4-passenger Corvette? The time has come

[Rob]

4-passenger Corvette? The time has come

RICK KRANZ,
Automotive News
March 31, 2011 - 12:01 am ET

If Porsche can do it, why can't Chevrolet?

Why can't Chevy build a four-passenger Vette?

I can't tell you how many times over the years I've heard the folks at General Motors say it would be a sacrilege to create a four-passenger Vette. "It would damage the brand and turn off owners and potential buyers," is the usual response.

Full Story: 4-passenger Corvette? The time has come

 

[Tuna]

GM does build a 4-passenger Vette except it's called a CTS V Coupe.

 

[jrose7004]

Ahhh...no! It would make the Corvette go the way of the Thunderbird!

 

[minifridge1138]

I don't get it....

Corvette is not a car manufacturer, it is a car.

Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati, Ferrari are all manufacturers. It makes sense to say Ferrari should make a 4 door car. It doesn't make sense to say Ferrari should make a 4 door Enzo.

It makes sense to say "chevrolet should make a 4 door car that is as exciting to drive as a corvette." I rather like that idea.

Saying "chevrolet should make a 4 door corvette" is like saying "someone should make a unicycle greyhound bus." It would no longer be a bus, so why bother calling it a greyhound.

 

[WhalePirot]

I don't get it....

Corvette is not a car manufacturer, it is a car.

Porsche, Aston Martin, Maserati, Ferrari are all manufacturers. It makes sense to say Ferrari should make a 4 door car. It doesn't make sense to say Ferrari should make a 4 door Enzo.

It makes sense to say "chevrolet should make a 4 door car that is as exciting to drive as a corvette." I rather like that idea.

Saying "chevrolet should make a 4 door corvette" is like saying "someone should make a unicycle greyhound bus." It would no longer be a bus, so why bother calling it a greyhound.

Amen.

And that Porsche is fugly!

 

[93Rubie]

The guy got one thing right. Corvette will fail unless it expands sales. The 50+ demographic is not where you want to be. How to do this?

First of the all Corvette is WAY to expensive. I remember in 2004 or so a Z06 was 50K. Heck, a standard C6 today is more money. WTF? In my honest opinion for Corvette to survive it needs to be cheaper in the 30-40K range like the Nissan 370Z, Mustang, etc...only still be a world beater. You could make a Corvette sell for that, just strip it down, no luxury items just speed and decent comfort. That would be the one I would buy. I dont want or need all the BS that comes in the standard cars. Heck, my 93 has crap I don't want or need. Power mirror, seats, windows, auto HVAC, etc...

OH, fix the dang seats GM, my 93 Sport Seats are way better than ANY C5 or C6 seat, even with my lumbar pumps and bladders that don't pump or hold air. The adjustable side bolsters hold you in place, cannot say that with C5 or C6.

Second, GM is killing sales of Corvette with the Camaro and other High Performance cars. When Corvette sales where very good, GM had no other real High Performance Cars at least as of Recent until after the C6 came out.

Why did the Corvette sell so well before, better economy, and cheaper. As good as the ZR1 is, it suffers from the problem with the C4 ZR1, price.

As far as a 4 door Corvette goes, it exists, its called the CTS-V or the now gone G8 GXP. They killed Pontiac just when it got going. Stupid.

After the government bailouts GM can KISS my ARSE. Other than Corvette I hold no allegiance to GM. If I want American I buy FORD. Still independent and not government owned. Plus, they make the BEST American made cars and trucks, Consumer Reports, Car and Driver and others agree with this.

 

[Victory Red C6]

Just a simple one word question. WHY?

They tried a 4 seater Corvette in 1963 and the design staff hated it then and I would hope to hell that would hate before they even tried it. There are plenty of other hih performance GM's. You want a 4 seat sports get a CTS-V.

See link below for pics and info on the 4 seater in 1963.
Rick Corvette Conti » Blog Archive » 1963 4 Seater Corvette!

 

[WhalePirot]

GM's biggest impediment is themselves. The crappy service just after buying my '84 drove me away from being a decades-long GM-only customer. Seems, from comments in this forum, that little has changed.

Interesting that the Japanese took the Fiero idea and made it a moneymaker, while Pontiac pulled the plug/ ow many times have we seen that? A pretty clear idea of who is in touch with their customers. They copied the one-size-fits- all concept from Honda, by limiting choices ti option groups, while five minutes on this forum show that Corvette buyers are individuals, with very specific ideas about equipping their cars. thence, a stripped down car is cheaper and the full spectrum can sate everyone.

They have/had a four seater in the Camaro and Frebird. I look but never bought, preferring the superior (once) in-touch driving experience of BMW.

 

[njlouc]

How about a Corvette SUV?? or corvette dumptruck??

 

[WhalePirot]

How about a Corvette SUV?? or corvette dumptruck??

Love it!

 

[starbai]

Ahhh...no! It would make the Corvette go the way of the Thunderbird!

Agreed.. some things are sacred man... 4 door mustang = no... 4 door corvette = no, 4 door 911 = no.

Bring out a v8 RWD Taurus SHO = sure, bring back the Pontiac G8 GXP in 6spd manual Chevy Form = sure, Porsche Panamera = sure... (ugly, but sure) --- but leave the originals alone!

 

[Bronze85]

Agreed.. some things are sacred man... 4 door mustang = no... 4 door corvette = no, 4 door 911 = no.

Bring out a v8 RWD Taurus SHO = sure, bring back the Pontiac G8 GXP in 6spd manual Chevy Form = sure, Porsche Panamera = sure... (ugly, but sure) --- but leave the originals alone!

I agree, is that really a Dodge Charger anymore?

 

[02VetteCoupe]

I agree, is that really a Dodge Charger anymore?

No, it's not. It's a Benz C class sedan with an ugly plain exterior and a cheap plain shitty interior. 1969 was the Charger to have. Also I'd rather have the little 1980s ones or a Daytona from the early 1990s and that's sad. Also, the original Avenger/Stratus and Sebring was OK, now the new ones are shit. They don't even evolve in appearance anymore, they just throw names on shit and shove it down our throats... Like the Cmaaro. I can't agree with that piece...

 

[Lucky 3]

Not that it makes much difference, the atricle is about a four passenger Corvette, not a four door Corvette... Istill would not buy one.

 

[67vet]

I would not want to have to sit in the rear seat of a Porsche.
Can you even fit a baby carrier in there?

 

[vettedreamer]

C7 test mule ?

This one looks like a 4-seater...:L

 

[Low drag - High speed]

I vote no.

Two seats are plenty and the marque remains awesome. All Corvette needs is an entry-level version priced around 40K and it will weather out the Depression ... I mean ...... ah ..... recession.

 

[Hib Halverson]

Won't be the first time Kranz has said lame things.

Reality is the manufacturer is Porsche and the brand is Panamerica. Note that Porsche did not name it's four-door 911, Boxer, Cayman or Cayenne

In our case, the manufacturer is Chevrolet and the brand is Corvette. It is true, Chevrolet ought to market a true four-door, performance sedan....well, actually, it already has one, but it's only sold as a police car in North America, but...I digress. Putting the Corvette name on a four-door would be a big f'ing mistake.

Kranz is correct that GM needs to do something about the Corvette aging customer base. As time goes on fewer and fewer old people are going to buy the car.

GM needs to market to a younger audience and to do that it needs to 1) lower the base price, 2) offer features younger folks want and c) market the car to that audience.

Corvette is not going to survive selling faux Z06es...ooops....(sorry 'bout that) Grand Sports automatics with magnaride to aging boomers trying to recall their bygone youth. Besides...a lot of those folks, no longer being able to get them selves into a Vette, are buying Chevy Traverses and such.

The C7 is going to be an opportunity for GM. Let's hope it makes good use of it.

Let's also hope the existing base can live with some of the realities of the mid-to-late-20-teens. CAFE is really going to affect the car's performance. Big engines, 427s or supercharged 6.2s, will be history. Stop-start, mild hybrid systems will eventually be apart of Corvette. Maybe we'll see a V6 as the base engine. The car will have to get lighter and perhaps even a little bit smaller.

 

[njlouc]

Hib... you nailed it!!! that's it, there is little else.

But the thought I have is why would anyone suggest that young buyers would want/need a 4 door???
If anything they might like a 2 or 4 door small car with a "big" engine like a BMW 1M series or 3M series.
It also must have MANY custom as well as many standard parts available.

But at what price?? Hondas, toyotas, etc. are favorites since they are easily worked on, reliable, and most of all CHEAP. NOT because they have 4 doors.

The only reason they even think of a 4 door anything is that the car has 90% of the features they want and the doors are just there. I really cant see a young person say "I must get a 4 door".

Ironically a 4 door Vette would be better suited to someone 50+++. That is the demographic they are hoping to avoid. Even that would be bad since the Cadillac "V" would cover it handily.

Let's face it, the industry is too competitive and too EPA restricted to experiment with odd ideas.
Especially since they already have products in-house.

 

[Low drag - High speed]

There goes Hib with his V6 again.

The sad part is that he's probably right.