The future of Corvette...

[CorvetteGuy80]

I believe Corvette should be spun off unto itself so it can grow and expand it's line up without the chains of Chevrolet branding. The Corvette has long outgrown the branding of Chevrolet and can stand on its own now and truly take on the exotic supercars of the world with the standard/core Front engine/RWD/R-AWD layout but also with mid & rear engined/RWD/R-AWD layouts as well. The Corvette would naturally still be owned/built by GM, but no longer marketed as a Chevrolet automobile like what Chrysler has done with the Viper. Do you agree?

 

[xNEVER-ONEx]

So basically, you want GM to build more types of high performance sports cars, not just RWD, FR, V8 ones?

 

[CorvetteGuy80]

So basically, you want GM to build more types of high performance sports cars, not just RWD, FR, V8 ones?

Yes Indeedy, but not only that, but Chevrolet is/has become an economy/family brand & should stay that way In my opinion. It should no longer have any RWD/R-AWD vehicles at all. Pontiac should to be resurrected to cater to the RWD/R-AWD sporty/performance niche. GMC to cater to those that want a pick up truck, full size van, SUV or Ute(Sprint/Caballero) from GM. Cadillac would be the top luxury/performance (RWD/R_AWD across the line up) brand. Buick can also stick around offering understated luxury(mostly FWD/F-AWD, save for the brands flagship model & a coupe/convertible).

 

[xNEVER-ONEx]

Yes Indeedy, but not only that, but Chevrolet is/has become an economy/family brand & should stay that way In my opinion. It should no longer have any RWD/R-AWD vehicles at all. Pontiac should to be resurrected to cater to the RWD/R-AWD sporty/performance niche. GMC to cater to those that want a pick up truck, full size van, SUV or Ute(Sprint/Caballero) from GM. Cadillac would be the top luxury/performance (RWD/R_AWD across the line up) brand. Buick can also stick around offering understated luxury(mostly FWD/F-AWD, save for the brands flagship model & a coupe/convertible).

So why limit it to just the Corvette. Why not create a performance brand, which would consist of the Camaro and potentially the new Chevy SS RWD sedan.

 

[obsessive rules]

I would personally like to see a mr layout v8 car from 'Murica. The ford gt don't count by the way.

 

[Tornado]

The Corvette has long outgrown the branding of Chevrolet and can stand on its own now and truly take on the exotic supercars of the world with the standard/core Front engine/RWD/R-AWD layout but also with mid & rear engined/RWD/R-AWD layouts as well.

What is R-AWD? Why would GM make a mid-engined Corvette, let alone a mid-engined Corvette, rear-engined Corvette and traditional Corvette?

The Corvette would naturally still be owned/built by GM, but no longer marketed as a Chevrolet automobile like what Chrysler has done with the Viper. Do you agree?

As the circumstances that surround Chevrolet aren't the same as those that surrounded Chrysler, I see no reason for it. It would be a massive expenditure that would inevitably fail, and would do nothing more than annoy buyers and dealers.

Yes Indeedy, but not only that, but Chevrolet is/has become an economy/family brand & should stay that way In my opinion. It should no longer have any RWD/R-AWD vehicles at all.

Why? And what are they going to do with the Camaro and upcoming SS? What about all of those trucks that they still sell?

Pontiac should to be resurrected to cater to the RWD/R-AWD sporty/performance niche.

Nope. Been there, got the t-shirt.

GMC to cater to those that want a pick up truck, full size van, SUV or Ute(Sprint/Caballero) from GM. Cadillac would be the top luxury/performance (RWD/R_AWD across the line up) brand. Buick can also stick around offering understated luxury(mostly FWD/F-AWD, save for the brands flagship model & a coupe/convertible).

What exactly is wrong with GM's current brand portfolio and positioning that warrants them flipping the card table to redo all of it?

 

[locoman88]

Let's keep it FR....

 

[Beeblebrox237]

I can see a MR supercar coming from GM, but not as a Corvette.

 

[Dennisch]

I really fail to see the necessity of a Corvette without it being a Chevrolet...

It has worked for them since the early 50's, so why change it?

 

[Luminis]

And MR Corvette? Isn't that quite un-corvette-y?

Also, I doubt that it would be beneficial to split Chevrolet up into half a dozen brands just for the hell of it. I mean, really, the fact that you'd have to do PR work for all of those would probably be enough to make it quite a bad decision from a business point of view.

 

[ICEYOU]

I really fail to see the necessity of a Corvette without it being a Chevrolet...

It has worked for them since the early 50's, so why change it?

No doubt Corvette's will always and forever be Chevrolets. Corvette will always have the chevy emblem inside and outside and they could be vinned as a Chevrolet if GM did decide to turn the Corvette name into a brand. I personally don't see any disrespect to loyal Corvette fans, In my opinion I think fans would embrace such a huge change.

 

[Dennisch]

I personally don't see any disrespect to loyal Corvette fans, In my opinion I think fans would embrace such a huge change.

I love to hear those fans when Corvette (as a separate brand) decides to put a 4 or 6 cylinder into the 'Vette.

 

[CorvetteGuy80]

No doubt Corvette's will always and forever be Chevrolets. Corvette will always have the chevy emblem inside and outside and they could be vinned as a Chevrolet if GM did decide to turn the Corvette name into a brand. I personally don't see any disrespect to loyal Corvette fans, In my opinion I think fans would embrace such a huge change.

Well said ICEYOU. This is just an Idea of mine, yes there are a few flaws in it, but it just makes since!

I love to hear those fans when Corvette (as a separate brand) decides to put a 4 or 6 cylinder into the 'Vette.

I don't think GM would ever do that! lol

Besides like I stated before there could be different models that you could buy.

 

[Dennisch]

I don't think GM would ever do that! lol

Besides like I stated before there could be different models that you could buy.

Like a base model 4 cylinder Corvette? Sounds plausible to me.

Building it would spread the range of the brand Corvette. Like a BMW 3 series. Also comes with a 4, 6, and 8 cylinder.

 

[CorvetteGuy80]

Like a base model 4 cylinder Corvette? Sounds plausible to me.

Building it would spread the range of the brand Corvette. Like a BMW 3 series. Also comes with a 4, 6, and 8 cylinder.

Yes! don't you see? It could become an Iconic car brand that will be face to face with brands like Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.

 

[Dennisch]

Nope. I can't see it.

Corvette = Chevrolet sports car with a V8 in the front, delivering too much power to the rear wheels, and keeping that V8 until it just isn't viable anymore in a car.

 

[CorvetteGuy80]

Nope. I can't see it.

Corvette = Chevrolet sports car with a V8 in the front, delivering too much power to the rear wheels, and keeping that V8 until it just isn't viable anymore in a car.

I understand and respect your opinion.

 

[ICEYOU]

I always look as Corvette as being...somehwat of its own brand within a brand, but not a full blown one at that. Not like Ram and SRT as others have said. Its like it is a prestigious mark within Chevrolet. Its a Corvette. For example, and if the link works, the 1954 ad in the link below is what I think of Corvette as. Its the Corvette, by Chevrolet.

http://corvetteactioncenter.com/gall...php?photo=1618

 

[CorvetteGuy80]

It doesn't NEED to have a Chevy badge on the hood/Flag whatever. Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette. I would want only highly skilled technicians who understand the car inside and out, and appreciate it, to do even the routine tasks of oil changes and filling the tires with air. GM should have taken Corvette away from Chevy dealers by the time the '63 Stingray split window was out. It should have been it's own marque, sold at only high end dealers. I know what I said was horribly wrong to some of you, so forgive me.

 

[Eric.]

It doesn't NEED to have a Chevy badge on the hood/Flag whatever. Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette. I would want only highly skilled technicians who understand the car inside and out, and appreciate it, to do even the routine tasks of oil changes and filling the tires with air. GM should have taken Corvette away from Chevy dealers by the time the '63 Stingray split window was out. It should have been it's own marque, sold at only high end dealers. I know what I said was horribly wrong to some of you, so forgive me.

So, Chevrolet GM needs to create new dealerships specifically for catering to Corvette owners? There's a plan destined to fail.

And those "lesser pieces of junk" must be built to better standards (I bet they are) if they stay on the road after being worked on by "regular-skilled" technicians.

There's nothing particularly fancy about Corvettes, you know. Half that technology has been in Chevy trucks for the last 50 years.

 

[Tornado]

Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette.

You know, other than the 5 year period where GM sold the ZR-1, I'm not seeing how the Corvette being serviceable at any one of the thousands upon thousands of Chevrolet dealers in the country is a bad thing.

 

[marluxiaXI11]

Considering how many brands GM has had in the past making the Corvette into its own brand is completely unnecessary when it has been doing just fine where it is for its whole existence.

Plus if it was made a separate brand then it would must likely just be sold and serviced in the same dealership as Chevrolets.

 

[Slash]

IMO I think what Chrysler did with SRT and RAM was stupid.

 

[McLaren]

It doesn't NEED to have a Chevy badge on the hood/Flag whatever. Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette. I would want only highly skilled technicians who understand the car inside and out, and appreciate it, to do even the routine tasks of oil changes and filling the tires with air. GM should have taken Corvette away from Chevy dealers by the time the '63 Stingray split window was out. It should have been it's own marque, sold at only high end dealers. I know what I said was horribly wrong to some of you, so forgive me.

Oh yes, because the Corvette is such an advanced piece of machinery compared to everything else Chevrolet makes.

It's still a "primitive" car as far as sports cars go; doesn't take GT-R engineers to work on.

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

It doesn't NEED to have a Chevy badge on the hood/Flag whatever. Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette. I would want only highly skilled technicians who understand the car inside and out, and appreciate it, to do even the routine tasks of oil changes and filling the tires with air. GM should have taken Corvette away from Chevy dealers by the time the '63 Stingray split window was out. It should have been it's own marque, sold at only high end dealers. I know what I said was horribly wrong to some of you, so forgive me.

It just wouldn't work. Corvette lacks the prestige needed for such arrangement. Sure, there's racing pedigree, but would YOU buy a Corvette base model if it were priced similarly as base Ferrari? Because that's what they would need to do in order to keep the premium Corvette dealerships running. They would also need to hire more people, pay their salaries, work insurances etc etc. It's not as easy as you seem to think.

 

[ND4SPD]

Umm no thanks. Dodge almost sold the Viper name back when they weren't doing so well and we all remember the uproar that caused.
The Corvette doesn't need it's own brand IMO. It's always been the little Chevy that could, competing with the big boys that cost twice as much at times yet still be affordable for the average person. Everyone knows what a Corvette is, there's just no need for it to turn into it's own brand.

 

[GTPorsche]

Would be just as stupid as taking the Mustang and making it separate from Ford as it's own brand.

 

[Crash]

I think part of the lore of the Corvette is that it Is the little working man's sports car that could. It is quintessentially American. To separate it out into an individual brand and completely bring it upmarket would destroy that reputation and romance.

Not to mention that building multiple variations with different drivetrain layouts and different engine types (I4, V6, V8, etc.) would severely dilute the Corvette brand.

 

[TheCracker]

Yes! don't you see? It could become an Iconic car brand that will be face to face with brands like Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini.

The Corvette can't compete with those marques and doesn't need to, it sits happily in it's own market segment (maybe alongside the Viper).

It's USP is it's heritage and the fact that it's relatively cheap. It's far too low-rent inside to compete directly with the likes of Ferrari, Porsche or Lamborghini, which is one of the reasons why it beats them on price. Try to move it upmarket and you'll make it too expensive for the majority of loyal Corvette buyers.

 

[ZohsixGT5]

Also, if I owned one I wouldn't want people who work on those lesser pieces of junk to touch my Corvette. I would want only highly skilled technicians who understand the car inside and out, and appreciate it, to do even the routine tasks of oil changes and filling the tires with air.

I'm not sure how much experience you have with servicing a Corvette at a Chevy dealer, but they are all highly skilled and take extra care of Corvettes. Reason being that it is one of their most expensive models. The customer knows it and the techs know it. Every major city has a Chevy dealer that is THE Corvette dealer for that region. If a Corvette owner takes his car to the right dealer, it will be taken care of no question.