Euro Vette!???!?!?

[LSCyaL8R]

Let's start with the link.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/08/r...rst-time-look/

I really like the concept drawings BUT I don't think they would translate well into an affordable package. I'm all in favor of getting the vette into a younger demographic, heck the more they sell of them the better I say! I was a little surprised to see that the average age was 54 considering the crowd around here. Though we are an odd bunch eh?

I think the Vette needs an injection of performance per dollar ratio. All the styling in the world would just be the proverbial lipstick on a pig at work and it's something thats burned every automaker from time to time. Yes team Corvette has some good races in the win column in the ALMS over the years and yes the ZR1 is pretty much the global top dog in performance but the base model vette I feel has lost it's edge and no matter what the big ticket vettes can do 0-60 at the end of the day the base vette is GM's bread and butter on that line.

These days we have high end Mustangs and tuner cars galore ripping the doors off base vettes. Bolt on F-body's are blowing off the doors on showroom fresh vettes.... I think the only way to win back the sales is to make the value an unbeatable proposition.... the way a vette used to be.

Look back and remember a time when a 30-40k vette was faster than pretty much anything on the road right off the showroom floor....

These days you can get 4 door sedans that would run neck and neck with a vette.....

I say 3.9 0-60 and an equally impressive 1/4 time without a price hike would get the bodies in the door....

Discuss

[ss~zoso~ss]

rear fenders look too much like the camaro i think.....

[SMWS6TA]

I like the concept pic, however I feel the need to look in their history, maybe ask the vette owners/fans what they want.

From the article:
Why would GM consider looking at European design flavors for its oh-so-American, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive sportscar? Demographics. According to Welburn, "We have challenges in the States with the Corvette. The average age of the customer is really rising."

That average age, for those keeping track, is 54 years-old (so says the Power Information Network). And it seems that the import-favoring younger generation in America isn't all that interested in the current 'Vette, a fact that has undoubtedly played a part in the Corvette's 48-percent sales decline in 2009 over the previous year.

I call on this statement. It's not that we the young aren't interested in the Vette, it's because you price them so F'ing high that no one can afford it!

Original Cost for a 1969 Corvette, which was $4,781, today well over $65,000.

[SHines-IT]

I am 19, shit... I drive an old mans car...

I do think the new Corvette cost to much, and the new Camaroe is was to much...

SS with leather and shit, should be about $32,000. While a base Corvette, should be $40,000. like it was when it was C5 and F-Bodies.

[Ramairgod84]

Well there goes the supposed all american image for the vette. I thought they were going old school looks? I personally think that the stingray has something for a base to start on. I dont agree with the head/tail lights, but i like the other lines of the car. even possibly the front grille. They need some new talent over at gm

[bigrondownhiller]

Heres one from this summer in France. Le Corvette.

[LSCyaL8R]

I think the person who sketched that had no input from manufacturing. It would be prohibitively expensive to make a budget supercar that looks like that. The shape is far too complex.

Corvette is at a point where GM needs to make some big decisions. It's a legitimate supercar and that puts it at a crossroads.

Does GM go all out and make it a supercar worthy of the name? With all the tech and luxury such buyers expect.... along with the price.....

Do they stop pushing the envelope and keep the vette a high performance to dollar ratio car.... which arguably is where Camaro currently sits.

Or do they branch Corvette off into it's own brand. Make the budget vette for kids who want a 2 seat rocket.... use parts that have heavy aftermarket support so they can be modded to be as fast as any other vette.... and make the supercar vettes for rich people who want a turnkey solution for the fastest car out there.

In any event, in order to retain the attention of the public GM needs to impress with the next vette. It can't just be an evolution of the C5 the way the C6 is. Too many casual observers just don't see the difference between a 1997 vette and a 2010 vette. This needs to be addressed since the Corvette should be the Halo of the entire GM product portfolio.

Regardless of the words in that story we can count on a few things. The next vette will be smaller, lighter and likely have a lower displacement engine. It will set records for Corvette fuel economy and improve performance of the breed at the same time.... In fact I wouldn't be too surprised if C7 base models come close to todays Z06's in terms of performance.

At what price GM achieves this and in what shape the final body is remains to be seen.

Anybody else have any predictions for the next vette?

As a side note.... since they are this early along with development that they don't even know the shape of the car when do you think we will see the first mules on the road. I'd say at least two years at this rate which would mean maybe a 2013 or 2014 introduction.... that's a long run for the C6's

[Tobynine9]

Yeah, it's price. They're walking a fine line between a volume car and a specialty car.

That's what's made the Vette so cool for so long - it's always been both.

If people want a reliable, loud, light and stonking V8 sports car for cheap, they'll have to accept C4/C5 quality interiors.

Seems nobody wants that anymore.

[bigrondownhiller]

It was always considered the working mans sports car. Nowadays most people are happy with a 250hp v6 and looks. They can get several sporty cars that fit that bill. I think GM could do it. Look at what they did with Cadillac?

[Ramairgod84]

lol whats wrong with a c5 interior? i personally like it more than a c6 interior. I think the c5 interiors flow more. He is right, the z06, zr1 stand at the door of supercars, knocking. My prediction, iagree, they'll either go for just a smaller displacement v8.. (5.5 liter?) or if u run with the rumors out there, a green take over with a twin turbo v6 setup. The ttv6 makes sense if they found a lighter body, they'd be able to throw out competitive numbers to the heavier c6. I think, if they try to find a different body, thats the course they'll go..lighter, faster, more economical. As far as bodies go, the way they make cars now a days, I dont think a radical shape could throw things too off. If you split it up correctly with body panels it should be ok.

[wheeliE-maxx]

Killed the camaro, soon to kill the vette apparently, killed fullsize truck styling, what's next? Make the Gmt355's replacement hideous?

[1MileCrash]

I like the concept pic, however I feel the need to look in their history, maybe ask the vette owners/fans what they want.

From the article:
Why would GM consider looking at European design flavors for its oh-so-American, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive sportscar? Demographics. According to Welburn, "We have challenges in the States with the Corvette. The average age of the customer is really rising."

That average age, for those keeping track, is 54 years-old (so says the Power Information Network). And it seems that the import-favoring younger generation in America isn't all that interested in the current 'Vette, a fact that has undoubtedly played a part in the Corvette's 48-percent sales decline in 2009 over the previous year.

I call on this statement. It's not that we the young aren't interested in the Vette, it's because you price them so F'ing high that no one can afford it!

Original Cost for a 1969 Corvette, which was $4,781, today well over $65,000.

don't forget that you need to adjust for inflation though as well. average income in 1969 was around $12,000 give or take. then you factor in all the safety features that have been added and required on vehicles over the last 30 years...seat belts, air bags, crumple zones, etc, etc, etc. plus all the latest and greatest electronic gizmos that everyone must have on their car. all of those things push the price up as well.

so in 1969 a vette cost around $5,000 while average income was around $12,000.

in 2010 a vette costs around $65,000 while average income is around $35,000.

keep in mind that all these numbers depend on where you live and your job. and none of these are adjusted for inflation so it's hard to make proper comparisons.

is the cost on the vette on the high side...yeah. get rid of some of the crap that isn't needed in there...navigation, steering wheel mounted controls, heated seats, power doors (just to open the door)...etc etc...and the price will start to fall. but when your target demographic is around 50 then it starts to make more sense.

kids are out of the house and through college (hopefully). that means more disposable income for the target demographic to play with. and it's the "me generation." they want what they want even if they can't afford it. so they raise the price a bit and claim that you are getting "vette heritage" and all that good crap and the baby boomers eat it up like mad.

at any rate i don't like the look of the stingray concept but i do like the look of the current generation car. the concept car won't make production because it's not heritage enough. i mean they could get to that point there but it'll take a few more generations...it's too radical of a design and too much a departure from the established architecture to be feasible on the market.

[wheeliE-maxx]

Also to the op, 436? horsepower at 40-45k for the base vette is a pretty good value now. Yeah the 5.0 stang and new camaro blabla.. Their obesity kills the performance per dollar in a straight line and cornering and brakes aren't even close

[justinmc978]

brb running some inflation costs... ya'll will be amazed

[justinmc978]

1970 C3 corvette (my favorite)

base price in 1970: $5,192.00

has the same buying power as $28,995.85 in 2010 dollars

a vette for < $30k? imagine that,

[justinmc978]

1958 C1 corvette

base price in 1958: $3,591.00

has the same buying power as $26,924.67 in 2010 dollars

[justinmc978]

1980 C3 - $34,554.21 in 2010 dollars

1990 C4 - $53,017.85 in 2010 dollars

2000 C5 - $48,949.62 in 2010 dollars

[0rion]

I call on this statement. It's not that we the young aren't interested in the Vette, it's because you price them so F'ing high that no one can afford it!

this is exactly what I thought when I read that. You price the car so high that the younger crowd can't afford them and then bitch because the younger crowd isn't buying them?? Same goes for cadillac.

[Ramairgod84]

Exactly^^

[Spaz]

they should make it look like the CERV III instead... much cooler looking...


http://www.supercars.net/cars/316.html