Corvettes European woes - Evo

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

Dude, I really hope you are trying to make a joke. The S7 roadcar would and does outperform the likes of the Enzo and etc on a track.

proof?

and we all know how great the S7 race car is

First entered in the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans, it has finished towards the end of the field in 2002 and 2003. After a two-year hiatus, the ACEMCO-entered S7R (number 66) finished 11th overall and 6th in the GT1 class at the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind several Chevrolet Corvette C6.R and Aston Martin DBR9. The following year, the Oreca-entered S7R finished 10th overall and 5th in the GT1 class.

 

[Tornado]

and we all know how great the S7 race car is

Yeah, because 11th and 10th place in a 24 hour race is so demeaning when half of the entrants usually don't finish.

 

[JohnBM01]

Damn, ///M-Spec... you straight-up SLAMMED the S7! Man! Pretty cold stuff. But sure, to each his own.

Any more suggestions about how to boost sales of the Corvette in Europe? I think earlier, I meant to say "unless the S7 isn't sold very well in Europe..." Carry on this discussion. And by the way, Dave A, those TVR interiors you posted in the previous page look great regardless of what anyone thinks.

 

[Casio]

Any more suggestions about how to boost sales of the Corvette in Europe?

Put a 1 litre engine in it and make it the new Smart Roadster?

 

[Dave A]

And make it half the size it is, actually that would sell.

proof?

The S7 is a very quick car, I wouldn't go to the lenths that it's a faster track car than the Enzo, at least not the standard model anyway. The S7 TT versions might, I don't know enough about the car to honestly say. But I do know that the S7 is a car that produces a hell of a lot of downforce. Personally I don't think the S7 looks that great, but the S7 to me, seems quite similar (in principal at least) to the Koenigseggs, and I love thoes. I can't honestly say that theres any reason I disslike the S7 beyond not liking it's looks.

 

[YSSMAN]

...Uh oh, here comes the Corvette guy...

I really don't have to say that its much of a surprise that the Corvette isn't selling in droves in Europe, but then again, who really was expecting it to do so? I mean, the overall majority of the cars are built specifically for the North American market (US, Canada, Mexico), and only a few head across the oceans to Asia, Australia, and Europe. Quite frankly, I was actually surprised by the nearly 1300 unit sales for 2006... Its better than I would have expected.

When it comes down to it, I think a lot of the issues with the car are largely going to depend on which market we are discussing sales in. I would think that countries like Germany, the UK would be top-sellers, but if I recall, the Corvette sold best in Sweeden (I may be mistaken). Certainly there is still a bit of "value" to be had with the Corvette in terms of performance and at least in my opinion, identity (ie, not as "average" as a 911 or M3), but that often isn't enough to bring people in by the thousands to get the car.

As it has been pointed out numerous times, the car has to be RHD to sell well in some countries. I'm going to be completely honest and just say straight up that it is a case of nevergonnahappen.com to get the Corvette in RHD, as it is designed mostly for North America, and thereby, GM won't spend the money to get it to go otherwise. Its not that we don't want to, but there really isn't a need for it. Sure, it would probably help them sell cars, but overall, it won't allow them to gain any money by doing so in the long-run (given "poor" sales).

Side note: The Camaro is reportedly going, at the very least, to the UK and probably Germany, but nothing has ever been confirmed. I highly doubt it would be offered in RHD, as I assume they would only bring over 1000 or so a year. Yes, I do realize it is based on an LHD/RHD chassis, but that does not mean GM will design two different interiors for the car either... Keep in mind, this is GM...

The good news is that the '08 Corvette is vastly superior to the outgoing '07, updates abound. The transmission has been altered, allowing for easier effort, faster shift times, and on automatic models, shift speeds have been increased as well. There have been suspension tweaks as well (not to mention new wheel/tire packages I believe), although I'm uncertain of the extent of difference. I'd assume the suspension changes are similar to the Z06 change, sorting out the "twitchy" nature of the car at high speeds. Other than that, you've got the new LS3, displacing 6.2L and pushing out 430 BHP all while reportedly achieving nearly 30 MPG on the highway.

Either way, the best news is that they finally fixed the interior... That is, if you want to pay for it. Pricing has yet to be finalized last time I checked, but the folks who sew together the interiors for Bentley (among others) put together a $5000 leather package for the Corvette, which pretty much covers the car in cowhide, and puts it much closer to the Porsche competition. The good news for cheap-asses like me is that its optional, as I am generally happy with the regular interior.

I'd still call the Corvette the performance bargain of the century, but then again, much of it depends on what they do with some of the other cars at GM. They've really got the whole Performance thing down lately...

 

[harrytuttle]

Yeah, because 11th and 10th place in a 24 hour race is so demeaning when half of the entrants usually don't finish.

And when they don't have the funding or research of GM or Ford.

 

[///M-Spec]

proof?

I don't know about his claims, but the S7 is a ground effects car, like the McLaren F1 or Enzo; it knows what a turn is. And UNLIKE the Big Mac or the Fezza, it was designed as a race car from the get-go, and is not a road car that was hastily pressed into race car service (albeit with admirable results) or a collector car that will never turn a wheel in anger except at a vintage race in 2058.

and we all know how great the S7 race car is

I think you should do a little more research than a two minute scan of a wikipedia article.

Here's a few facts the article doesn't tell you. In 2001, the S7.R won its class at the 12 Hours of Sebring on it's first attempt. Terry Borcheller went on to win the ALMS GTS class driver's championship that year in an S7.R. The car has 7 GT championship wins, over 60 pole positions and over 60 fastest race laps. It's no R8 or 935 and is getting on in the years, but its not exactly the slug you seem to imply it is.

I think it's interesting you also selectively 'forgot' to include this information from the wiki article you cited but did not credit:

The Saleen S7R curently holds the fastest lap records in its class for Monza Raceway (1:46.261), Nurburgring (1:57.057), and Spa Raceway (2:18.221).

Damn, ///M-Spec... you straight-up SLAMMED the S7! Man! Pretty cold stuff. But sure, to each his own.

I have nothing but respect and admiration for the S7. I'm baffled that you somehow missed the sarcasm tag.

....

YSSMAN.. do you have any pics of the leather package you were talking about?


M

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

I don't know about his claims, but the S7 is a ground effects car, like the McLaren F1 or Enzo; it knows what a turn is. And UNLIKE the Big Mac or the Fezza, it was designed as a race car from the get-go, and is not a road car that was hastily pressed into race car service (albeit with admirable results) or a collector car that will never turn a wheel in anger except at a vintage race in 2058.

M

so its a race car from the ground up? even you have to admit it hasnt exactly been a successful race car,even compared to road cars that have been transformed into road cars and got "lucky".

I think it's interesting you also selectively 'forgot' to include this information from the wiki article you cited but did not credit:


M

selective to the fact that according to what i can find those records have been beaten.

 

[YSSMAN]

YSSMAN.. do you have any pics of the leather package you were talking about?

All that I have seen of the package, for the most part, are the official GM photos. I have yet to find a magazine with non-GM photos of the '08 Vette, as most of the stories are pretty much the same on the power/performance/value side. This, thus far, is the best I have:



Otherwise there are the photos in the other '08 Corvette thread of the early-run black model with the red interior, however that is as far as I know, the "standard" interior.

Here I will quote the Motor Trend article from the August issue:

But to lure the Eurosnobs, there's a new Custom Leather Wrapped Interior package. Practically every surface you see or touch is swathed in supple leather, hand stitched by the nice folks at Draexlmaier - the same ones treating the hides in Maybach, Mercedes, and up-level Cadillac cockpits. The seat inserts are perforated leather in either a light "Linen" or darker "Sienna" color. Pricing hasn't been announced [Actually, some of it has as of now, but I've been unable to locate the option, Ed.], but it's expected to run $4000-5000, given the list of gear that it includes. It'll be worth paying for, though, and will still leave plenty of savings when compared with any Euro-rocket that can touch the Corvette's performance.

That, apparently, seems to be available only on the "standard" non-Z06 Corvettes, which does include the Z51 model.

...Still, people keep saying that they'd happily spend more money for a better interior, now that they have the chance, I'm interested to hear how it will go...

 

[///M-Spec]

so its a race car from the ground up?

More or less. The race and road cars were developed in parallel. Its structure is a tubular steel space frame covered in carbon fiber body panels, which is standard race car practice. The car is barely compromised for street use. Low, stiff, raw, loud as hell... you know, like how Ferraris used to be before the Japanese started making supercars.

even you have to admit it hasnt exactly been a successful race car,even compared to road cars that have been transformed into road cars and got "lucky".

There's two ways to respond to this.

The first is to say that any car that gets a class win at Sebring the first time it tries, then proceeds to dominate the rest of season is not a bad race car. Race cars have a shelf life; they come and go depending on the whims of the rules makers and whatever marketing plan manufacturers are following that year. The car that really shortened the S7R's racing career is the C5.R; a car that completely overshadowed the S7 after a year in development. But this should surprise no one considering the disparity in budgets between the teams. But that's all beside the point.

My second and primary response is to say in the context of your original statement, it doesn't really matter whether or not the race car was successful. The S7 road car is capable of doing far more than just going fast in a straight line.

Your implication wasn't that the S7 was less capable compared to its rivals. Your implication wasn't that the S7 had some handling quirks that made it difficult to master. Your implication was it didn't even know what a turn was and I (and I do not appear to be alone) completely disagree.

Any car designed with ground effects and conceived for use in GT racing by definition knows what a turn is.

selective to the fact that according to what i can find those records have been beaten.

That doesn't change that it at one time, held the records. Let me ask you this; if a car that doesn't even know what a turn is managed to hold the class record for the track, what does that say about all the Porsches and Ferraris that did NOT manage to hold them?


M

 

[Kent]

I wouldn't expect any real jump in sales based on a new interior.
Get rid of one bad thing and the people who don't like the car will find another.

Fact of the matter is, there is atleast some level of anti-american/ anti-corvette sentiment among sportscar buyers in europe.

I'd also like to point back to my post about the "Corvette as an Import."