donavonknight

123

John T

Great question . I used to get so angry with the American manufacturers for showing a car 2 years before you could buy it.

Now I think it is time to see this car. Right now !

Damned if you do - Damned if you don't !

Chicago1

I don't know what GM is thinking lately but I would like to be a fly on the wall.

BlueOx

Well it depends on how you look at it. I certainly believe GM has kept the C6 around too long, but there were a lot of factors out of GM's control.

But given where they are right now, how can they release all info if they can't even start building them for quite a while yet? The factory is going to have a ton of revamping work done to build the C7 and that has a long way to go.

Some think a January auto show (like the C6) unveiling is set but from what I have seen we could be into spring before we see the unveiling, with deliveries probably in late summer or early fall...but who knows?

Chicago1

They still have a crap load of c6's on the lot and still being built. Need to get that inventory down first.

jackhall99

Another variation on something beaten to death already.

IMHO, no GM has not 'waited too long'.

NSC5

When I was a kid I always thought my parents waited too long to get up on Christmas morning

I believe a lot of people who would like to believe GM is waiting too long have similar self interest


If a lot of people really like the new C7 what will truly seem TOO long is waiting for your car to be built!

John T

If I were employed at Blue Ox marketing and had the GM account, I would do a teaser right now of a nighttime shot of just the rear of the C7.
Those neon taillights could give all of us a lot of hope !

HZ3

If it goes til Spring that ABSOLUTELY they waited longer than they should have... I would like at least 3 months before if I plan on buying a C7 considering I will have to preorder any limited production car I do buy.

A January unveiling should be a lock this car is finished its being driven people have seen it. GM should wait until a major event like the Auto Show for the unveiling as not only will the next few months build anticipation but the sheer magnitude of onlookers will help the cars marketability. Unveiling it on Car and Driver is just cheap. If they however miss the Detroit Auto Show than heads should roll... if they are that desperate to sell 13s they need to wait 3 months before they are being shipped at Dealers than that's just pathetic...

BluegrassMotorsport

No.

shawnvettefan

I definitely think they waited 2-3 years too long to bring out the C7. But the more I think about it I think it will be well worth it b/c I think we will see a much better C7 in 2013 oppossed to the one we would have seen in say 2011.

I just have this strong feeling that we will finally see a no excuse high level Corvette (not just talking about performance here). If not then Jaguar F type here I come! There is no other car south of $140K (not that I can afford anything over this amount at this time anyways) I lust for except the C7 (hopefully) and the Jag F Type.

BlueOx

Now yer talkin'! Just a hint of reality. Next month, a little writeup about Corvette design influences that reference the tail light photo already released.

Then in Nov., we see a silhouette of the engine with the sound of it revving, with a comment or two by an unseen Gen V engine test technician.

jackhall99

Maybe, but four years ago GM had issues and the economy was worse than it is now, so standing 'pat' was appropriate from a business point of view.

BlueOx

I would also change the way a sports car like the C7 (or C8 as the C7 die is already cast) is revealed. I'd reveal the car in Jan. for sale in March or April. Why wait from Jan. to October to actually sell a Corvette? October is way too late in the year for most parts of the country. Why not strike while the iron is hot? Better for the dealers and better for the customers trading in.

Yes, I realize the BG factory isn't ready for the C7 to do this but, in the future, this timing makes a lot more sense to me...at least for the Corvette.

HZ3

Agreed releasing a new Corvette after the Wall Street Melt Down and around the same time as the bailout would have been dumb.

Alot of people who could have even purchased it off the floor the day it hit dealers would have even been scared given GMs uncertain future (think warranty) and the economic collapse.

Hell people were talking about stocking up in gold and fire arms and moving to the desert not to long ago

This is the perfect time now that things have calmed down. Honestly the C6 isn't even that dated in comparison with some of the crap thats riding the streets.

I see at least a few C5s in my area daily and hardly any C6s. It's a popular car sure but it's certainly not outlived its lifespan given the fact that they have released what 4 versions of it? The Grand Sport is still better looking than 75% of whats on the road.

How many cars can say they have that many options on one model and all of them over 50K?

BobRBob

They have waited too long. Lots of reasons for it, some unavoidable, but they have waited too long.

CRABBYJ

Sorry, but this is not correct for the C6 back in 2004 and I suspect the C7 will follow a similar time frame from reveal to purchase. My personal experience with purchasing an '05 C6 was:

1) Saw the C6 on the internet from spy shot on carrier late 2003.
2) 1/4/04 Found a dealership expecting allocation and placed a refundable deposit of $1k
3) Saw the "It's a Boy's Dream" Commercial early 2004
4) Saw the C6 coupe and vert at New York Auto Show 4/04
5) Being moved to first on list (5 allocations) my Dealer called 5/04 for me to make option choices to enter order for production at BG. PR 6spd Coupe,trans top, 1SB, polished wheels.
6) Order accepted for production 6/12/04
7) Scheduled for production 8/5/04
8) Produced 8/19/04 #1176
9) Delivered to my dealer 8/30/04 I took a look and paid for it! 1st C6 sold in Delaware.
10) Early morning 8/31/04 - C6 prepped, full tank of gas, and now "Miles of Smiles" for the next 6 1/2 years!

John_R

Not only that, but you also have to take into account that they hired some 200 extra employees, and I've read somewhere that the XLR section was closed off as to give training to the new employees to operate the new machinery that BG had installed for the C7. The delay is justified on that basis. The assembly quality has to be there from the get go.

roundlight lover

I don't understand the constant Viper connection. The new Viper still looks like something out of a weird redneck nightmare.
Corvette stands alone as an American thinking man's sports car.
As far as the wait, GM has alot of rear end caps to sort through before the final retail unit can be shown. Do you really think people from Jalopnik (or any group) were shown the final design? Do you really think that a Corvette would be built to look like that Hot Wheels toy car we've seen on the video?

JoesC5

Don't worry. The 2014 C7 will not be a limited production car and they will not run out of them before you get a chance to purchase one. Expect a full 12 month production run of 2014's and then many years of C7's being built after that.