After eight years and two repeat championships while being on track for a third, Chevrolet has announced that it will leave the World Touring Car Championship scene at the end of the 2012 racing season. According to a press release, the decision was made after “a strategic review of Chevrolet’s motorsport and marketing programs.”
This move will leave drivers Rob Huff, Alain Menu and Yvan Muller out of a job, along with team racing partner RML. It also takes the Chevrolet Cruze out of the motorsports scene. But hey, at least fans still have Corvette Racing.
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So GM can dump more money into nascar, oh joy!
GM actually doesn’t dump much of anything in NASCAR except advertising and endorsing. there is NO development money spent on NASCAR considering that the cars are in no way related to what GM sells. the engines aren’t even related to the current crop of factory v8s.
Maybe GM can use this money to get back Opel in DTM…or Vauxhall team in to BTCC…only suggestion.
I loved the WTCC dynasty while it lasted, but seriously, Corvette wins in everything it competes in and it’s still laughed at as a consumer product, style, quality ecc.
The Corolla is not a race car, it’s the best selling car world wide, that should be were GM wants to go with Cruze.
I agree but the Corolla hasn’t been a “good car” in generations. It’s just as cheaply built as any other compact. With reliability to match these days. But it has that magical Toyota reputation. So to non car people give it an automatic pass.
As far as the Vette, only the snobs have an issue with the Vette. It does what it’s supposed to and cuts corners in interior appointments because by design it’s about pure performance. Not being pretentious. Let the slower more expensive less reliable Euro cars distract their owners with suede and fancy leather. If thats what it takes to feel good about your purchase as your Italia burns on the side of the road, so be it.
“It does what it’s supposed to and cuts corners in interior appointments because by design it’s about pure performance. Not being pretentious.”
So asking the Corvette to have an interior that isn’t outclassed by Sonic is a mark of pretention?
No, the Corvettes interior is a stick; a stick which GM willingly lets themselves get beaten with every model year.
If GM has spent some C7 development money on the interior, then there would be less of a stick for GM to get beaten with.
Considering that the Vette outsells nearly every car in its “class” even as sales are at an all time low; I don’t think it’s as big of a “stick” as it’s made out to be. I’m not saying it doesn’t need to keep up with the times, but let’s be real. The Corvette IS the performance icon it is for two reasons: it’s AFFORDABLE and it performes above and beyond its class and price. A slightly cheap interior is one of the reasons it’s able to do so.
But this thread is about the GM’s awesome WTC Cruz effort. So I’m gonna leave it with that.
Return on investment, cruze sells well…enjoyed while lasted…
I tend to agree with this? Why promote the Cruze with a factory racing effort when it’s not a performance car?
There are trying to promote the Sonic as a somewhat of a sporty “hot hatch” with the Sonic RS? But that appears to be it for GM in the sport compact/sub-compact segment? The code 130R & tru140S concept vehicles have not been “green lighted” to my knowledge? Even if they were tomorrow,when could you buy one? 18 months? 2 years?
Also, before anyone says “Verano turbo”…..it may have good power, but it has nothing else the core sport compact audience is looking for. Agressive stying cues, sport seats, flat bottom wheel, upgraded brakes, tuner look wheels, etc…..
I’m just astonished that RML Chevrolet managed to completely embarrass BMW and the coveted rwd 3 Series with a fwd family car year in and year out. That in itself says a lot.
You know you’re right. I didn’t think about it like that. I repeatedly say that GM has many platforms that are more than capable of running with the best when it comes to performance. I also constantly point out how many foreign performance icons are actually anything but. The success of GM in WTC with the Cruz is indicative of that on so many levels.
But while this may noticed and increase sales in Europe, here in the US it means squat. Cars need more than factory racing championships to see a positive sales increase from “racing and performance”. They need aggressive styling, and product placement in movies, and music videos. They need a affordable manufacturer supported aftermarket. With an eye toward ease of modification and maintenance. What the really need is a social and marketing blitzkrieg to burn the idea of performance pedigree into the publics mind.
Honda got lucky with the Civic and what was an underground generational performance trend exploded into something the maker of a relIable econobox could only dream of! The young and old alike flocking to your car in droves as it became all things to all people. The best part was 90% of marketing was word of mouth and pop culture! Honda didn’t really do squat!
GM cant even get butts into the Corvette properly, and only dreams of when the Camaro sold in the multi hundred thousand range like in the good old days. And that’s WITH a concerted effort to market and capture the “performance” minded in the US.
So I guess when all is said, it’s amazing GM even entered the Cruz in WTC!
Seems odd to me. I’d like to see GM take the Cruze racing in the Continental Tire Challenge ST and Pirelli World Challenge TC classes.
Me too. But I doubt it will push one Cruz out of the showroom. Not unless GM makes a version of the Cruz thats brings what u see on the track to the street.
Chevrolet is downgrading itself in Europe in favor of Opel , lots of Opel Astra (common specs) drivers switched to the Cruze because he looks great , and now with Cruze SW coming out lots potential Opel Insignia SW drivers will choose for the Cruze SW.
More likely the Astra Sport Tourer to Cruze SW than the Insignia. But could you elaborate on what you mean by Chevy downgrading itself?
@Alex No more WTCC , we have almost none Chevrolet advertisements on TV and in magazines . on the other hand for Opel we have lots of advertisements on TV and magazines and special deals , And I hear of people who work for dealers who sells the two brands , costumers are more pushed to buy a Opel than a Chevrolet. Thats why I think that Chevrolet is in Europe not a main thing for GM … Opel is…
i never got why GM thought it was so necessary to make Chevrolet a “world brand” anyway. it does just fine in the Us and there is no real need to go stomping around in Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden’s back yards anyway. especially when the money all flows to the same hand anyway.
if they were trying to establish a logical extension because of the international appeal of the Corvette and Camaro, or the classics of the past, the nostalgia and “i wish we got that” lust of those cars are only tempered by flooding the market with re-badged Chevy econoboxs.
Besides, the Europeans do small affordable cars very well. what’s Chevy got to offer that would be so much better?
to me it would do GM better to focus on the traditional all American flavor of the Vette and Camaro, or create a Europe specific performance coupe and sedan that brought high style, affordability and performance to the market at a every-man price.
in the end that’s what Chevy does best anyway.
Chevy has always been under rated when it comes to performance, GM is to conservative for its own good, they need more aggressive marketing, why would anyone by a freakin Toyota with over 13 million recalls in the last 5 years. But I can see why they pulled out of WTCC, if your not going to at least build a Curze with some performance then why race, I still think its a big mistake not to build a Cruze RS or SS with a slightly de tuned race engine. So now we can see BMW back in first place. COME ON GM TOOT YOUR OWN HORN ONCE IN AWHILE!!!
Slightly detuned race engine with a 100000 mile warranty ain’t going to happen. How about an LFX ain’t going to happen. How about an LTG that’s possible. Come on Chevy what’s the hold up?
GM doesn’t spend much money on NASCAR …………thats precious.
Before the bailout they wre dumping $100 million a year on NASCAR. Somewhat less now.
Fact is I just found they were dumping $125 million a year into NASCAR. What are they spending now?
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