice was very close to what you mentioned. Good looks/styling, decent handling and easy to build into a decent motor.

...of course the geniuses at GM took that away too.....:rolleyes:

Rich Z 02-23-2010 01:46 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I thought GM already tried this concept back in 1997 or so with the introduction of the fixed roof coupe model and it didn't work out so well. So why will things be different this time around?

Quite frankly, if they start making Corvettes that will sell for around $200K, will there really be a market for them when for around the same amount of money, a buyer could have a Ferrari? The main attraction of the Corvette is the bang for the buck a buyer can get. Since many Corvettes will already give the Ferrari (and other high end super cars) a real run for their money in the performance category, what is the target audience for a higher end version?

Which means there is going to have to be a VERY broad difference in performance between the low end and high end models. Which will probably wind up pleasing no one.........

Sorry, I do like the vettes, but if I can get THIS for around the same price as a super high priced Corvette, the vette BETTER be offering me something REAL special to get those bucks from me....

Shadow 02-23-2010 03:12 AM

Agreed!:thumbsup:


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