Base C8 Priced As Moderately Equipped Grand Sport? Big Disappointment!
11-21-2018, 01:45 PM
#81
Banned Scam/Spammer
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Location: Philadelphia PA (Birthplace of the USA, UNESCO World Heritage City)
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Good point! Let's see the 911 has rear seats, albeit small. So one could add the ~70,000/year Camaro to the ~30,000 Corvette sales for 100,000! 
What is also a bit funny is some folks equip their trucks with all fancy options, bucket seats, hi-end stereo etc and in some parts of the country it's considered their "Sport Vehicle!" In Europe the are essentially NO puck-up trucks. Even commercial folks use some type of closed van etc. Just recently there and in a number of countries/cities- did not see one! A number of US made Jeeps and Harley's BUT not one Pick-Up Truck!
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; 11-21-2018 at 01:46 PM.
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Zaro Tundov (11-21-2018)
11-21-2018, 02:25 PM
#82
Drifting
Definitely include Camaro sales - it's a true sports car and dominates cars from all price ranges on the track. I've even met guys who prefer the Camaro's handling to that of the Corvette so they bought an SS or a ZL1.
Even today's V6 Camaro is faster around a track than a V8 sports car from 15 years ago. The LGX V6 even sounds awesome.
Even today's V6 Camaro is faster around a track than a V8 sports car from 15 years ago. The LGX V6 even sounds awesome.
11-21-2018, 02:53 PM
#83
Melting Slicks
Those 911 sales numbers are nothing short of astounding .
Especially considering that the average sales price has to be in the 130 000’s
Lets leave our Camaro in its own little cartoon world.
Especially considering that the average sales price has to be in the 130 000’s
Lets leave our Camaro in its own little cartoon world.
11-21-2018, 03:19 PM
#84
Drifting
Good point! Let's see the 911 has rear seats, albeit small. So one could add the ~70,000/year Camaro to the ~30,000 Corvette sales for 100,000! What is also a bit funny is some folks equip their trucks with all fancy options, bucket seats, hi-end stereo etc and in some parts of the country it's considered their "Sport Vehicle!" In Europe the are essentially NO puck-up trucks. Even commercial folks use some type of closed van etc. Just recently there and in a number of countries/cities- did not see one! A number of US made Jeeps and Harley's BUT not one Pick-Up Truck!
1. High fuel prices
2. Road taxes based on weight of vehicle in many (if not all places) in Europe
3. Narrow lanes/streets, especially in the cities
4. Tight/small parking spots
5. Not considered eco-friendly
Just to name a few. Full sized pickups are also considered to be hideously ugly and/or grotesquely large by many. They really can't understand America's fascination with them.
I also found this with numbers from 2017:
- Sales numbers are rising but from a very low level
- In the EU, there are just over 80.000 pickup trucks in the so called E-segment. Mostly mid size by USA standards
- About a third of those are in the UK
- The leading brands are Dodge (RAM), Ford (Ranger) and Toyota (Hi-Lux)
- Several major Euro car builders are also considering a (new) Pick-up model.
- Trend info: there is a small segment that consists of true “USA-style Pickup Truck buffs” but most growth is coming from people who need them for horse and boat trailers, and used to have big SUV’s for that. Those SUV’s are increasingly hybrid and/or getting smaller engines, making them less useful as load pullers.
11-21-2018, 03:55 PM
#85
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
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Very few people outside of contractors and people that use them for their work/trade actually need a pickup truck. An SUV + foldable trailer (for the occasional times something won't fit in the SUV) is much more practical. A large number of pickup truck sales are driven by rural culture rather than necessity.
But as with any DD I have every owned in ~60 years needed good performance and would add aftermarket "stuff." Bought an S-10 with every HD option Chevy offered: quick steering, HD springs and shocks (including what was called a hop shock that reduced rear spring wrap up.) It was lower by 3"under the base S-10 and had aluminum wheels and wide tires. Made a custom subwoofer enclosure with an amp to power it that just fit behind the center console.. Added dual exhausts with Flowmaters, a Hyperetch programmer set for in for 93 octane, MSD ignition, 160 degree thermostat as recommend by Hypertech. Modified the air intake system and added a low restriction air filter (like the C7 the intake air already came from outside.) It handled very well with it's 5 speed manual, a B&M short stroke shifter with positraction and polyurethane bushings I added to the HD front and rear sway bars it came with!
I added a fiberglass bed cover painted the car's silver color BUT I did haul "stuff" as the house was being built!
I provided this detail since many folks use their trucks as functional tools but still have a lot of custom or added "stuff." Yep the full size Chevy Silverado sells over 550,000/year! Thought it was also great going on the Intestate ~20 miles to work every day as my radar detector wasn't beeping when I was the lead vehicle and most important I could go over 18 wheeler tire treads! Sold it when I bought my 2008 C6 Z51 and have had a 2014 Z51 a Grand Sport as a DD now. No longer traveling to work every day so I frankly avoid the Interstate and take back roads into town! Can't risk that carbon fiber splitter being wiped out by 18 wheeler tire treads in the road! It's also much more fun as the cotton in the farm fields I pass doesn't care how fast I'm going!
Frankly still miss the truck but the wife has an SUV that I do use when I need to pick up "stuff" at the truck depot and deliver packages to FedEx for my part time Internet business!
Last edited by JerryU; 11-21-2018 at 04:31 PM.
11-21-2018, 04:02 PM
#86
Le Mans Master
I'm not a cowboy or anything, and I don't even like trucks, wish I could drive the Vette every day as I prefer it 100x over. But I drive and carry stuff in my '18 GMC truck every single day. Hauled some 4' x 8' diamond plate steel sheets just today. Hard to imagine a home owner or hobbyist that could get by without a truck.
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JerryU (11-21-2018)
11-21-2018, 04:09 PM
#87
Race Director
I'm not a cowboy or anything, and I don't even like trucks, wish I could drive the Vette every day as I prefer it 100x over. But I drive and carry stuff in my '18 GMC truck every single day. Hauled some 4' x 8' diamond plate steel sheets just today. Hard to imagine a home owner or hobbyist that could get by without a truck.
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JerryU (11-21-2018)
11-21-2018, 06:23 PM
#88
Le Mans Master
Some people just like nicer interiors, better builds. Sheesh, how can they become edumacated !?!