The idea of a mid-engined Corvette has been an idea, a near production vehicle and a rumor for decades. It now seems as if we’re closer than ever following a test mule sighting earlier this year and whispers throughout the industry of such a Corvette coming to life.
But, has Cadillac President, Johan de Nysschen, just confirmed the reality of such a vehicle? You tell us, because it certainly seems he has.
In a new interview with Motor Trend, the question is asked bluntly: Is a halo car based on the forthcoming mid-engine Corvette in the cards for Cadillac? The answer?
“It has to be one of the options.” Not it might, or it may be, it has to be.
He elaborates on the question saying the following:
In the future there are going to be some architectures inside the corporation that will remain purely Cadillac, but then there are others where it just isn’t economically feasible to enter segments by trying to do a unique Cadillac. Then you look at what’s available in terms of corporate assets. And I’m sure you’d agree that a new, very advanced Corvette platform wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
If a mid-engined Corvette test mule kicked the rumormill into high gear, de Nysschen’s latest comments just injected such a vehicle with life.
Comments
I am not sure if it’s a good idea or not. Let’s look at the past Cadillac sports cars, the Allante and XLR. Either of them fared very well. Now I realize we have much better products and management in place but i think a car like this needs to be way down the road in terms of production. Cadillac needs to work on many other areas before tapping back into the 2 door sports car super car market.
Please don’t compare Allante and XLR in the same sentence. XLR sales collapsed during the same 2008 financial crisis that killed the G8. Nobody says that was a bad car.
XLR was a great car (Northstar and new-tech issues aside). I’m all for Cadillac trying again in a better economy… so are they.
I am perfectly fine comparing the two cars since they both were failers. The XLR had awful interior and the fit and finish left a lot to be desired. The few changes they made the last couple years it was produced helped but the car was a flop. And blaming the financial meltdown on the cars dismal sales is stretching it. Sure it was a giant improvement over the Allante, but the end result was the same.
It was the best of the Northstar engines (especially the XLR-V with its extra hardened blocks), it was the most comfortable Corvette ever built, with way ahead of its time tech – and the 2009 design language was amazing.
XLR was built alongside Corvette, and cost very little to R&D compared to Allante – a terribly-built car that literally had to be flown back and forth across two continents – in a custom 747 jet – to be built.
Keep shoveling your complaints, it only helps me nab an XLR for less. “Anyone that ever owned a Kappa, never complained about the damn soft top” – And that kind of whining is why I nabbed a clean sub-5-sec car for under $11k. XLR-V under $25k is in my future.
Slight correction please. It was not built alongside the Corvette, it was built in the Bowling Green plant in its own little area.
The XLR body was assembled in a small area but the chassis and running gear was run down the same line and married to the body. I watched the whole process.
I agree, I had an Alante for 13 years and loved it, but it was a commercial failure and neither was the XLR.
Ugh, more linkbait. He never confirmed that. At all. All he confirmed is that it’s an option GM is considering. Big whoop. So did the Corvette team.
Remember the Zeta manufacturing plant in the USA? That got way farther along. Remember the Kappa Golf GTR killer (Torana TT36)? GM built that, never went into production.
All I’m saying is, this isn’t confirmation. Don’t get your hopes up. Gas could go back to $5/gallon and C8 could be an A2XX car.
Chris many of these things were planned but changed as time went on and money dried up. That era was chaos at GM because many people came and went and often their plans came and went with them.
Today things are becoming more stable and it is getting a little easier to see them take a direction and stick to it for once.
Add to it the ever changing regulations etc. things can still change with the markets needs and government requirements.
Well lets get a few things straight here. I read this interview a month ago in an advanced copy of the December issue. Johann brings up the idea of a Mid Engine Corvette based car but…..
Johann points out that a Halo car for Cadillac would be much better being something that Cadillac is much better representative of their past. His offering would be to do a 4 door touring convertible.
This web site is piece mealing this info in parts and not giving the complete thoughts of the original interview in one place and it is a little misleading to those reading it.
I would recommend reading the original interview in its entirety and take his full comments and thoughts all at one time vs. this a little bit here and a little bit there.
As for the Mid Engine Vette it is coming. The real question to be answered yet is there have been two given dates and one was 2017 and the other 2020. Well if it is 2017 I would expect some surprise in Detroit this year with a show car. If 2020 it may be a little longer before we she or hear more. One way or the other Tadge has stated they have taken the current car as far as they can go with the engine up front. This and the Mules prove there is a program and it shows the direction and thinking the team has taken.
I would not expect a Mid Engine Corvette based Cadillac anytime soon as this is a Chevy deal. Now Cadillac having something of their own and something closer to represent a grand touring car from their past with the best of everything including 4 doors and a drop top would be more in line with what they are trying to represent.
Johann wants Cadillac to be Cadillac not BMW, Benz or Corvette.
Johann also said if they did a sports car it would be much later around 2025 before they would get to it. They have too many other things to work on now. Things I should say that will change image and make money.
the Corvette needs to go it alone… sold thru Cadillac instead of Chevy.
As a Corvette owner I can attest to the fact that Corvette buyers are are spending from $60-130K and still don’t get a loaner due to CHEVY RULES if they have to go in for service. An ATS owner.. who only paid $33K would get one tho. That’s just part of the issue.
I have posed this question before to hard core enthusiasts and most always say no.. because of tradition. My thought is that the Corvette is now essentially in Porsche territory in terms of quality, fit and finish.. and obviously performance and tech. Many non-enthusiasts don;t even kno that the Corvette is a Chevy. I $h! U not. Most people I talk to who are not enthusiasts think the Corvette is a.. Corvette. They kno the cost is not cheap.. and in reality Chevy is the “every man” brand of GM. It is on par in terms of perceptional with Ford, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. My thought is screw tradition. It holds the brand back:
1) Porsche is no longer “traditional.” The 911 is not the volume car at Porsche.. it is their Flagship. The Corvette is, in many ways, on level with Porsche’s Cayman/Boxster to 911s. It should enjoy the autonomy.
2) The fastest car at GM should be the CORVETTE.. the Corvette just shouldn’t be a Chevy. The Corvette should be sold thru Cadillac dealers so that its service level will be up to par with its price. As it stands… Chevy dealers do not have the level of service amenities or coddling that is necessary to handle the buyer of a $60-130K sports car. Cadillac does. But as a bone for Traditionalist.. keep the Vette at Chevy, but separate it within the dealership experience.
3) The Camaro almost makes the Corvette redundant as a sports car at Chevy. The Camaro is on level with the Mustang. It could be a viable Flagship for Chevy at this point especially with the Camaro stretching out all the way to $80,000 for a Z28. Its performance is undeniable. It is no longer the go to for tack heads with mullets or guidos with gold chains. The Camaro is down right “Premium” in its own right
4) A revisit to the profitability of a Corvette Brand. The Corvette division is something I’ve been talking about for years though..
It has occurred to me that Chevy, and possibly GM really are pushing for the Camaro to be the Halo car for Chevy these days. If so… is the Corvette finally gonna get the autonomy it deserves as a separate brand, just sold in Chevy, or better yet.. Cadillac dealers?
Quite frankly I believe that GM would make very large profits with a Corvette Specific brand in the same vane as Porsche’s 911 and Cayenne:
a) Stingray $55K-75K (Base Model 460HP)
b) Grand Sport $65K-85K (Upgrade with 550HP)
c) Z06 $85-105K (650HP)
d) ZR1 $110K-150K Mid-Engined (720HP)
e) a yes an ALPHA based Coupe CROSSOVER with a 320HP V6, a 450HP LT1, and a S/C 580HP LT1 as well.
All of this would continue to be sold at a CHEVY dealership in a separate (even if by partitioned wall) part of Dealership with specific/exclusive sales reps and technicians, again better yet would be the Cadillac Dealers being able to
Cadillac would get the a pick 3 of those vehicles.
a) CT7 (based off Stingray) would be a 2seater coupe with a 300HP 2.0LTurbo, optioned with a 440HP TTV6 for the Vseries (vs SLK)
b) CT9 (based off Z06 and GS) 2seater with 460HP base, and VSport 580HP with optional “Check the Box” V-series at 650HP
c)Cien (CT11) (it along with the Escalade would be the only non Alphanumeric) It would be completely based off mid-engine ZORA and would come out before it. 720HP for coupe and a Roadster at 730HP
GM would have a viable competitor in these two divisions to both Porsche and Benz/Audi in almost all categories. Its time and they need to act once the Z06 is in place for the Corvette and the CT9 in place for Cadillac. Properly engineered and leveraged they could use these two brands to usurp the profit reigns from both Toyota and VW.. using the VW strategy as Audi and Porsche are where its actual profits come from (Toyota’s profits actually come from, and I’m not BS-ing here, leveraging older platforms under new skins with very little upgrades in terms of engines. (See Camry and Corolla). With Cadillac and a Corvette “semi”division within Chevy, along with GMC and Buick, which are extremely profitable, GM could be what it once was in the pre-90s as far as profits. Cadillac should have a version of the Corvette, perhaps augmented to be a mid-engine car like the ZORA is rumored to be. It is my opinion that Corvette.. as long as it is directly under Chevy’s dealership network should not in anyway get a version of the proposed possible ZORA. Cadillac should have a version of the Corvette, perhaps augmented to be a mid-engine car like the ZORA is rumored to be. It is my opinion that Corvette.. as long as it is under Chevy’s dealership network should not in anyway get a version of the proposed possible ZORA.
Never going to happen at least in North America.
It would be a move in North America as bad as moving production from KY to China.
Making a Cadillac version is what they already did and we also know how that worked out too.
#1 911 is not a volume car but it is still a Porsche. It is not sold at an Audi dealer.
#2 The Corvette is as has always been a Chevy and you will never pry it away from their division. There at this point no advantage making it a Cadillac dealer model as their dealers are no better than any other GM dealer.
#3 You don’t know Camaro and Corvette owners do you? Camaro owners are much like Boxer owners as they aspire for the 911 and the Corvette. The Corvette owners generally never look back just as 911 owners seldom down grade unless they have to.
#4 The Corvette today a the price point it is at may be as profitable as it ever has been. Things were lean from the 70’s through the 90’s but today profits are where they need to be for this price point. If they were not it would not be here post Bail Out.
SUV model no! Now if you want to take a pre existing SUV and let the Vette people tune it put a badge on it stating tuned by the Corvette team that Is fine. We all saw in the early 80’s what they could do with a station wagon and today they could generate many sales on a Tahoe with their own take of a special Tahoe tuned by Corvette Engineers. That is if they have time.
Now I do agree overseas you can make Corvette a brand and sell it in what ever GM dealer is in that specific market. Be it Cadillac in Dubai, Buick in Shanghai, Vauxhall in London, Opel in Munich or Holden in Sidney.
In North America you leave it as it is as if you remove Corvette from Chevy here the public would be confused, Chevy would be fighting mad and the Cadillac already has a full plate and is still working to fix themselves at this time. They fully have not sorted themselves out yet let alone know what to do with the Vette on top of all else they have to do.
Chevy and Corvette are like Conjoined Twins that share organs in this country and to remove one will damage both.
Cadillac if and when it is time to do a sports model needs to explore to do their own thing in a GT theme be it high end or even lower open touring drop top sports car as that is their best chance to do a higher volume and make money.
Note BMW seldom does a super car and if they do It is only for a short time and they fall back to the profitable roadsters that suit them much better for what they do.
The bottom line the Corvette people at Chevy have killed other cars with in GM just to protest their model. They have ignored their directives to kill the model. They have engineered things they were told to never produce. They broke rules to build race cars that should never have been built. And you think they will let Corvette leave the Chevy brand without a major and damaging fight?
When Cadillac does decide to build a mid-engine sports car, it needs to follow the lead of Cadillac’s V-cars meaning it isn’t enough for the car to be fast or sexy as it has to challenge to be the best which means something that will target Ferrari’s LeFerrari or Porsche’s 918.
a LT4 twin turbo Cadillac based on c7 with extensive carbon fiber use ..even the wheels ..would be great for the company image 800 underrated to 750 and 1500kg max