Argument for a cheaper Vette?

[LongTimer]

I know that last year a rumor floated around about the possibility of Corvette becoming it's own brand and dropping the "Chevrolet" nomenclature, but I believe that was just a rumor and not based upon fact.

That rumor has been around for several years now -on again off again. But, I think that the GM brass really killed the idea when the XLR was adopted. The Cad dealers wanted a sports car and the promise of Cad customer service is about the only thing that would have kept the Corvette masses from revolting at a change. If the Vette became a GMC-type dealership floater, service might actually get worse. I, for one, would not welcome the thought of a Pontiac or Buick Vette.

I wouldn't mind a complete spin off of the line offering a BMW beater sedan and the return of a Camaro, but the Chevy Execs would scream way too loud to let this happen IMO.

 

[LongTimer]

I don't know how you guys feel about this, but I am REALLY tired of hearing comparisons of MUSTANGS and Vettes. Every discussion of this type brings down the Vette status just a little and builds up the 'STANG status - regardless of how ludicrous the comparison is. GM needs to do something quickly to address the gaping hole in the GM lineup that the Camaro's cancellation has caused.

 

[Grizzly]

For a Better Vette

I really thought the coupe body the Z06 is based upon might be the lean, mean, fightin' machine that some of us are looking for.

Why not try to work the Vette down close to a high end Camaro price? I think maybe if GM could meet the prospective SS Camaro buyer half way with a lean Corvette they couldn't build them fast enough and we could get want we need to build racers and customs.

This has been a nice exercise, but there is too much money to be made in $50k+ cars and too many people to buy them. The classic ones we have are driven, but not like they should be, they are just to d... big an investment to slide off the road into the ditch! I would cry over bending a new one, but wouldn't go into mourning like I would for my Coupe.

 

[Rob]

I don't know how you guys feel about this, but I am REALLY tired of hearing comparisons of MUSTANGS and Vettes. Every discussion of this type brings down the Vette status just a little and builds up the 'STANG status - regardless of how ludicrous the comparison is. GM needs to do something quickly to address the gaping hole in the GM lineup that the Camaro's cancellation has caused.

I think the reason why we're seeing comparisons to Mustangs more and more recently is because the latest iteration of the Mustang Cobra has raised the performance bar for that car - right into the level of the Corvette.

I am not a big Ford fan, although I admit, they do build one hell of a truck and I have driven one of them for the last 5 years. I also give them credit for revitalizing the GT40 which is one of my all time favorite sports cars. However, the Mustang doesn't do a hell of a lot for me, although again, I have to give them credit for their ability to have squeezed every single bit of performance out of that antiquated Fox chassis. The new Cobra is a force to be reckoned with and although the base model Corvette can't match its performance, the Z06 just barely manages to slip by it last time I checked.

Ford has clearly set their sites on Corvette. They no longer have the F-body to deal with for competition thanks to some genius who decided to kill that platform (something I will never understand), and so the next reasonable competitor is the Corvette.

The Mustang is still just a sports coupe and not a true sports car by nature or definition, but nevertheless, they have finally managed to give it Corvette performance. With a totally re-engineered Mustang on the horizon for 2005, I have a feeling we'll be seeing more and more Corvette-Mustang comparisons until someone at GM wakes up and smells the coffee.

However, the Viper has been kicking dirt in the face of Corvette ever since it came out in 1990 and GM has done little if anything to address that threat. It will be interesting to see how they deal with Ford's new Mustang and the rumors floating around about the next generation Cobra.

 

[Edmond]

Rob,

I don't think GM has addressed the Viper issue because of the big time difference in cost. We're talking more than $20,000 difference between the Z06 and the Viper. Plus, the Viper is so limited that GM probably doesn't see the need to address the issue.

I personally think they should address the issue and they kind of did with the Z06. Bang for the buck advantage goes to the Z06 all the way, but if money weren't an issue... :L , it's always an issue! :L

But it does become an issue when a Mustang costs $10,000 less and comes very close in performance. Ford dropped the 5.0 from the Stang, yet they still find ways to make the car better. You gotta give em' credit for that.

A fully loaded F-body ran just under $33,000 right? I mean, that's about $8,000 away from a Corvette coupe. If they've waited that long, they can wait just a while longer for a more powerful/refined car in a Corvette.

 

[LongTimer]

Re: A Better Vette

I would like to see a "stripped" Vette available. Just keep the things you need to have it perform as it should with a few comfort items.

This was the intent of the FRC. It was originally intended to be a basic "strippo". But prior to release, marketing teams spoke to many corvette clubs and came away with the impression that no one wanted a high $30's car without ABS etc. AND, the extra effort to engineer out these high tech effort would add costs to all Corvettes.

Also, the mechanical controls and cables (like A/C) that would need to replace the high tech switch gear are actually heavier and defeat the purpose of a low tech solution.

 

[LongTimer]

Ford has clearly set their sites on Corvette. They no longer have the F-body to deal with for competition thanks to some genius who decided to kill that platform (something I will never understand), and so the next reasonable competitor is the Corvette.

YEP! WAKE UP GM. Where's the new Camaro???? Whay are yuo handing over the annual sales to Ford?

 

[hawaii-5-lo]

hello,
it could be statigic?maybe they want everyone to drive the mustangs for a couple years,then when the f-bodies come back(witch is a done deal)the crowds will gobble them up after driving the mustang.i took a ride in a 98 mustang with cam headers blah,blah,what a joke,that car sucked,he thought it was fast so we raced later,no compitition at all,and it rattled inside BIG time,interior was falling apart.the rims are nice though.i would still buy a used vette befor a new f-body,later,Todd.

 

[Vettelt193]

The problem with the F-Body cars was not the V8 powered cars that we think of. The issue was the 6 cyl. cheapo F-Bodies. Ford out marketed, out sold, and out performed when it came down to 6 cyl. F-body Vs. 6 cyl. Mustang. For the auto manufacturers, the money is with the cheaper cars that sell more. I think the last number I heard was only 2 out of 10 F-Body cars were V8's... The V8 powered F-bodies were much better than V8 mustangs, but they just went down with the ship with their 6-cyl brother.

I am not sure what will happen in the future... i have heard a couple of rumors. one is they bring back the F-Body better than ever.... the other is they split the groups up... increase production on the Corvette and make a cheap model to fill the V8 F-body void, and make a whole new car that would be smaller and more agile 6-cyl F body.

 

[bbw]

For what it's worth, my 2 cents (caveat, I will bring up Mustang!)...

Part of the marketing success of Mustang is the myriad models available. Mustangs have been sold as 4, 6, and 8 cylinders, and in varying models even within those platforms. This permits an extremely broad audience for that car. The downside? When you see a Mustang, you don't necessarily get excited. A closer look might encite excitement if it's a GT, a Cobra, a Saline, etc.

On the contrary, part of the marketing success of the Corvette is that there is no such mystery: when you see a Corvette, you know what you're looking at! It's the real deal. No question. Closer looks serve only to raise the excitement (rather than to just potentially encite it). I mean, is it a Callaway, a ZR-1, a Z06, an L-88, etc.

My point is that, at its base, the Corvette is a powerful car. Owning even a base coupe is exciting. The quality is there, the way the car feels, the way it's put together.

I would hate to see a "stripped" Vette, unless you're talking merely gadgetry. But this doesn't mean using obsolete interior components like a slider for temperature. It just means less gadgets, not low quality gadgets. I'd like to see everything, including interior components, retain the highest quality. The more expensive Vettes should just contain more features, in the interior and under the hood.

 

[Doug Do]

Leave the Vette alone! No more cheaper models. You can get a coupe or convertable, then go to the after market and modify it if you want. Leave GM out of it...it will be too expensive if they do it. A cheaper Vette will only make it seem like an F body. :bash

 

[invinceablevett]

doug do.........I agree.I owned an 87 trans-am GTA with the 350.The reason why I bought the car was because I couldn't afford a corvette at the time and let me tell you that it was just as well.I was stoning mustangs every night of the week.I was 20 and having bought a vette at that age would have cost me a bundle.I feel that the older you wait to get your first corvette the more you appreciate it...lol....Imagine all the ricers could afford a vette!What a mess it would be for the corvette image and heritage.Growing up we used to look up at vette owners .I say build a corvette with "supercar" pricing and performance,give Ferrari and Lamboghini a run for their money.I honestly think GM can but doesn't want to in case it backfires(no sales).I wouldn't buy one but man would I love to see one next to me at a stop light.It would be like my big brother.I mean why should they?Corvettes are selling just the way they are.

 

[hawaii-5-lo]

hello again,
the c5 fixed roof ,was a stripped down c5,minimal options,les weight,a little cheaper,that stopped after only a few years,i dont want a stripped down vette either,if you dont buy a brand new vette there very affordable,if they were to cheap,everyone would have one,like a mustang.then there just another car on the road.i dont make a bunch of money,i just saved up and bought one.later,Todd.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

I really agree with the 28 year-old guy who originally started this thread. I am 47 and have a C-3 Corvette, and while the newer Corvettes are much better cars, I am really disappointed in the direction GM has taken and appears to be continuing with in the C-6 both in styling and in price. They are losing an entire generation, and going the direction with the Corvette that Harley-Davidson has with motorcycles.

 

[CFour]

In the past 49 years the Corvette was always sold as an exotic the common man could aspire to own. Now at 60K thats all over and done with.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

One of the things I remember about Corvettes during the 60s and early 70s was how many guys of relatively modest means you saw running around in them---you know, guys in old jeans and t-shirts who tinkered with them and drove them hard, and did not view them as "investments". My uncle was an enlisted man in the Navy in the 60s, hardly "upscale" financially, yet he was able to get a new one. The car seemed to have had a far more youthful personna then than it has now, and I bet that if you could somehow reliably compare the average age of the owners then and now, that the difference would be something on the order of 15 years younger, then. I am trying to be very careful not to say something that would offend anyone, but haven't we all noticed the average age of the new Corvette owner seems to be, well,......

 

[veteluvr74]

Chris,

I think there is some validity to your point. The reason being i think is that by the time you can justify spending 56K on a new vette, you are older, more establised, and able to command a salary that would afford buying a new vette.

 

[LongTimer]

It seems to me that we want to "have our cake and eat it too." We want the Corvette to be the "King of the Road", but we want the Corvette to appeal to, and be available to a lesser affluent market. Both views, separately, seem very logical to me. Together, however, they don't work.

At the risk of being flamed again about watering down the name, it seems to me that the time has come to modestly expand the Corvette model line. NO TRUCKS OR SUVS OR ECONO CARS, but perhaps the car that replaces the Camaro should carry a unique Corvette name. This car SHOULD NOT be a stripped C6, but rather a slightly lower tech car that will be attainable as someone's first Vette. This Corvette should be more versitile - seat 4 comfortably (maybe 5 in a pinch) and draw the attention of the Mustang boys when equipped the V8, and, yes, offer the new GM High Tech V6 to face off with the riceburner crowd. This smaller-than-a-camaro car would be a challenging engineering task, but that's why they make the big bucks at GM. The Camaro had most of the performance right, but the package couldn't compete in the marketplace.

The C6, of course, should continue to fulfill the "King of the Road" quest with the same performance / $ as we've seen in the C5.

 

[veteluvr74]

Do you think that GM is using the new GTO to compete with the mustang? They dropped an LS1 into it, i would assume that is what its purpose is. However, I think it looks like a cavalier with an LS1 in it.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

In reply to the GTO post: You are not alone, as the new GTO has been a tremendous styling disappointment event to GTO faithful, and Autoweek reported that a GTO website was so disgusted with the styling that they posted a copy of the well-received Ford Mustang prototype recently unveiled by Ford on their website instead! Apparently the GTO was a Bob Lutz project, and while the degree of his involvement with the C6 styling is unclear, the decidedly negative reaction of many people on this website to the apparent looks of the C6 makes me wonder whether GM styling still doesn't have it together, Lutz or no Lutz. It's painful to look at magazines with some of Bill Mitchell's work for GM in the '60s (Corvette, Riviera, Camaro, original Toronado) and then see things like the GTO and the C6 spy shots.