VETTE-NV

Totally agree about German cars. Bought a three year old SL550 for less than half it's original price and dumped it after six months because the repairs, if it had been out of warranty, would have been $22K.

Unfortunately, the general perception of non-Corvette people is that the car is shoddy. I know it's not true but in some instances, those that matter most to buyers of expensive luxury SUV's or sedans, it is true: interior quality, fit/finish, rattles. Whether these issues would be addressed or not doesn't matter. There's not enough time, money, or potential buyers to back such a venture with so many other choices already in place. It would be a completely unnecessary vehicle for GM. Unlike Porsche and their decision to build SUV's, GM already has many to choose from. It would, however, be interesting to see what Corvette engineers might come up with.

JerriVette

GM does already have brands even entire divisions to sell cuv s...you are absolutely correct.

My one suggestion would be to consider the present path of CUV s.

For what it's worth I see a movement to segmentation of the cuv market as the sedan market begins to shrink and that segmentation will include SPORTS cuvs.

I think it will be one of the hottest segments and carry a lot of profitability for the manufacturers..

I see the Porsche Macan as a leader in the sports cuv market...

Road biased with sports car like performance.

I could be wrong but that's my opinion and why I feel that GM would be well served creating a derivative really high performance cuv should be under the corvette brand especially if GM produces a front and rear mid engine corvette two seater.

I think the sedan could be bypassed and left to the Cadillac v team...but the cuv could be shared by Cadillac, GMC and corvette brands..

The number of corvette owners and corvette enthusiasts is HUGE. I live in Mercedes, BMW,jaguar , Audi country. AMG models are a dime a dozen...porsches are like candy bars ...all over the place..what people love..believe it or not is corvettes..

I'm always getting thumbs up and compliments on my corvette..I'm literally known for being the guy with the beautiful black corvette....it's fun..

I can't tell you how many people would love to have a corvette that I meet with the exception that it's a two seater...

It's clearly not the cost because corvettes even the top of the line are chump change towhat most of these men and women are driving.,.

I believe the perception of guidos, gold chains or lack of quality are long gone for most of the American public...out side the Internet forums that is..

In the real world the corvette is revered by those not owning competitive yet much more expensive yet slower sports cars and even some of those guys dig vetted.

I'm obviously not running GM much less the corvette marketing and production team but if I were....and they decide front and rear mid engine corvettes..

I'd produce an all electric cuv to compete with the ICE Porsche Macan and I'd blow the Macan out of the water with the electric power train and insane acceleration.

I'd share the platform with GMC , a professional grade model, I'd share the stretched platform with Cadillac and have a heavy interior luxury model and similiar performance. And of course I'd give a stretched platform to Buick as well but more along the powertrains of the basic Chevy version but awd.

The Chevy version I'd do fwd and least expsensive price..

Well that's how I'd use the corvette brand if in fact it became more than just a front engine sports car..

I'd also do it at the same time as releasing the rear mid engine car....to t along side the front mid engine car...the showroom and internet traffic will be massive...

That would be a lot of eyes looking at a sports cuv...

If GM can't do the battery powered one fast enough...a ICE model following the same shared platform model would work too..leaving off the base Chevy version ..if they like..stretching the length and focus of cuv sis easy...

Just give the corvette team the smallest most powerful version.,,

If they can sell corvette clothes, mugs, stool, underwear, flags, jewelry, towels , beds, bed sheets for decades..they can sell a corvette cuv s who would love to own a corvette but can't because it's only got two seats...a real Macan competitor from corvette would be a huge hit..

Just remember to price under the Macan ...it's a little pricey.,,.closer to the jaguar f pace would be smart...

KnightDriveTV

It horrifies me that people watch that street speed 717 24yr old fool that just became a Corvette guy 1yr ago and built a youtube channel from it.

It's a Corvette people...it's the next level, its how to "increase bandwidth" of the Corvette lineup, by adding models. Look at Porsche...it's pretty simple. Could they survive just selling Carrera's, sure, but why stop there? Could they just have the GT3, sure...but why stop there...they build 911r, GT2, GT3RS, GTS, Targa, etc.

Cadillac is running it's first year in DPi in Weathertech...with the WEC losing LMP1 cars, it opens the door for DPi model to go worldwide...possibly. Cadillac is building it's base of enthusiasts and building that brand...the ME will come later for them. You're not going to pull European mid engine sports car and Porsche fanatics with a Cadillac...let's be real here, please. It's a Corvette or a limited production, standalone model with it's own name using Corvette components called Zora or something of the sort.

You don't put investment into something with a myriad of unknowns. Cadillac is FAR from being a brand that just needs to walk out on the lot with some ME sports car. That's be like Buick needing a halo and saying, hey guys...check this out, make granpy proud.

JoesC5

Why do you think Cadillac has the 640 HP CTS-V?

Straight from Cadillac's official website

"TAKE IT STRAIGHT TO THE TRACK
Bred for the track, but certified for the road. A refined daily driver, the CTS-V is derived from track competition and designed to be track-capable from the factory."

Why do you think Cadillac has the 464 HP ATS-V?

Neither model is for grandpa and grandma to drive around their assisted living retirement community.

Cadillac is targeting the younger performance minded individual, just as Mercedes AMG and Porsche has, and a mid engine sports car fits right in with what they are attempting to accomplish.

The Corvette already has it's following, as does the Camaro.

The mid engine Cadillac is an upscale car as the Corvette and the Camaro already has the grey hairs and the rednecks covered.

VETTE-NV

Porsche is on track to sell maybe about 20K Macans per year. Good numbers for a comparatively small company....for GM, that's barely a blip. GM has already sold 65K Acadia's this year...a vehicle that offers none of the prestige, quality, or performance of the Porsche.....but it sure is making money for GM.

And that's the bottom line. GM has enough headaches right now without worrying about launching another brand and hoping enthusiasts will come out in droves to offset the incredible investment it would be.

It is a bad idea? Not for those of us who sit home and armchair quarterback for a company like GM. What would the GM beancounters say? "Not enough potential profit in it for us to take the risk." We're lucky that GM still has commitment to Corvette but it's not the cash cow that keeps the company afloat. Expanding the Corvette into a brand at this point would just be playing catch up for GM....again.

I think GM's resources need to go into developing cars with Tesla like technology and performance. I'd love to see a hybrid or even an all-electric Corvette with 900 lbs/tq. So far their hybrid ventures have been less than thrilling, although I liked the design of the Cadillac ELR.

Paulchristian

It's a vette. However, we won't see it for a long time. They will no take the wraps off while still trying to sell C7s. That would be ridiculously stupid. They still need to sell C7s. We will see it toward the end of the final model year for the C7. My guess sometime late 2019 or 2020. They are not done milking the C7 yet. No way this thing is introduced anytime soon.

JerriVette

POrsche is one of the most profitable car companies...I don't think GM moving its boutique brand corvette closer in ideology with small sporty cuv s..

I believe GM should produce an electric ev based cuv in the same vein as the Porsche Macan and the upcoming jaguar I pace.

This new segment of sports cars that are cuv s will be extremely profitable and popular...

Consumers are going to go completely insane for soft road high performance 4 door sports cars ...

Lamborghini, Maserati, maybe even Ferrari are all coming out with sports car like cuv s.

Corvette brand would give credence to a four door soft roader sports cuv.

sunsalem

You may be on to something there....

VETTE-NV

You may be absolutely right, but I have no interest in such a vehicle so I'm probably the wrong to guy to ever see that vision. I do think the car business will change more than it ever has in the next 10 years as cutting edge technology and marketing are creating new business models for car production and sales everyday.

jimmyb

Indeed.

Besides, Jags (Jeremy) has the whole scoop on this thing. What a joke....listening to the truck driver!

RonnieC6Z

Wow! I guess I must be a real simpleton, because I don't think that I am delusional. Or possibly, or more likely probably, I am a lot less of a simpleton than are you. Your logic is completely illogical. There is zero chance that the mid engine car seen testing is a caddy. Corvette and Cadillac have 2 completely different images and appeal to 2 completely different buyers. The mid engine car is a true sports car, and caddy does not sell sports cars. They do sell sporty coupes to compete with BMW, Mercedes, Audi & Lexus, but they don't sell cars to compete with Porsche, etc. If GM, next year or in 2 years, took 2 identical mid engine cars that will be the new mid engine GM product, put the word Corvette on one and Cadillac on the other, put them side by side, both with identical MSRP's, which one would your typical sports car owner buy? If you say Cadillac, you, my friend, are delusional.

mfasano727

I like the idea of expanding the corvette brand, but I doubt GM would do it. I think what sets the corvette brand appart is that it is a perenial perfomance for the price leader. if you concentrate on delivering that by cutting just the right corners, GM might be able to make it a popular brand. Profitable may take something more.

This is how I would do it. I would introduce the ME car while still offering the clasic model. Then I would make a Miata competitor. I would apply the covette formula to a small car. Fiberglass body on a seperate frame; engin in front trans in theback; double A-arms on all corners; put the big engine in the base model, a 6 cylinder; offer coup and vert. Maybe produce a rally car. If robust enough use the rally platform for a perfomance cuv. It would be good to fold the Camaro into the brand.

jimmyb

The Miata REALITY is very different from the Miata PERCEPTION

Here's how the NEW Miata is doing in the U.S.:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2011/01...s-figures.html



And it's Fiat 124 running mate:

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2015/10...ly-yearly.html

Together, they sell HALF what the C7 does. Why would GM do this? The Miata a great sports car....but it doesn't remotely pull it's weight, sales wise, at least in the U.S.

car junkie

this would be great!

jyounger74

I POSTED THIS MONTS AGO AND GOT BASHED!!!!!!!!!. I THINK CADILLAC WILL BE ROLLING OUT THE MID-ENGINE BEFORE CHEVY https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-corvette.html

I POSTED THIS MONTHS AGO AND GOT BASHED!!!!!!!!!. I THINK CADILLAC WILL BE ROLLING OUT THE MID-ENGINE BEFORE CHEVY https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-corvette.html

Kruegmeister

Maybe, but this is the guy that thinks SRX to XT5 & CTS to CT6 was a necessary move... Like having 2 Letters and a number is somehow an improvement over 3 letters... did he bring the design team with him? Cause maybe it wasn't All him... tho I bet he thinks so...

JerriVette

Cadillac will have r8 competitor and it will be done to follow Audi s success...even though the market has moved to sports cuv s over rear mid engine halo vehicles...

Cadillac will get burned as they are too late with old moves...

Rear mid engine Corvette and bowling green expansion will get financed by Cadillac division ..we corvette owners will benefit and finally get rear mid engine corvette with less luxury than the Cadillac version which will be a little softer and maybe a tenth or two slower.

LIStingray

I hope the Audi R8's sales volume is not your measure of success for the ME Corvette (or even Cadillac)?
Audi has sold 7,890 R8's since it went on sale in 2007 (through July 2017) - an average of less than 750 per year.
http://www.carsalesbase.com/us-car-s.../audi/audi-r8/
If GM doesn't average at least 4,000 ME Cadillacs in its first two years of production - there will be no ME Corvette. The market will have spoken again (see Audi R8, Acura NSX, etc) and said there is no mass market for mid-engine sports car that has no practical uses.

DickieDoo

I'm thinking of getting friendly with the Janitor, after all, he would know better than any truck driver! Janitorial staff have access to all the most sensitive areas of GM, after all, EVERYONE produces garbage..

erj3erj3

Why would the FATHER of the CORVETTE have a Cadillac named after him???????

Zora Arkus-Duntov Caddy???? I don't think so !!!!!!