When it comes to game changers, the Chevrolet Volt has been widely recognized as one. With its ability to run on either pure electricity, or to sip fuel as its generator engine powers up the batteries, the Volt is paving the way for how more vehicles will be in the not-too-distant future.
Just as the Volt is undeniably important, so is the 2014 Corvette C7 Stingray. At just under $52,000 MSRP, the C7 promises to the bar when it relates to the performance-to-dollar ratio, and aims to shed its midlife crisis car stigma with unprecedented aggression from its sheet-metal, and an uncompromising interior. And hopefully, Corvette will finally get the respect it deserves worldwide with the 2014 Stingray.
Between the two, however, which is going to go down in history as the more significant vehicle for Chevrolet? Discuss in the comments below, and participate in our latest poll.
Comments
Both equally as important maybe the corvette is more significant
Only problem with the Volt is it costs almost as much as the Corvette. 8-(
The Volt will be seen as the Model-T of plug-in cars…. the Corvette as one of the last old school sport cars. Sport cars will be going all electric for performance reasons not just running costs. In with the new, out with the old!
Not Model T- Edsel instead.
While the C7 Corvette is loaded with tech, I suspect a lot of has it’s roots in the development and application of the tech in the Volt. First, the C6 absorbs electrons like a sponge. With all the tech, the C7 may absorb more electrons. My C6 will drain the battery to a non-start situation in 6 days just sitting in the garage. I have to drive it or connect the battery maintainer every 3 to 5 days. More tech in the C7 may mean a shorter battery life yet unless some of that new tech makes it’s way into battery improvement.
Secondly, looking ahead in years, if the government has it’s way, the required miles-per-gallon regulations may require a significant downgrade in power. Does anyone think that wouldn’t be the demise of the Corvette? The salvation may mean the move to an ultra high performance electron pusher with the tech that is being developed with the Volt. The Volt is a test bed for the future. Now which do you think is more significant?
Secondly, looking ahead in years, if the government has it’s way, the required miles-per-gallon regulations may require a significant downgrade in power. Does anyone think that wouldn’t be the demise of the Corvette?”
I don’t it would. The Corvette could have 300hp, as long as it’s power:weight is kept in check, all is well.
I mean, there was the LS-powered Solstice article.
I like both cars, but the gas engine Corvette has reached its technology peak. The next version (maybe the C8) will be either an EREV or a full BEV, just like the Tesla Model S. GM has the knowledge to build a 300 HP, 500 ft-lb torque electric motor and place the battery where the gas tank is to keep the weight distribution at 50-50. It will accelerate faster and break all records as it reaches 60 MPH in less than 4 seconds (if the tires grip well). The best part is that it have a 100 mile electric range and cost only $4.00 to charge up for those 100 miles (about 4 cents per mile).
That is the next Corvette of the 21st century!
They are both failures. Since C7 is still not available, on time will tell which one is a bigger failure. So far the Volt has failed to deliver on the fuel saving claims and is a resounding sales flop (steep price tag is only one factor here).
On the other hand, C7 is already underpowered, overweight, riding on skinny tires and laden with enough performance reducing gadgets and nannies to motivate even the most devoted Corvette fan to look somewhere else (never mind the very questionable styling and very cheesy plastic trim pieces).
Again, it is not which one will be more successful but which one will be a bigger failure-Pontiac Aztec, here we go again!!!
Where on earth did you read that the Volt has failed to deliver on its fuel saving claims? The great part about the Volt is that you don’t have to use gas, but you can if you want to, or have to. I’m currently averaging 58 mpg in my Volt, which is shamefully low by a Volt owner’s standard, but I’ve also managed 43 electric miles — a figure above the advertised claim. As far as sales go, it’s a leader in plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicle sales. Just because it hasn’t met the original predictions, which were frankly overestimated, means very little. If you’re going to say the Volt is a “failure,” do so after at least experiencing one.
And you’re pronouncing the C7 DOA? Please.
Hmmm, let me see… 38 mile range between charges? 37 mpg without 10 hr recharge? Seems like Volt is a substitute for a bicycle, not a real car.
Check this out, where is Volt?
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best-worst.shtml
If you drive in the city, you bought a dud, if you drive long distance, you bought even a worse dud. Oh, and you overpaid for one, too.
You keep looking at the listed numbers when real-world mileage is much better, as I stated. But haters are gonna hate, I suppose.
I trust numbers from third party considerably more than any numbers GM publishes, especially when they are full of asterisks and fine print. I am not a hater and if the numbers spoke in your favor, you would be using them yourself. GM missed the boat with Volt big time, it is a fact.
Don’t confuse your opinions with facts, as GM “missing the boat with the Volt” is pretty deluded. I don’t need to use the EPA numbers because they really don’t matter. Real world data matters.
You may want to apply this advice to yourself first. I have provided FACTS why Volt lags behind the rest of the hybrid market which you readily discarded because apparently “real life” says otherwise. Well, the super slow sales and GM incentives to push these disasters off the lots are the real life.
I suggest you patiently wait until BMW i3 comes on the market in a few months, Pontiac Aztec will look like a sales success compared to what will happen to Volt. Your loyalty to GM should not prevent you from exercising logic, at least occasionally.
My volt charges in 4 hours with a 220V charger. The mileage and quality has far exceeded my expectations and I get much better mileage in real world driving. Another benefit of EV is no maintenance for the first two years except for tire rotations.
Yes, yes. GM throws in a 220 volt wiring and charger with each purchase these days. And yes, no maintenance necessary until someone dares to exceed the 38 mile limit or has GM changed INTERNAL COMBUSTION generator motor in the Volt to solar cells or gave you a sail? Make sure to claim no maintenance should your brakes wear out too soon. LOL
Manny, I believe that booo is simply a contrarian who makes statements to elicit emotional responses from GMA folks. His/her comments are primarily subjective in nature, salted with just enough actual data to make them seem somewhat reasonable.
In my first year of Volt ownership I used 109 gallons of gas to go 14,400 miles.
🙂
You could have used even less or none at all if you bought a more efficient car (for less money)
That’s 132 miles per gallon. We’ll wait here while you ponder a gas-powered vehicle that comes close to that.
Yes, considering the 38 mile range before 10.5 hour recharge is required, you can get a bicycle to get million mpg and claim superiority, LOL. You seem to forget this is not even an actual MPG figure and rather an EQUIVALENT. Isn’t the real gasoline powered MPG figure for Volt 37 MPG?
Sounds like GM may want to revise its figures since not even GM claims this but yes, let us rely on hearsays in lieu of facts.
If bikes were the answer, we’d all be riding bikes, which aren’t even the focal point here. I don’t need a bicycle to claim mileage superiority over whatever you drive, which can’t touch the real-world mileage I’m getting in my Volt. And I don’t need 10.5 hours to charge it, either.
Well, according to GM, you do need 10.5 hours to fully charge the batteries to achieve that 38 mile range after the batteries are fully discharged. Has anything changed? Brand loyalty should not be a sole reason for car purchase, manufacturer should earn the money, at least mine. Oh and personally, I can care less what MPG I get on my cars, life is too short to worry about this part.
Boo, you have no concept of “real” mpg. You’re referring to the fuel economy with the gasoline engine running as “real”. Most Volt owners don’t experience this in normal commuting. I’ve run 1500 miles on this particular 9 gallon tank of gas and I still have 4 gallons left… I will drive the same vehicle to NY around Christmas time too. And I’ll average around 40mpg… which is fine. Not stellar but fine. Name one other car that can do this and I won’t tell you to go screw. No the Opel Ampera is not an acceptable answer.
The Volt also is well featured and fun to drive. And you can lease one for ~$300/month. I’ve always said GM should offer a Barnes and Noble gift card to coax test drives… not only because it exceeds the expectations of most consumers in terms of drive quality, but also because people who don’t get it should go read a book.
Hmmm, are you sure about it? If most of the owners do not use their cars beyond their battery powered range, why do they exactly need a hybrid? Seems like they would benefit from a full time plug in electric vehicle, trading in not needed fossil fuel powered hybrid for extra battery capacity. There are other cars that do this exact thing and apparently other buyers come to their senses very quickly-unlike GM execs in charge of this fine car.
During the Volt’s electric range, which many people don’t exceed on a daily basis, the what I call PPGe (price per gallon equivalent) is about $.87/gallon. This is true for most modern electric cars, but Volts have a gas backup for those unexpected miles after the all electric range. Does the car you are driving now get 37 mpg? 😎
Please do not feed the trolls.
i think the volt is more significant for its green footprint,( but would buy the C7 ) , the future is coming , I remember that old electric car gm built a while ago, and how everyone wanted one when it was gone, the volt will only get better ( greenwise ) and price wise, this is the future now. i think booo is just trying to stir the pot, again.
Six days and goes dead; mine will sit with out starting for 7 weeks before the battery begins to get weak! I can drive forever, with gas stops, with out having to charge the battery for twelve hours overnight. I like the power and 29mpg too! The Volt is just a toy.
Easy choice.
21st century technology vs 20th century old technology.
I would suspect the Volt’s more important due to where the market’s headed right now. Once the Volt’s technology becomes advanced enough to spread across GM’s lineup, we may see a new renaissance of GM vehicles in general. Which will breed a more revolutionary Corvette in the long run: one which will see a possible extended range Vette or perhaps an all-electric Vette. Now the Corvette’s main goal is to showcase the finest in GM performance technology. As important as that is, we’re going to always face the reality that electric powertrains are going to dominate America’s highways in the days to come. So the Volt’s technology is more critical overall to GM.
I hope we never see the internal combustion engine ever go away
Hearts and brains. My heart says C7. My brain says Volt.
With Tesla leading the EV assault and with other automakers picking up the bits and pieces with their own EV or partial EV projects, I can’t say that ICE’s are going to be around forever. That why future Corvettes are going to have to incorporate a measure of EV technology in order to stay relevant and have appeal.
You can hear the tired and aching “purists” whine about the Corvette and tradition. Ignore them. Tradition is a horrible excuse to be lazy and complacent in the marketplace. It’s the first symptom of a weakening image. Tradition doesn’t sell cars in 2013, and it won’t in 2023.
I can point to the Audi R8 and the EV prototypes that are making the rounds. Audi certainly doesn’t want the R8 to lapse in a coma of tradition, and they aren’t about to become lazy and stupid by ignoring EV technology either.
It’s sad that the Corvette can’t be a powertrain technology leader because of a whiny minority of “purists” consumers; ruining everything for everyone.
GM should experiment with a high-performance EV. But I wouldn’t call it a Corvette. It would be like trying to keep the name of a hamburger joint intact after the new owners turned it into a vegan establishment. Tradition is a very powerful thing, don’t underestimate it.
I would rather have the Corvette but the Volt is a bigger game changer with more completely new technology. It makes EVs accessible and not so scary. The Corvette is an old school sports car that has been optimized by current technology.
Both cars have an effect here.
The C7 is a short term significant car. It will do much in the next year or two to advance GM in the public eye as a very good high profile car. Think of it as a sprint runner and it will have to re up in a few years to get ahead in the segment again. Things are always changing fast in this segment.
Now the Volt is a marathoner. It is not a car that is going to be a major impact in a year or two and it will see continuous development. The Volt is a building block for the future of GM and many technologies that will advance. The Volt is not the destination but the path to the future.
Many things developed and perfected in the Volt will not only improve the Volt but will advance many cars in GM’s line up including future Electric only car all the way to even the Future C8 or C9.
The light weight materials being developed, batteries and motors will all find places in many GM models.
I think of the Volt like the Space program in the 60’s. It is not so much that we landed on the moon but all that we developed to just get to the moon. Many look at the Volt like they did at the moon landing as a waste of money. The fact is much of what we have today that like the electronics, energy sources, things in health care that have kept many alive today and even how we communicate here are all due to the space program. Even cars like the Volt, Tesla and Leaf would not be here with out the things we have learned in the space program and the companies that invested in it.
So the Vette will do much for the GM image in the next couple years but the Volt will have a major affect on what GM will have and what they will be able to offer in the future. The key is no Volt no development by companies to make these parts. GM has tried to create a market to get people willing to invest in it just as the other electric cars have.
You need to post a both vs. other in this vote.
Hello Boo …I see you’re here to rain on everyone’s parade again. I think they’re both significant cars. The Volt is at the start of its life cycle, but the Corvette has endured well. Its audience will want something different and talented engineers will come up with the ideas to keep it alive. So for the masses the Volt will be the game changer, but for the select few who live for special moments in a unique automobile like the C7, in your face technology will survive.
Raining on a parade? Sorry but the customers turned off by Volt are the ones handling this part. Volt has been DOA from its conception. Here is a food for thought: if Volt is a game changer, why isn’t anyone buying this fine vehicle? Tesla and Prius were game changers. Now, there is a new one coming, BMW i3, hopefully GM will finally learn its lesson? Apparently they could not learn from Honda and the Insight flop?
Corvette has a great chance of repeating the Volt fate, I would say it has all the right ingredients to follow Volt off the cliff. Instead of making this car light and nimble, the new Corvette comes very close to the weight of the porky Camaro, all while GM marketing department and Juechter continue to brag about new light weight technologies, fuel efficiency and super performance.
Take it from a long time Corvette buyer and driver, no C7 in my future. Somehow the concept of running on four cylinders and skinny tires does not appeal to me, GM lost one customer and I am certain I am not the only one. There is very limited number of customers who will buy this car just because it is a Corvette, the rest will demand this car to be superior to C6, not just more complex and rich in nannies. Zora Duntov must be turning in his grave seeing this disgrace called C7.
I suggest you get an umbrella, you and others will need it.
“Somehow the concept of running on four cylinders and skinny tires does not appeal to me,”
You still can’t figure out how AFM works?! It’s been over 2 weeks now since we’ve had this discussion! What the hell is wrong with you?!
I am pretty sure I understand it better than you do, judging from your comments. I do not want a car that has it, too difficult for you to comprehend? Assuming you can afford one, go and buy it, should even up for me not buying C7.
I like the quote from dave—— “but for the select few who live for special moments in a unique automobile like the C7
——————————boohoo
Rumor has it blogger boo is a Nissan LEAF car salesman.
Volt salesman instead, thus, lots of free time on my hands.
Booo- Do you really hope to make a point, or convince others of your views with such demeaning diatribes? Or is your goal simply to aggravate those who have a different opinion than yours? Nothing wrong with seeing things differently, but a respectful discussion would, I think, be more productive. Everything is not all black or white, right or wrong, in most cases.
Darn, correcting my last sentence- everything is NOT all black or white, right or wrong, in most cases.
I am a long time GM customer and simply state my opinions based on conclusions I reach, not sure what the problem is here? This is still USA and people are still entitled to think and speak independently, right?
O.K. Boo, I can go with that. But I’m thinking that all the reviews I’ve read can’t be that far off base. Have you seen the C7 up close or merely think they are continuing along some self destructive path? When my C7 arrives I’ll be better able to defend it, but if you’re a long time GM customer, you can call it as you wish. Personally, I have friends with many different brands and I can find good things to say about them all, though buying them wouldn’t happen. Zora Arkus Duntov wanted to position the Corvette at the top of the sports car wish list and I think this will do it. Show me an actual review by someone who’s unimpressed that’s seen it up close. That would carry more weight.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1309_2014_chevrolet_corvette_c7/viewall.html
I would post reply sooner but this place banned my home IP. Yes, 185 mph top speed, 0-60 in 4.1 and 3400 lbs weight are very impressive. Oh, let us not forget about ET results, LOL. Hopefully this is enough weight for you, no pun intended.
So the vette is over weight with little tires and is under powered! So then how is this car faster then the one it replaces? Almost as fast as a Z06? And out runs anything around 55k?
As for the volt go ask leaf owners what it’s like to run out of bat before you get home or to a charging station?
C7 stretches old tech, Volt ushers in new tech. Being one of the first with new tech seems more significant to me.