Interior design
#41
Team Owner
Justin, that is exactly the point. Boomers have been and continue to be the majority buyer of the Corvette. Clearly, that cannot continue after the boomers are gone. This seems so obvious that I can't believe there is any controversy around the issue. We can disagree on what changes are required to attract a younger buyer but surely not on the requirement itself.
Btw, you have no idea how many folks agree with me, especially among those who never heard of this forum, the potential customers who never even consider a Corvette.
Speak for yourself.
Btw, you have no idea how many folks agree with me, especially among those who never heard of this forum, the potential customers who never even consider a Corvette.
Speak for yourself.
I dont know a young person now that wouldnt love to have a GS, a z06, or a zr1. Especially anyone that has ridden in them, or seen them in action. You are miaguided in what you believe GM needs to do.
#42
Racer
Misguided? GM has said the Corvette needs to appeal to a younger buyer and I'm simply agreeing with them. It's true that other sports/luxury brands appeal to an affluent older demographic (late 40s and 50s) but it's not the same group of aging people with little back fill as the older ones stop driving. It's a doomed business model, the same one Cadillac finally abandoned ten years ago when they just about fell through the ice.
How to best accomplish this is open for debate but the requirement for it is not.
While it may be true that a ride in a new Corvette is a compelling experience, there is no line up for rides. Most younger folks simply have no awareness, let alone preference, for a Corvette. It's a serious problem for GM and a C7 Corvette that is much like a C6 with some different body work probably won't change anything.
How to best accomplish this is open for debate but the requirement for it is not.
While it may be true that a ride in a new Corvette is a compelling experience, there is no line up for rides. Most younger folks simply have no awareness, let alone preference, for a Corvette. It's a serious problem for GM and a C7 Corvette that is much like a C6 with some different body work probably won't change anything.
Last edited by BobRBob; 12-14-2011 at 11:13 AM.
#44
Race Director
Justin, that is exactly the point. Boomers have been and continue to be the majority buyer of the Corvette. Clearly, that cannot continue after the boomers are gone. This seems so obvious that I can't believe there is any controversy around the issue. We can disagree on what changes are required to attract a younger buyer but surely not on the requirement itself.
Btw, you have no idea how many folks agree with me, especially among those who never heard of this forum, the potential customers who never even consider a Corvette.Speak for yourself.
Btw, you have no idea how many folks agree with me, especially among those who never heard of this forum, the potential customers who never even consider a Corvette.Speak for yourself.
And GM should consider that as being valuable input because......... ?
How are they "potential customers" if they "never even consider a Corvette"? You're gonna have to explain that logic thread to me!
#45
Racer
Huh? And those folks opinion would be based on.............what, exactly?
And GM should consider that as being valuable input because......... ?
How are they "potential customers" if they "never even consider a Corvette"? You're gonna have to explain that logic thread to me!
And GM should consider that as being valuable input because......... ?
How are they "potential customers" if they "never even consider a Corvette"? You're gonna have to explain that logic thread to me!
#46
Race Director
The logic isn't at all complicated, it just doesn't make any sense. In fact, it seems overly simplistic. What am I missing here?
#48
Race Director
PS - I didn't "allude to it"; I said it - straight out!
#49
Racer
Right. So - how do you change that for people who "never even look at a Corvette"? What I think is that their "snobbery" will never change; that they have been preconditioned from a young age to automatically believe that anything European is better by definition.They will always believe that a BMW/Porsche/Audi/Mercedes is better than anything American. I think that is a lost cause, and attempting to cater to that mentality will only waste time and effort. Better to move ahead than look back attempting to fix a historical problem.
PS - I didn't "allude to it"; I said it - straight out!
PS - I didn't "allude to it"; I said it - straight out!
Start with building a product that people notice and that grabs their attention. Then market it effectively. Both are required. One without the other is a waste of money.
It can take years to build brand preference just as it has taken years to lose it.
Time to get started.
#50
Race Director
Well, I hope you're wrong because, if you're right, the Corvette is doomed. The folks buying the Porsches and BMWs and other competitive sports cars are the target market. There's no one else to sell to - they are the people who are buying sports cars. It makes no difference how they formed their opinions and it certainly doesn't help to complain that these folks don't appreciate the Corvette's "actual value and substance". That's the problem GM needs to solve. Worse, many of these people have no opinion at all of the Corvette. None. They don't even see them.
Start with building a product that people notice and that grabs their attention. Then market it effectively. Both are required. One without the other is a waste of money.
It can take years to build brand preference just as it has taken years to lose it.
Time to get started.
Start with building a product that people notice and that grabs their attention. Then market it effectively. Both are required. One without the other is a waste of money.
It can take years to build brand preference just as it has taken years to lose it.
Time to get started.
Happy Holidays!
#51
Tech Contributor
Member Since: Oct 1999
Location: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Posts: 40,091
Received 8,928 Likes
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5,333 Posts
GM is right they have to appeal to a younger buyer. They need a buyer stream that will last another 20 or 30 years. They have a lot of what it takes to get there now but the price of the car has to drop and the image has to change from a rich old guys car to a young hip guys car. In the 60s a young blue collar worker could afford to buy a Vette if they stretched a little. With the lowest cost Corvette selling in the $40K range that will not happen when the buyers are only able to pop for cars in the $30K range. So the young buyers buy Subaru's, EVO's, etc. Ones I have met liked the Corvette but never even dreamed they could afford one. What is even more interesting is the number of younger people who think all Corvettes old and new are out of their price range. A younger member of our club purchased a 90 C4 when he was 28 told me all of his friends thought he was rich even though the car actually cost him less than the cars they were considering. They also thought it couldn't perform as well as the so called hot 90s 240SX (whatever) even though the C4 could run circles around it.
The interior of the current Vette is nice and compares well to other cars in its class. I spend a fair amount of time riding in them and I don't see anything special about their interiors compared to the Vette. One student who is an Orthopedic Surgeon owns a V8 M3. When I took him for a ride in my 08 3LZ his first comment when he got in the car was, "This is a nice interior, I thought the interior wasn't supposed to be this nice." The interior in his M3 was plain jane and the seat belts didn't have a cinch feature so you could lock them tight when pulling Gs. The seats didn't hold you in place any better than a Vettes and I had to use the door pull to hold myself in place in the corners.
Bill
The interior of the current Vette is nice and compares well to other cars in its class. I spend a fair amount of time riding in them and I don't see anything special about their interiors compared to the Vette. One student who is an Orthopedic Surgeon owns a V8 M3. When I took him for a ride in my 08 3LZ his first comment when he got in the car was, "This is a nice interior, I thought the interior wasn't supposed to be this nice." The interior in his M3 was plain jane and the seat belts didn't have a cinch feature so you could lock them tight when pulling Gs. The seats didn't hold you in place any better than a Vettes and I had to use the door pull to hold myself in place in the corners.
Bill
#52
I hope the C7 Interior designers are paying attention.....there has been some awesome new interiors revealed in some recent sports cars intros....and everyone has been using bright red......just check out this new Mercedes roadster.
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#54
The new Corvette should have a better interior!, not a complicated cabin with a lot of flashy new tech mods, simple but nice. I always thought if you want something luxury by a Lexus or a Cadillac.
Last month I was shoping arround to replaced my "daily driver" looked at the new Hyunday Veloster $20K let me tell you: awesome interior!!! that tells you that companies don't have to rise the price to offer a decent product. I ended up with a new Scion TC $22K, again, the interior is 10x better than my C6.
Last month I was shoping arround to replaced my "daily driver" looked at the new Hyunday Veloster $20K let me tell you: awesome interior!!! that tells you that companies don't have to rise the price to offer a decent product. I ended up with a new Scion TC $22K, again, the interior is 10x better than my C6.
#55
Le Mans Master
#56
Le Mans Master
Originally Posted by tuxnharley
Right. So - how do you change that for people who "never even look at a Corvette"?
I didn't "allude to it"; I said it - straight out!
"That kind of person" might never get over their prejudice, but when their criticisms are dated rather than still on-point, they can be silenced, or at least held down to the point that the non-fanatic can own and drive a Corvette without having to make excuses for it.
Originally Posted by journeyc6
The new Corvette should have a better interior!, not a complicated cabin with a lot of flashy new tech mods, simple but nice... Veloster $20K let me tell you: awesome interior!!!
.Jinx
#57
I'm not comparing my new Scion with my C6, I'm just saying that the Scion has better interior than the C6, go and see one.....I bet you haven't!.... if you do please look at the steering wheel, look at the seats and obviously seat on it!, Pioneer radio from factory, even the start button looks better!...My point is that a $20k car can have that why a $50K+ can do the same? I can buy 2.5 Scions with the price of my Vette. I love my C6, as I did with my C5, but I hope the C7 has a better interior. We don't need to go and spend another $5k on aftermarket interior parts to make it look decent!
#58
Le Mans Master
#59
Race Director
Over time, by not sucking.So - you think the Corvette "sucks"? I disagree - it definitely needs some improvements, but it's a long way from "sucking"!
No, Uh - I was referring to the statements in that second post, not the prior one which you had previuosly criticised.
own and drive a Corvette without having to make excuses for it.
My Corvettes don't need any excuses, and I don't make any for them. I'm not interested in trying to justify my cars or myself to the uninformed who have "dated opinions" and still think a base model full size Porsche weighs less and has more power than a base model Corvette. If they're too lazy to read the specs let alone even look at the car, let 'em stay ignorant. "F' 'em!
.Jinx
No, Uh - I was referring to the statements in that second post, not the prior one which you had previuosly criticised.
own and drive a Corvette without having to make excuses for it.
My Corvettes don't need any excuses, and I don't make any for them. I'm not interested in trying to justify my cars or myself to the uninformed who have "dated opinions" and still think a base model full size Porsche weighs less and has more power than a base model Corvette. If they're too lazy to read the specs let alone even look at the car, let 'em stay ignorant. "F' 'em!
.Jinx
Last edited by tuxnharley; 12-15-2011 at 11:18 AM.
#60
you had time to google the pictures!!!...... hahaha so go back and google the 7.0 TRD edition (that's the one I have) and please no black and white pics. so you dont waste your time googling all the pics just post the pics of both steering wheels! My apreciation is based on both cars that I have, that I own, that I sit on them, not on black and white pics!