I don't think that is what the car will look like--Corvette knows that most people who spend $100K on a sports car don't want a "sleeper"--they want people to recognize it as a special car, so I suspect there will be more to distinguish it than a taller hood...
Gersh
I agree with this. We saw this problem back with the ZR-1. In 1990, when the ZR-1 debuted, it had a unique rear end as compared to the standard 1990
In 1991, the rear bumper on the standard Corvette changed to that of the ZR-1. So the only thing differentiating the two was that the ZR-1 had three extra inches at the rear, wider wheels, bigger tires and the CHMSL which was mounted above the rear hatch rather than integrated into rear bumper like the standard Corvette.
In my opinion, this was the final nail that sealed the ZR-1's coffin.
When taking into consideration the cost of RPO ZR-1, a ZR-1 was almost double the cost of a standard Corvette.
Someone that is willing to pay that much money for a car, wants to be seen, and wants to be noticed a mile away on the road. When you're on the road, and you can't tell the difference between a car that costs 1/2 and/or a car that costs double from its sibling, you can kiss sales volume goodbye.
In my opinion, right now as it stands, GM is riding a fine line with the current Z06. Why do I say that?
I'm willing to admit that the C6 Z06 does have a couple more obvious visual cues that differentiate it from the standard C6, but it's REAL close.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the look of the C6, and I love the look of the Z06 that much more. The slightly larger wheel arches, the NACA duct, the wheels, etc.
But, are these minor design differences enough to justify continued sales volume? Obviously, as we can see by current Z06 sales volume, the answer is yes. You just can't beat the performance for the price.
However, what would sales be like if the design was slightly more different than the standard C6? Would sales volume be higher? I'm willing to say, "yes."
If the rumors are true that the 2008 SS/BlueDevil, etc., is going to come out around $100,000, GM needs to insure two things:
- The car looks like a Corvette but is EASILY identified as a $100,000 Corvette and not the standard $45,000 Corvette.
- Interior Improvements: Last year, I spent 2.5 hours in a pre-production 2006 Z06 with Dwayne Fenton. I didn't find that much wrong with the interior other than the overall feel of the door panels and dash. It's a rubbery type of surface that I wasn't fond of, even in the pre-production 2005 Corvette that Dwayne brought to our first CruiseFest. The quality of the 2008 Super Corvette needs to be on par with other cars that are $100,000. In the latest issue of Sports Car International is an article about the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG Black Series. This is a high performance Mercedes two-seater that MB massaged by tuning the powertrain, and reducing the weight. In the interior, they used some carbon fiber AND light-weight one-piece Recaro racing seats...something GM should look at for the 2008.
The biggest complaint I read about from Corvette owners and magazine reviewers is the quality of the interior. GM needs to address this once and for all; in the standard AND the high performance models.
