RonnieC6Z

BMW just announced that the next generation of the M3, which will be shown for the first time at the Frankfurt show midyear 2013, will have a turbocharged 450 HP V6, will have a 7 speed DC tranny, will be introduced first as a sedan and then as a coupe and convertible, and they also offered other nice tidbits of info. Porsche did much the same thing with the new 911 and Boxster, as does Jaguar with the F-type, and other brands such as Ferrari, Ford, Caddy, etc. So my question is why can't Chevy, just 5 months from showing the C7 at the Detroit show, put out some info on the new car. I am not saything that they need to show pictures, but why not release info on the engine, tranny, use of materials, new electronics, etc. Chevy acts like anything, and I mean anything that deals with info on a new generation Corvette is a national security secret. My feeling is that since there have been and are, over the years, so many loyal Corvette owners, Chevy can make some effort to both appease Vette fans and, at the same time, dispell some of the many rumors.

OJCrush08

I am not a marketing person, but I would hazard two reasons why they might be taking this stance:

1. They have a lot of C6 inventory to move and they want people to direct their attention there; and

2. Their philosophy might be that withholding this information will result in increased interest and pent-up demand.

I don't know if either of these ideas are part of their marketing mindset, but I can't think of any other reasons...

z060ntrack

Just as a correction to your post specifics; the 2014 M3 will have a turbo charged in line 6, not a V6.

stevenm357

Because if you put the specs out there, someone will top them before the car comes out, it will make people wait another year, and they want to sell the inventory they have.

Dodge didn't do it with the viper.... they didn't even give HP numbers until LATE in the presentation.

RonnieC6Z

If your reasoning is correct, why do so many other makers do it? Do you honestly think that BMW is shaking in their boots because they released HP figures and now are concerned that Mercedes may top them? Furthermore, the Viper is a very limited production car that has almost zero mass appeal, so what Dodge does or does not do is not very important in the sceme of things.

Jp23rockstar

The true car buyers for corvette know the c7 is coming next summer, so I'm with you I don't why they don't release some info that we don't know already. Sales are dwindling for a long time now, it's at the end of the life cycle. We already know what it looks like so we're have way there already. Now we just need to know transmission, engine, curb weight, interior design, seats, etc. We're all anxious.

BlueOx

The dealers would probably scream bloody murder as they have a hard enough time selling C6s as it is. Plus they probably make more money selling other cars anyway so those are the ones they'd prefer GM pushed. They have been doing this with Cadillacs and Camaros, however.

BTW, I agree with the OP. They could be saying something but are choosing to say nothing. I will be very curious to see what day it is that they first start saying something OFFICIALLY.

mitchydkid

Chevy knows this tactic builds anticipation and attention within the Corvette community, and I bet Corvette people make up the majority of first year new gen sales. Once the Vette fanatics soak up all the initial release cars, Chevy will start marketing towards the more casual Vette buyer... often people who have never bought a Vette or for whom the Vette is one of many potential purchases. BMW on the other hand probably wants to get the word out because there are probably a lot less fanatical M3 buyers and BMW must drum up sales from the common pool in order to have a good first year sales number. Although I know there are some pretty intense BMW fans, I just don't think the M3 stirs the emotion or turns the heads of the common man the way a Vette does.

That is all just a guess by the way.

-D

RonnieC6Z

I think things have changed over the last 5 years in the car world and one of the changes is the large amount of choices that folks have, no matter what kind of car that interests them. Chevy needs to make a concerted effort to go after the younger buyer who generally looks at and buys the competition. Those of us who are going to buy a Vette no matter what are dwindling in numbers because we are ageing. I have a 2010 GS vert, (my 10th Vette since 1991) and I am the first to admit that the competition interests me greatly. The new Porsche Boster is selling bigtime to younger buyers. The M3 has never has a problem selling. The soon-to-be-released Jaguar F-type sports car will be one hot item. It interests me because Jaguar has already said much about it. I could be a first time Jag buyer. So maybe Chevy could attract some first time Vette buyers by wetting those potential buyers' appitites before they settle on the competition. Maybe some of those who are buying the new Boxster would have waited if they new something about the C7.

shawnvettefan

I do think GM should start releasing some info in about a couple of months. You don't want to release too early prior to production though b/c some of the sizzle would be lost prior to the first one even being built.

Times are changing and even the lifetime Corvette guy might consider another brand if the C7 doesn't meet their expectation. But releasing some of the cars detail would keep them even more interested and perhaps keep the guy that was thinking about a 911, Viper, new Jag (eventhough it's not out yet) or any other brand to put off their decision and wait on the C7.

Btw, I have a feeling the C7 will blow people away especially with the interior.....hope I'm right!!

McGirk94LT1

Do you have any proof of all these younger(and what age you mean) actually buying other products? As far as jag goes, they have to. They haven't had a seriously competitive sports car(though buy the number I've seen so far I don't foresee it even touching a c6 performance wise) and needs to shove things in peoples faces daily to remind them to keep an eye out for it soon. Also, don't be so confident about m3 sales. I don't know the numbers myself, but I don't think they're all that grand anymore. The fact they cut the sedan from production 2 years after releasing it's gotta mean something. And ask any older m car owner, 90% of em really question the direction the M studio is going with their cars. As of model year 2015, bmw said they will have no naturally aspirated cars. That's a big deal to some performance buyers. I'm interested to see how well the new m3 sells now that they dropped "the lightest production v8" for a more of the same turbo 6 that probably weighs more.

That being said, yeah dunno what Chevy's doing unless they have some serious trick up their sleeve...

mitchydkid

I think you are correct that Chevy has potential buyers that could be secured if they took the lid off the cookie jar a little early. I'm just of the impression, that in Chevy's mind, there is no need to do this because the loyal Vette buyers will soak up the first year production without Chevy needing to go looking for buyers. Chevy will go for the new buyers when cars are on the lot and the first rush from the Vette loyalists has started to slow.

roundlight lover

GM will never crack the code of the snob . Believing that they can, or will, is like saying that racial discrimination can ever be eliminated.
I could hit a mega lottery tomorrow, and I can guarantee you that Boxter would not be on my short list. I had a VW Karman Gia once that had more charm.

jb_va2001

Creating excitement for C7 will be quick & easy. Keeping people buying C6 until they are ready to build C7 is a real marketing challenge.

Jawnathin

Link to said announcement from BMW? I'm expecting a press release or some official communication, not a rumor or blog post. Most companies, like GM and including BMW don't announce any details with future products that compete with existing products.

The stats and features of the new 991 911 wasn't revealed until the announcement of the product, so I'm not sure I follow your suggestion that they're giving out product details months before the product announcement.

AORoads

I won't argue w. BM's good sales, but some of their choices over the years have been extremely questionable, even to the loyal and fanatical buyers. Like Bangle-butt, M6 convertible, etc.

As to Porsche, the first year of any of their models, who do we think buys the majority of them? There are a lot of very loyal, very fanatical Porsche owners--they buy them.

I like change, and I do think Chevy, Corvette and GM have to change. But I'm not so sure that GM NEEDS to change this strategy and begin leaking "official" info on the new C7. I really don't.

Someone prove to me how this is going to:
A) improve C7 sales figures,
B) improve C7 market share,
C) improve C6 leftover sales,
D) increase revenues,
E) bring over "other" customers from "other" brands,"
F) "young-ify" the buyers of C7 --- bring down the age of C7 buyers.

I don't think any of this is fact, nor will it occur. It's conjecture that leaking info early is going to have some impact. It very well might have an effect, but it could be more negative than positive. And that is something Corvette and GM does NOT need.

Guibo

Yeah, it means they sold 6700 more M3 sedans than they did in the prior generation.
You're right. BMW M purists have bemoaned the fact that M cars are getting less involving to drive (turbocharging, DCTs, etc) and porking up on weight. Yet sales continue to increase many times over from when the E30 M3 was released. The biggest sellers nowadays are coming from the X5/X6 behemoths. Even with a worlwide economic slump, C&D figures from 2 years ago showed BMW had already sold 46% of what the previous generation M3 sold, and still with a couple of years left to go at that time.

This article suggests the average age of the M3 buyer (at 41 years old) is the lowest among all BMW buyers (49):
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25352526/


I'm looking forward to the new Jaguar as well as the upcoming Alfa, but I don't mind the suspense-building technique used by GM. As mentioned, they will probably meet sales expectations anyway.

Jinx

BMW doesn't have M3s to sell right now.

I don't know why this concept is so difficult to grasp.

jdhommert

Ya it is simple. Gotta move all the current generation cars.

If you were going to buy a car but if you waited a couple months you could get a much better engine with a lot more power and better MPG, you'd wait right?

Imagine that with an entire new car that has a ton of reasons to be excited about. They don't want people thinking of the C6 as the thing that's here until we get the new hotness. Hard enough to sell a 50k niche toy in a poor economy.

jb_va2001

When they intro the C7, comparisons with the C6 are almost unavoidable. And those comparisons won't be, "the C7 is as good as the C6" or "the C7 is kinda-like the C6."

C6 owners, brace yourselves for;
The all new C7 is point-something faster than the C6, engineered to be something-point-something more efficient, the C7 has a something to something ratio that was improved by x.xx. The new C7 something feels better in the turns and off the line than the C6. The C7 interior was inspired by the something and it's driver oriented something puts something at your finger tips. C7 something delivers better something than the previous something by x.xx%. And the C7 has the most advanced something we've ever put in a Corvette. And if that isn't enough, the something in the C7 will make C6 owners green with envy.

Insert whatever rumor you believe for "somethings".

None of the C7 marketing will help sell remaining C6 and, sorry guys, it certainly won't make many C6 owners feel good.

Cheers,
JB