quick04Z06

I've thought for some time a Corvette brand would be a good idea. We need Corvette-only dealers that give Porsche-grade service and customer care, and there is no reason a Corvette sport sedan, small entry coupe, track day coupe and ZR1 cannot co-exist. It is odd that GM's low-end brand, Chevy, carried its high-end sports car all of these years. It is also odd that the same dealer that services Cobalts services ZR1s.

IF GM wants to leverage that Corvette panache, they need to build a variant to draw younger folks into the fold and they need to really push sales in Europe based upon Corvette's recent racing successes and the translation of that racing tech to the street. Indeed, GM needs a to build a Corvette plant in Europe (to beat tariffs and duties) and to sell lots of Vettes in Europe to beat-up Porsche.

Also, Corvette customer racing cars are another good niche. Lots of margin in turn-key racing cars. Porsche uses this market as a a money-maker.

CPhelps

Autoblog recently posted a story in which they quote Nicholas David, a senior designer at GM and involed with the TRU 140 as saying the crossed flags denote both concepts as members of a new "passion portfolio" within Chevy.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/w...ross-flag-emb/

bleeper

i take the new hondas over those two any day

Blogger Bill

Looks like it will be the NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show) in January 2012.

BluegrassMotorsport

I absolutely hate the idea of the Corvette as its own brand. It just doesn't make sense to me. The Corvette has been a Chevrolet and should remain that way.

stic5

Great find! It will be interesting to see how this new "passion" portfolio of sports cars within Chevy is different from the SS line, or if it will simply replace it over time. For now, I'm hoping that red concept car gets made ASAP. I also hope these cars are truly track ready like the Corvettes they share their emblems with.

jonn127

I remember reading something about how they are going to show 2 concepts from a California design studio, these are those 2. Nothing more.

LS1LT1

Good points.

gotz06?

XPLOSYV

i think making Corvette more exclusive isn't a bad idea...i know its a totally different market but that is exactly what Michael Jordan did with his shoes...you won't find a NIKE swoosh on any of his stuff even though you know it ultimately comes from NIKE...the only place you find a "pony" on a Shelby GT500 is the windshield "tint" along the top...however, keep it all sports car though...all trims, one location

68ragtop69

Great find!! Here are the last two paragraphs of that article...

Once upon a time, the cross flags found themselves on a number of sport-oriented Chevrolet vehicles from the Corvair to the Corvette. As the years progressed, the badges fell off of every model but the Corvette. Now, David says GM wants to expand its family of sports cars, and each new member will feature the cross flags. With SS and RS models lining showrooms, GM isn't exactly short on sports branding as it is. Fortunately, the cross flags likely won't detail a separate trim so much as a family of vehicles.

It's worth noting that while the emblems on the two concept twins are remarkably similar to the cross flags of the Chevrolet Corvette, they aren't identical. The Corvette relies on a curled flag with a gold Bowtie and a fleur-de-lis on a red field, while the Code 130R and Tru 140S make do with just the Bowtie.

68ragtop69

While looking at the gallery of pictures that accompanied that article, I noticed that they used carbon fiber trim (where they normally use black plastic). That's a nice change and is in-line with GM and Tokyo-based Teijin recently disclosed plans to jointly develop lightweight automotive components using advanced carbon-fiber!

BuckyThreadkiller

The crossed flags have meant many things in Chevy history. Back in the 60s it was used in conjunction with the engine displacement as a fender badge or an air cleaner decal to show performance levels. It was a precursor to Super Sport and SS levels.

Seriously - if Corvette doesn't resonate with the younger market as a performance icon, why would you spin it off into it's own brand to specifically target tat market? That'd be like Toyota trying to make a performance brand called "Camry"

texvette2

Corvette or Chevy is going to have to do something. Its
too expensive for most younger market. If they cheap the
C7 down to poorer pockets. Than you lose a certain segment.
Corvette could work with a smaller model, V6, etc.
Call it the Poorvette. But not a stripped C7, its need to say
at a glance, I'm not a C7

McGirk94LT1

I apologize in advance for this rant lol...


Im 23, bought my 94 when I was 19, and can not say what I'm about to say in a nice way(though I mean no offense honest). I really hate younger guys with that mindset. Because of people like you that settle for this stuff, any serious hp motors get left to the big, expensive guns. It confuses the crap out of me why you would be glad to settle for something like you said, a turbo 4 and a stick... no, no I would not be happy with that. Not to mention it would be too easy for GM to make it fwd and give another slap in the face. I'm the younger guy that realized, "why do I want a 200hp civic, when there are 300hp vettes, camaros, and stangs out there for the same price almost?!? The technology is there, its been there, so put a freakin 350ish hp v8 in the thing. The ls4 is still in production I believe, a 5.3 with displacement on demand that still manages 303hp. Make a higher out put 340hp non DoD with just a better cam. Heck the 6.0 L76 from the G8 is readily available for it. Keep it smaller, and focused. A true mini vette. Then, give it color/radio/interior options out the butt for the other younger folks.

The v6 mustang track pack with 305hp, costs less then $25k and humiliates cars that cost more then it. That mustang will hold the bang for the buck title untill the next Mustang comes out, then THAT model will probably continue to hold the title(unless they really do spend some time on the next gen, smaller camaro). And they did it using stupidly simple parts, GT brake pads, GT shocks, GT500 sway bars, better tires. What your suggesting is what the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S are going to be, "cool" and "fun" "involved" cars. I will bet any amount of money that sales of those two cars will skyrocket for first few years... till people see all they are are rear drive civic SI's! 200hp in a 2700lb car can be as fun as it wants, but these guys will find out it'll get real old real quick loosing to every other car on the road and track. Then, they will become the uber ricers of our time. I mean, it wears the exact same size tires the prius does! I dont want a car that "feels great" or "inspires confidence"... I want a car on the cheap that'll kick the crap out of 80% of what I run up against out of the box. Hard to handle at the limit? That's fine experience is the best teacher. Steering not quite heavy enough? Dont care long as I can adjust myself to it and take corners faster then the next guy. That red car would be a perfect candidate for a direct injection, 5.0 v8 and aim it right at the BRZ, FR-S, and v6 mustang.

Unfortunately, that red car will probably wind up as competition for the BRZ, civic, etc. but with a 220hp turbo 4 and fwd.

Oh and that white car might as well be a G6 coupe. The only thing that looks different at that angle is the rear bumper.

uxojerry

Chevrolet should have a performance division with the Corvette at the top of the food chain. The new lighter Camaro will be a good fit. What is needed, is a lower cost performance sedan similar to the old G8/GXP. A $40k performance sedan will be a good market for those people who cant afford a CTS-V, M3, or C63. GM has the motors and transmissions, the new Camaro platform should make for a light weight sedan.

Ford attempted this with the new SHO. It weighs 4300lbs and cost almost as much as the Lincoln variant and only has a v6 turbo. Ford is surpassing GM because they can bring new cars to market in half the time GM can. How many years has it taken GM to get the Camaro ZL1 to market. Before the ZL1 hits the showroom, Ford increases the hp of the GT500 to 650hp from 550hp

Im a GM man but my company needs to transform itself into a more creative and faster acting manufacturer. These two show models would be a good start. The red one could give the M3 a run for it's money if it came with an LS3 and a 6sp.

ebf2k

Those new cross flag logos look like kids toys to me.

C02VETTE

Me too. The white one looks like that Pontiac they had.

pTr73

I hope not! It's a chevrolet corvette, not just the name corvette. If they make a brand out of it, you will see different models of the car, and probably offered with smaller weaker engines and such. That might be a disaster since it would break the corvette heritage of being a single stand alone car produced by chevy.

RockIT9