We’re not the only ones who have explored this before: it may be time for Corvette to be its own identity. So much brand identity sits within the name, it could ditch the Chevy preface tomorrow, and many wouldn’t bat an eye. That was just the subject from the latest opinion piece from Autoblog, and the idea is to aim Corvette squarely at Porsche.
As the piece notes, Porsche was once a purist brand, and anytime the company veered away from the rear-engined formula, purists cried fowl. Volkswagen AG eventually committed a cardinal sin by introducing the Cayenne, and by the end of this decade, Porsche will have quadrupled its sales globally.
Maybe General Motors should be paying closer attention to this formula. Autoblog openly suggests a whole lineup of Corvette branded vehicles. Yes, SUVs included. If there’s one thing GM has always been a peach at making, it’s an SUV or truck.
It’s wildly weird to imagine, but not as difficult for Chinese consumers to swallow. The Chinese consumer base appreciates the bang-for-your-buck Corvette offers, but does without the long-standing sense of Corvette being strictly a two-seat V8 power sport car. And they have no notion about Corvette being tied to Chevrolet. Not to mention bolstering Cadillac’s image with a lineup of razor-sharp Corvette vehicles in its showroom.
The report cites Porsche moving 47,000 vehicles in the U.S. market last year with seven different models. Corvette nearly eclipsed that number with one model at 35,000. Could it work? Maybe. That’s not for us to ultimately decide. But with a mid-engined Corvette an almost-sure thing, who knows what other programs are lurking in the shadows.
A brave new world it would be, indeed.
Comments
Well this would not be a bad idea for GM to have another performance division since it looks like Pontiac is gone forever. At first it sounds ridiculous to have a Corvette line but when you think about it it would seem pretty neat for GM to spin off Corvette on its own.
I wouldn’t mind a spin off for making the entry level car the sting ray to a mid range Z06 to the top with the “Zora” and probably a super sedan. I really hope no SUV’s though leave that for cadillac and hopefully they can apply the V to their 3 new SUV/CUV’s to fill that gap at GM
To me it seems pointless. There’s Corvette guys out there that hate the idea of a mid engined one but know wholeheartedly that it’s what Duntov wanted a long time ago and would embrace it. The article talks about Porsche branching out and making other cars, well Chevrolet already makes everything just needs a high performance engine. Basically all Porsche has done. Similarities to this include the Hellcat engine, it started with the Challenger and people wanted it in the Charger, now there’s talks of cramming it in the Grand Cherokee. Lighten up a Tahoe and cram an LT4 in it if thats what everyone wants. It would make more sense than a Corvette SUV.
Make it a simple lineup. Entry level stingray, mid engine exotic manta ray, a sedan, and an SUV. Just big enough to cover the big segments for sportiness and not too big to step on Cadillac. Corvette is almost a brand of its own already. No one replies to “what do you drive?” with “a Chevrolet Corvette stingray”. They say “I drive a corvette/corvettes stingray”. The only thing keeping this a Chevy is the little bow tie in the corvette cross flags. This would also open up room for Chevy to make camato their best.
Nobody replies saying “Chevrolet Corvette” because you already know it’s a Chevrolet. Nobody replies saying “I drive a Chevrolet Camaro” or “I drive a Ford Mustang” either because you already know it’s a Chevrolet and Ford.
Lets get a few things straight here. In North America the Corvette will be nothing but the Chevrolet Corvette.
Second there will be more than one model here soon and we will have two diverse models on the market.
Three More people are open to the Mid Engine than some would like to admit. While there are some hard core front engine guys the mid engine will win many over when it proves it will move the performance stick even higher than the present Z06 can. In time I expect the Front C7 will be put away and a lower cost mid engine version will replace it with strong acceptance.
Now in export markets they could market the car as a Corvette where there are no Chevy dealers and that would not hurt anything.
Finally what works for Porsche will not work for the Corvette just as the front engine V8 928 never worked for Porsche. If GM were to do a performance SUV they have three divisions to choose from bases on price they could employ well know for their model. Chevy could do a Tahoe SS at a lower price. GMC could do a Yukon or if you want to pull out all the stops make it a Cadillac V model.
This was just a topic Delorenzo brewed up after a hang over to stir the web up with. Do not let this get take too far as it will not happen.
Now if they would like to make it interesting they could take the Corvette tuned engine and drop it in the Tahoe and then put crossed flags on it and have a Tahoe powered by Corvette. It is essentially what they would do if it was branded a Corvette and it would hold the same effect.
We have some smaller unit body SUV models coming in the future that could lend themselves to this treatment. Keep them a Chevy but you could let the Corvette engineers plop un a Corvette engine and tune the suspension and leave it at that still a Chevy Tahoe and tuned by Corvette Engineering. The best of both worlds. Also you do not have to dismantle the Corvette as it stands and if you want to pull the SUV you can do it at any time like any other special edition.
Will the Corvette be a brand on its own? Plain and simple: NO.
corvette is chevrolet- THIS IS HISTORY. is chevrolet so bad ahhhaaaa – gm comedy.
corvette is chevrolet and thats it.
make something new name or brand super car or luxury car ahhaa but cant change the history
clever people up they brand not kill or eat they brand. corvette helps all chevrolet like other brands like audi-bmw.mb or other brands. interesting and better good cars helps all brand and brand broducts.
WHEN WE SEE CORVETTE NYBURGRING LAPTIME. coming soon ahhaaaaa funny people.
For me the Corvette is the highlight of the Chevrolet brand, and it should stay that way. Corvette is also the image builder for GM and only needs to have more ass-kicking cars to brighten up every other GM vehicle. Hence, the Corvette should continue to where it’s Chevy emblem with pride.
Just what GM needs , another car line.
Exactly what I was going to say. If anything, GM should reduce the number of brands they have, not add to them.
Seems ass backwards to make a Corvette a Cadillac. And what they should do is make the slow selling ATS A Chevy Monte Carlo. ATS-V would be a Monte Carlo SS. With a Chevy price. The slow selling CTS could be a Caprice. And the caprice ppv could be renamed Chevy Holden. ( just holden till you get back to the police station than book em.)
Ok smart guy then how would you discontent the Cadillac’s to make it fit the Chevy price ands also not compete with the Camaro?
You would love the engines, the Magnetic shocks and struts and many of the things that cost much more and would make a Monte Carlo the price of a ATS and a Caprice the price of a CTS.
You really need to get involved and understand how pricing structures and cost work.
Sure easy being a Internet CEO but unfortunately it is not all that easy.
The Corvette sports car will not be for a good while as they have many other greater needs to address that add to the bottom line first. They have already stated this. But if the time comes if funded and done properly it can be done just as the Audi and Lambo both share the same platform and also different price structures. One is just expensive and the other mega expensive and the content shows why.
Sorry Cletus, we all know who your momma is so you might as well be proud of it. No need to try to spin, Chevrolet makes the best sports car in the world for the money. Let Cadilac go for pretentious, let Chevrolet be humble and carry the big stick.
Stupidest shit I read all day.
Corvette independent is a good idea. Especially in Europe and Asia where GM has had difficulty with Cadillac.
GM really needs high margin luxury sales and, since I question whether Cadillac will ever take off, Corvette seems a fantastic opportunity for the company.
If the Germans can do it, so can Corvette.
comedy- chevrolet goes cadilacc and so on. stop figthing in side gm. chevrolet is chevrolet. cadillac is cadillac and so on. all gm brands must be must be equal. not to Chevrolet and Cadillac are bad and evil is good.
is just horrible, very often in the news and read the internal gm gm fans stories.
gm is like the nursery
H**L NO.
If it brings back the Solstice, a Turbo-4 car with a Corvette chassis, I’m all for it.
Would I prefer Pontiac as a China/US brand under Buick that did the same thing? Sure. But the how is not as important as the final product.
I wholly agree bring back the Solstice! I LOVED the styling! I still think about getting one used but would love to be able to buy one new again!
Recall when Dodge tried this with the Viper? So my answer would be no.
Dropping a Corvette-competitive engine didn’t save the Roadmaster:
The 5.7 L TBI LO5 is replaced with a 5.7L MPFI LT1. This LT1 had cast-iron cylinder heads and produced 260 hp (194 kW) (40 less horsepower than the Corvette). A new electronically controlled 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission replaces the 4L60 (aka 700R4).
I’d make Corvette a stand-alone. And if they want to Corvette-tune a Denali or whatever, make Corvette the AMG of GM.
Just my humble but deadly-accurate opinion!
Absolutely yes
GM must use the Corvette and the Cadillac brand, to represent the company worldwide and achieve prestige.
They must create specific departments to sell and publicity for Corvette/Camaro and Cadillac in European and Asian markets.
Volkswagen has a Lamborghini and Bugatti, BMW has a Rolls Royce……………… has 2 jewels which knows no avail
Why does it need to break away? It already has it’s own badge. If GM wants to make a few ‘Vette cars, put them in a special area of a Chevy showroom. People will ‘get’ it.
Sorry the Solstice has come and gone. Sales are difficult for a low priced sports car. With low volume it is hard to keep the car updated or even built to where you get all you would like in it.
Most 2 seat cars outside the Corvette and Miata all have had short runs unless they are much more expensive.
Also Pontiac is dead so non of their models will be back. I loved the Solstice and Sky too but that boat has left.
Right now just keeping a goal of a Corvette in the mid $50K range is very ambitious. While that sounds expensive it is cheap for this kind of car especially for the performance it provides.
I do expect a smaller roadster from Cadillac at some point and it may be in and or around $50K.
GM needs to unlock some of the value that is under exposed and under developed within the company. Globally, Corvette would be a great place to start because of the make’s history and fantastic potential.
I also think that Cadillac needs to do a better job promoting and molding it’s V series as a true AMG rival in every sense of the word.
GM and VW are unique in that they are the only two global brands capable of managing more than one brand per segment and then managing the overlap.
Not long ago people were considering ending the Corvette program and giving the segment to Cadillac. The current Stingray proves that customers will flock to a high quality product with compelling history.
Caddy needs to take notes!
The 2013 zr1 corvette is in a class by it self.
Go find one then drive it
THEN GO FIND A C7ZO6 AND DRIVE IT.
They are completely different .
You will not run out and buy the c7.
The c6zr1 is better all around.
Straight line the ZR1 WILL WIN.
DEPENDING ON THE DRIVERS IT’S A TOSS UP ON A TRACK. THE C7 ZO6 IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE A ZR1 OWNER WANT TO MAKE THE SWITCH.
THE INTERIOR IS SMALLER , Less button and leg room . As of now I might never give up my c6zr1.
The zr1 c6 Corvette is superior to the c7 z06 hands down.
The c7 ZO6 Corvette is not really what you think.Go to your nearest dealership and test drive one.Then find c6 zr1 you will never look back.Its completely 2 different cars.The C7ZO6 is like a pile of junk in comparision.The dash is too small.If you are over 6 foot 3 and more than 250 don’t buy it.No leg or but room.The c6zr1 has fantastic tall gears .Shifts like a dream with the manual stick.FANTASTIC ACCELERATION IT JUST KEEPS CLIMBING EVEN IN 4 TH GEAR.NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE DRIVEN BOTH CARS TO MAKE THIS DISTINCTION.