Through the heated, ongoing discussion regarding the next generation Corvette, a few readers have pondered the idea of Corvette being a brand independent from that of the Chevrolet moniker. It kind of already is. But there’s only one body style that comes in various degrees of spicy. What if there was a smaller Corvette, reminescent of the Saturn Sky Red Line? Or an even crazier mid-enigine mounted machine aimed at and priced to compete with the likes of Lamborghini? One would imagine the Corvette entering territory previously unimagined as a result, and into the minds of consumers that would never have considered the name in the first place.
What kind of impact would it have on GM’s perception as an automaker? What would it do for the industry as a whole? Give us your thoughts!
Comments
I know this is going to stir up some crap, lol, but I’d rather see Pontiac brought back as a performance brand (ala the way Chrysler/Fiat have done with their spun off SRT brand) rather than having Chevrolet neutered of the Corvette.
Just tear out Chevy’s heart and stomp on it. GM had a performance brand, and it didn’t survive bankruptcy…
Seriously? You think Pontiac was doing so poorly because it was a performance brand. Oh and I suppose Saturn went under because it was a budget brand, and Cadillac was doing so bad because it was a luxury brand and Buick was pretty much nonexistant just a few years ago in the U.S because its a premium, soft brand.
Pontiacs problems were many and big, but I think at the bottom of the list was it being a performance brand.
totally agreed had they stuck to the performance side of things and been more focused then they might have made it through. and as for a perfprmance spinoff brand like chrysler/fiats srt woulcnt the z-spec moniker make more sense
Yes…Chevy dealers hardly stock and never the full line. Corvette could be a bigger cash cow than Caddy if managed.
Vette deserves indie showrooms either on Chevy lots or elsewhere. GM needs to look at SRT and maybe even consider fuzing Corvette with Caddy globally.
A corvette is a corvette. Im not exactly a corvette guy (never even driven one) , so im not as qualified to speak about it as some folks here. But I dont think this is a good idea, the corvette should stick to what it is, a budget minded supercar that has all of the essentials and none of the frills. Do I think theres room for a lambo competitor in GMs lineup, yes and it should go to cadillac not chevy or corvette subbrand.
However, it is an intruiging idea and should be thoroughly considered, just not right now, maybe in a couple of years when GM has more resources, all regions and brands are profitable, and other, more important segments are full, like a desperately needed flagship for cadillac and compact wagon/hatch/crossover for chevy.
What Babersher said… It’s been a while Babersher welcome back… At end of day It could be cool but only if GM has the ability to build really cool and affordable sports cars, and super cars… Like Babersher said this is about GM having the resources to do whatever it does right. What’s the point of creating another brand if it takes away from making its existing brand into world class brands and products. This is exactly why Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Saturn really were banished to Car heaven, the model to run GM as a whole entity where every brand represented the best in its class ceased to exist. A good example is how revolutionary the interiors have become in last several years compared to before the bankruptcy. The resources were we’re spread to thin investments could not be made to have the revolutionary products we now come to expect from GM.
Thanks!
If you’re going to make a performance brand, you need to put in the Corvette, Camaro, and other competitive cars such as a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution competitor, a Dodge Charger competitor, a Kappa roadster and/or a coupe such as the Monte Carlo. A large variety is really what I’m getting at.
Pontiac marketing hinted at performance, but it was your fathers Olds with exception of the last G8.
Keep Corvette pure. Cadi is doing a great job on the performance sedan. Leave the Saturn Sky type product under just the Chevy logo.
No. It’s chevy’s halo car
To me, this is the real big question of the Corvette, and the question won’t go away.
I mean if GM wanted, they could spin off the SS name and then they wouldn’t have to hear about Pontiac ever again.
But the Corvette as a stand along range of cars, I still can’t answer that.
The corvette is an image builder to the Chevrolet brand as a whole. So I say let the corvette continue to be a chevy. Besides , the only thing that should change about the Corvette is it’s performance and powertrain technology, which should remain unique while going north and above the competition.
Yes…Chevy dealers hardly stock and never the full line. Corvette could be a bigger cash cow than Caddy if managed.
Vette deserves indie showrooms either on Chevy lots or elsewhere. GM needs to look at SRT and maybe even consider fuzing Corvette with Caddy globally.
Corvette attracts the exact demo Chevy is trying to loose as it is the ‘plummer car’. GM wants Toyota college educated buyers because the tend to have more cash.
No. The main reason is that while it is relatively easy to create a new brand it is a legal and financial nightmare to do away with it if it doesn’t work out. Corvette should remain a Chevrolet, and it should continue to be built in Bowling Green.
Adding new divisions is what got GM into trouble in the past. I mean how many ways can you split a hair between a Chevy and a Buick with gaudier chrome plastic inside, some velour upholstery and more electronics of questionable quality that will break in four years? Now that’s in the rearview mirror.
Corvette is a halo moniker. Folks go to the showroom to see the new ‘Vette and buy a Spark, Cruze or Equinox. As a kid I used to go to the Chevy store to see the new Corvette. “Corvette” has become an icon – to water that name down with different performance-oriented cars would be plain stupid.. Chevy was wise to keep it fresh ( don’t remind me how the 1968-1983 Mako shark version began to stink plastic-fantastic from age ). The last 2 iterations of ‘Vette held to the perfect formula of exclusivity, performance and affordability/attainability. After all, the gray-haired dude in front of you at the light suffering from mid-life crisis could splurge and buy one – and not just sit on the toilet reading Motor Trend and fantasize he could own one if he sold his house, business and wife! LOL
“Porsche” is a brand – 911 is an iconic sports machine. Turning “Corvette” into a division would be like Porsche having an entire 911 line of family sedans to crossovers! As it is, die-hard Porschefiles are highly disdained that the German carmaker sells Cayennes, Boxsters , Panameras and Cayennes.
Scions are sold at Toyota dealerships. If GM wanted to delineate the Chevy name between family cars and “adult” cars vs. youthful singles market vehicles like Toyota did – fine. We’ll see how the FR-S and BR-Z do. GM would definately create buzz with a two-seat affordable sports car and “SS” type youthful coupes like the Genesis Coupe. A whole new generation exists who’ll never know huge V-8s and gas-pig mileage. They may see a different brand as a character choice over Chevy. GM has tried Geo and Saturn experiments – both didn’t pan out. I say hold the line and just sell such vehicles as Chevys alongside more practical nameplates.
Key – just make good products that last with high content per dollar.
Pontiac as GM’s “performance brand”?!! They shot that to Haites a long time ago by slapping ugly plastic fascias, doorsills and wings on FWD econo tin boxes and calling that “performance”. My oh my – an Aztek for the performance brand?!! Let’s just not go there.
like i said the z-spec moniker would fit better and it could be like chevys version of caddilacs v’s. i don’t know thats just my opinion but i think it would be an awesome thing to see
or it couldbe called chevy crossflag and be an entire line up of cars. with the engineers who worked on the corvette making their magic with all chevy cars (andmabey trucks but thats a different topic) they could have the spark z11, sonic z22, cruze z24 (being the tru 140s), malibu z26, camaro z28, camaro zl1, impalla z30, rwd sedan z32, code 130r, solstice like roadster, a fiero like mid engined sports car, corvette. leave the none z marked camaro’s to be chevy’s halo car and have corvette be the performance sub-brands halo car. and have all the crossflag only cars with a styalized crossflag
Corvette should remain a Chevrolet. Creating another division for Corvette just means more management positions in GM. Don’t think we need that, just got rid of 3 divisions and their mismanagement.
Why not put the Chevrolet name in a few places on the Corvette just to remind the world who builds the Corvette. In fact the Chevrolet name should be on all of the models as a reminder. The “by Chevrolet” used to be visable on all of the models.
Chevrolet has an enormous opportunity, now that the mid-engine Corvette has arrived. First of all, let’s talk about the capability of the new Corvette as a near-supercar at an affordable price. Momentarily priced at $60,000 in base configuration, it already outperforms European sports cars costing far more, such as the Jaguar F-type, BMW Z4 M40i, BMW M4, BMW 840i, Porsche Cayman, Alfa Romeo 4C (now withdrawn), and Lotus Evora 400. It exceeds the pace of semi-exotic sports cars like the AMG GTC Coupe, Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DB11, BMW i8, BMW M8 Competition Coupe, Ferrari Portofino, and Ferrari Roma! In it’s initial year, this Corvette platform speeds from 0 to 60 in fewer than 3 seconds. It’s sublime handling, outstanding cornering power, and extraordinary comfort place it among the best sports cars available. So, in terms of performance, it merely chases the tails of very exotic Aston Martins, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis.
Then there is the long and exciting history of the Corvette extending over 67 years as it now enters it’s 8th generation. It’s successes at Le Mans, Sebring, Daytona, and other raceways endow the Corvette with added legitimacy among sports cars of the world. The terms Corvette, Stingray, Grand Sport, Z06, and ZR1, accompanied by SS and possibly Zora, conjure up visions of wonderful dream cars for many of us, whether we can afford or will never own a Corvette. So, there is great cachet in the Corvette nameplate.
Finally, we are only now seeing the beginning of the quantum leap that transitioning to a contemporary mid-engine layout promises. No doubt, there will be more sophisticated and higher output power trains, including DOHC, twin-turbocharged, and hybrid powerplants, the latter most likely introduced with 4-wheel drive. These developments will lead to power ratings approaching 900-1,000 HP and improved handling performance on the road and at the track.
Certainly, Corvette pricing from base to high-end models will increase quickly in the next few years, since the introductory price won’t last long. Just look at the current option sheet that allows you to customize your Corvette and easily ring up $80,000 to $90,000, with no noticeable performance gain. Prices will go up, making the Corvette less and less attainable.
That’s where the business case comes in. It’s clear that GM can’t justify the existing and future development and production costs of the C8, based on a limited horizon of sub-100,000 annual sales figures. Surely, there are those who can shell out $60,000 plus for a few years, but what happens after that? The Corvette as it stands will gradually creep up on $100,000, leaving the technologically advanced Corvette as a halo, niche vehicle for Chevrolet. Given that scenario, it makes sense for GM to take advantage of the Corvette nameplate.
There are undoubtedly different routes to achieving greater success and revenues with Corvette. For now, let’s assume Corvette stays within Chevrolet. As someone pointed out earlier in this stream, setting Corvette up as an entirely separate brand and division comes with a dditional overhead. Not that Corvette isn’t already visible to senior management, but a Corvette division would bring new and more complex product management, additional layers of decision-making, and the expected financial, sales performance, and budgetary constraints associated with corporate oversight of a new brand.
At the same time, GM is cutting out passenger car platforms, like their compact, mid-size and full size FWD sedans (Volt, Cruze, Malibu, and Impala). So there’s plenty of room for expansion within Chevrolet. To enhance the cost proposition for the existing Corvette, what if Chevrolet started by parlaying the mid-engine underpinnings? Chevy could develop a less prodigious and more affordable sports car using a modified version of the C8 chassis with less exotic material composition, tighter and more compact body with simpler and less dramatic exterior styling, more modest interior, fewer amenities, and most importantly, a V6 (and turbo 4 cylinder) power train borrowed from the Camaro. It would be equipped with less expensive, smaller tires, less costly traditional seats (maybe from the Camaro), and a fixed roof. Suspension components, although directly from the C8, could be cast in less costly substitute metals. If possible, with smaller engine and revised height and interior geometry, 2+2 seating might be incorporated. This mid-priced sports car in the $30,000 to $40,000 range would appeal to enthusiasts who seek a great handling, fun-to-drive, every day sports car. However, given its roots, it would definitely deliver superior performance to any of its competitors, such as the Mazda Miata and its Fiat 124 Spider sibling, Honda Civic Type R, Nissan 370Z, Toyota 86 and its Subaru BRZ sibling, and VW Golf R. At the same time, it would compare favorably with somewhat more expensive base versions of the BMW Z4, BMW 430i Coupe, Toyota Supra, Audi TT, and Mercedes SLC. The Corvair name might be ideal for this new model.
Next, Chevy could update the Camaro into a more functional and usable sporty car, with emphasis on sporty as opposed to sports. It would make most sense if the next generation Camaro, already sharing engines with the new Corvair, drew its layout from either a shortened version of the Blazer or possibly from the diminutive 2021 Trailblazer AWD. The goal would be to develop a true compact 4-seat, 2-door coupe with enhanced tuning, including 4-wheel independent suspension, smaller footprint, increased glass area, and a fastback or possibly a hatchback. If based on the Trailblazer, it could adopt the Blazer’s 230 HP, 2.0 litre, turbo 4 cylinder for sufficient performance. Otherwise, its current 275 HP 2.0 turbo 4 and 330 HP V6 should suffice for a Blazer-based RWD platform. Chevy might target an overall length of 180 to 185 inches, wheelbase of 103 to 108 inches, and front and rear tracks of 61-64 inches. I know this sounds like sacrilege, but with the Corvair taking over the territory of the former Camaro, the new Camaro would fill a gap in the product line for a compact, and exciting 4-seater.
Finally, Chevy could develop a more refined and luxurious SUV, based on the Blazer, to be called the Corsa. To best take advantage of the Corvette image, this range of vehicles, including the Corvette, Corvair, Camaro, and Corsa, would all be placed under the Corvette umbrella, in which case the Corvette model would become the Stingray and/or Zora. Thus, there would be the Corvette Stingray (base) and Corvette Zora (high performance), Corvette Corvair, Corvette Camaro, and Corvette Corsa.
There are likely lots of ways Chevrolet could make this work, but keeping the Corvette line within the Chevrolet stable makes the most sense, where the bulk of GM sales reside. This model allows Chevy to retain its halo sports car, while expanding its product line to extend from subcompact passenger cars and subcompact, compact, mid-size, and full size SUVs to better appointed, semi-luxury sports vehicles including a coupe, SUV, and entry sports car, all of which leverage the iconic Corvette name.