A former Corvette chief engineer says his team used to look at the business model for the Porsche Cayenne SUV and were impressed with its popularity and staying power.
Speaking to The Detroit News for an op-ed on a potential Corvette SUV, General Motors engineer Tom Wallace revealed the automaker’s interest in the Porsche product lineup when he worked there, particularly with the Cayenne.
“When I was Corvette chief, we often studied the Porsche business model and product line-up, and were generally impressed,” said Arnold, who was in charge of the Corvette program from 2006-2008. “The fact that they have done the Cayenne and stuck with it is a vote of confidence that such a vehicle can be a success.”
Such a product would probably have to ride on a rear-wheel drive platform in order to meet the performance benchmark for something wearing a Corvette badge. That means it would be quite expensive to produce, so it would have to share a platform with something else in the GM portfolio in order to get a green light from the higher-ups.
“The Corvette ute probably would be a stand-alone architecture (or a major modification of an existing architecture), so volume would be critical to call it a business success,” Wallace added.
Launching a Corvette SUV would be costly in other ways, too. This would mean spinning Corvette off into its own brand, which would require investments with regard to branding, marketing and perhaps new or updated showrooms. GM would also have to ensure the brand is strong enough to justify adding one or two more models under its umbrella – though initial reaction to the 2020 Corvette Stingray bodes well for a standalone crossed flags brand.
At the recent debut event for the 2020 Corvette Stingray, Chevrolet’s vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports, Jim Campbell, said he couldn’t say one way or another if a Corvette brand was coming. It does seem like it’s under consideration, then, though we don’t expect GM to announce anything official in the near future. The Corvette team is plenty busy with the launch of the regular Corvette, after all.
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Source: The Detroit News
Comments
Yet they never managed to get their performance division right and killed it in bankruptcy. Couldn’t even manage GMPD! Along with too many brands being a common excuse for lackluster designs. Now “Let’s go with a new brand!” Hypocrites
We need a Corvette SUV now. GM doesn’t have an SUV/crossover that is faster than 5.5 sec 0-60. Meanwhile, Porsche just released Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid with V8 that produces 671 hp and 664 lb-ft torque.
Cadillac needs a “Corvette” SUV now. In three to four different sizes.
This would be possible if GM engineers the VSS-R to support CUVs. It’ll be a win-win for Cadillac and a “Corvette” brand.
If GM would build a Chevy SUV correctly they would not need to whore out the Corvette name and risk doing damage to the name if they fail to get it right.
As for the GMPD division. It was not wasted. The truth is they tool many of the people who were doing the suspension and spread them out for all the division and model. While GM may have fallen short in interiors etc the suspension in all models are class leading in ride, handling and comfort. My Canyon drives like a car and less like a truck.
If this group could make a Cobalt SS as good as it was imagine what they did for everything else.
I do wish they would revisit and put a new group together. Focus it on real SS models for Chevy.
The Corvette is a car not s division. Putting the name on other models really will do little to solve the problems. Olds did the same thing with the name Cutlass and destroyed the name with the abominations they called Cutlass.
Porsche needs to leverage out VW based models because they need volume. They have no trucks to support the volume.
The SUV they would build to be a Corvette should have already been a Chevy to start with. Imagine if Chevy just built a better SUV.
I think the bugs been worked out for a business case with the C8 which I think that’s why GM enlarged the factory, I’d love to see a C8 sedan/SUV.
I think its a terrible idea and will do nothing but hurt the brand-
1-It doesn’t matter if the Germans or anyone else does it, whatever they do, they will always be “smart” or called smart by the media the reverse for GM, the Corvette SUV could be the best, fastest, toughest thing on the planet, and it would still be crapped all over by pretty much everybody.
2-Porsche didn’t make a “911 SUV”, the created a whole other model, it understood that the 911 model name has value as a sports car name and it didn’t whore it out when it decided to make Porsche mommy mobiles.
3-GM already has 3-4 of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST and most recognizable SUV brands in existence.
Tahoe
Yukon
Suburban
Escalade
Want to build a fast SUV? Start from there, leave the Corvette alone.
Before we all pile on here, ask yourself this question.
Who here after watching all the activitiy at Cadillac would trust the GM board with using the Corvette name properly and not doing any harm to it.
The Corvette team is a very small and secure team that is dedicated to one car and often have had to fight the board to get what they want.
Do you think if the board smells money that they will not listen to the Corvette team and do all they ask or will they tell them to sort cut their way to just another badge engineered vehicle?
I would rather Tadge and team stay focused on the car and its variations and leave the rest to Chevy. If Chevy suceeds it will reflect well over the entire line.. If they fail few will say it was unexpected.
The new Corvette has a lot of room for growth just as a sports car and the team needs to remain focused on it and the challanges ahead to keep it viable,
Generally sports cars have shorts lives and GM has an Icon that they should not disrupt.
General Motors high performance division??? What is that? All I saw from google was a short article saying it’s closed. (In 2009)
With all the focus towards trucks and their cost going well over 50k, will GM ever make a true performance truck?
“With all the focus towards trucks and their cost going well over 50k, will GM ever make a true performance truck?”
Yes, but only if the market is prepared to pay much more than $50K for such a truck.
The Germans and the Brits make them and they’re almost all over 100K.
Exactly. So the market is there, and therefore the onus is on GM to offer something in that segment.
It wouldn’t be a Chevy, but that’s to be expected.
Gm has been sitting around for over 10 years watching Porsche mine gold…
Some people have the cojones and some don’t.
So sort of like how Porsche (or MB or BMW or etc etc etc)was watching GM before it had any SUV’s?
Where do you think there is more profit? 20,000 Cayanne’s a year or the 75% of the full size SUV market that GM dominates?
The German brands put GM to shame on profitability. I went through the numbers a year ago with Mercedes selling approx. 2.3 million vehicles vs GM 8.4 million and MB was multiple times more profitable.
And keep in mind that those large GM SUVs only sell in quantity in the US. Merc sells all their stuff all over the world. And in the case of GM, their large SUVs are really just glorified pick-up trucks which is really the only thing they make good money on. Just like Ford.
We know Chevrolet engineers have experience designing building high performance sports cars and CUV; thus, it shouldn’t be difficult for Chevrolet engineers to design and build a high performance CUV especially when some say they have a lot of the right pieces in the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer and that the only things missing is an engine and viable transmission.
The Blazer is a FWD chassis with horrible weight distribution. Mission Impossible!
Unlike VW, GM doesn’t have a high performance CUV/SUV chassis as it says in the article. And it’s too gun shy to invest 1B to create one.
You’re free to send them a check if you want to chip in.
I mean if you add this mystical performance SUV and the “Bronco Fighter” together you have a fictional fantasy land product that would struggle to maybe sell a whole 30,000 units a year…..whoo hoo.
I’m sure I’m ready to spend a billion going after those massive sales numbers……
Maybe we can get a full size BOF sedan out of it too and get another 15,000 units……now were talking some BIG numbers……
Nothing new to me, i had designed a corvette station wagon from a 98 C5, it never got built but it was beautiful. I wanted to take the kids to school in style. If you think about it, it’s no different then the 4 door granny grocery getters or rice burners as their called. Hence the saying, It’s not your father’s oldsmobile but granny’s wagon!
“i had designed a corvette station wagon from a 98 C5, it never got built but it was beautiful. I wanted to take the kids to school in style.”
And then have your kids die of embarrassment in front of their classmates.
Corvette, no. Alpha based with Camaro engines and suspension components. Maybe Camaro hints in the styling.
A C8 based Vette, awd sedan as Chevy’s flagship and an Alpha based sedan for fleet/police/inexpensive performance.
Wow, so you guys want fwd Camry copys with a narcissist 2 seat douche-coupe as the flagship, got it……
It has been stated in the past that Alpha cannot support an SUV.
If Honda can.build everything from Accords to Pilots off the same basic chassis, surely GM can figure it out.
I think its a terrible idea and will do nothing but hurt the brand-
1-It doesn’t matter if the Germans or anyone else does it, whatever they do, they will always be “smart” or called smart by the media the reverse for GM, the Corvette SUV could be the best, fastest, toughest thing on the planet, and it would still be crapped all over by pretty much everybody.
2-Porsche didn’t make a “911 SUV”, the created a whole other model, it understood that the 911 model name has value as a sports car name and it didn’t cheapen that name out when it decided to make Porsche mommy mobiles.
3-GM already has 3-4 of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST and most recognizable SUV brands in existence.
Tahoe
Yukon
Suburban
Escalade
Want to build a fast SUV? Start from there, leave the Corvette alone.
That is a OK idea, in my opinion.
My only deal is.
GM needs a ” midsized “, better than average, SUV.
Those large GM SUVs already are better than average, but I am ok with a more performance, offering, let the customer choose.
But the customer can not choose a GM midsized, better than average anything.
Because GM does not offer a midsized better than average SUV.
I just want to ask everyone who reads this one question !
What is the most popular vehicle on the road today in the US ?
Is it not a midsized SUV !
You don’t think a % want a better than average one ?
I thought this is what a Cadillac was supposed to be, a better than average GM vehicle, not a different looking, Chevrolet
Stingray
It’s still 70s-like American thinking, “our land barges sell by the bucketload, no need for downsizing….” .
The Vette have the pedigree and it’s own platform to spawn off a brand and I believe GM is pursuing this. Only thing I agree is the Vette CUV and sedan should still be Chevies but not a 6000 lb, BOF porker with a S/C and Vette badges, that’s good enough for Mcmansion dwellers in Tennessee, Arkansas, etc but it isn’t a Vette CUV.
In my opinion,
A Corvette SUV would just potentially ruin the Corvette name ! A Corvette is a Corvette !
For me this should be a Cadillac !
And as much as I dislike the low level ” V ” series Cadillac plan, Cadillac could do three levels of SUV .
Granny Cadillac with FWD/AWD and a 2.0T.
Average Cadillac, RWD/FWD ” better ” than the average Chevrolet. The low level ” V “.
And a Cadillac ” V ” super SUV, RWD/AWD. Or Blackwing ” V “.
Or whatever the he!! Cadillac is doing these days, but if we wait long enough the Cadillac plan is sure to change again.
Some people hate Cadillac, and some think Cadillac is junk. love the ats but hated the interior. I would love to see this happen with LT4 in the CUV. A more manly Porsche Cayenne. Murica. Make it with awd. Or else I’ll buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee srt, why do they put carbon fiber in cars though looks autozoneish
We all may want to note that we already have an impressive line of Callaway trucks and SUV models that are on the market but yet sell in very little numbers. Callaway was a big name with the Corvette for very long yet their vehicles are not big movers at $90K.
Using the VSS-R platform once the development is complete will work perfectly.