Question: If You Were Chevrolet, How Would You Attract Younger Buyers To The Corvette?

[Otter]

The other reason it isn't a status symbol is the car has been a follower since the C5. C1-C4 set the style and design trend with limited borrowing of styling cues. C5 is when they started copying other designs extensively. As previously noted people say the new Corvette looks like _______.

I may be naive, but isn't aerodynamics pretty much driving the 'all brands' look alike trends for today's sports cars?

 

[vetmaniac]

If You Were Chevrolet, How Would You Attract Younger Buyers To The Corvette?

Cut the price and horsepower at least by half, advertise the mp3, ipod, USB and other techno BS available as standard equipment rather than the car's performance capabilities, add a fart can or two and voila' - instant sales to the "I'm special" generation. Ooops, isn't that car already available as the new Scion FR-S??? Seeing those things all over the place.

 

[Rob]

If You Were Chevrolet, How Would You Attract Younger Buyers To The Corvette?

Cut the price and horsepower at least by half, advertise the mp3, ipod, USB and other techno BS available as standard equipment rather than the car's performance capabilities, add a fart can or two and voila' - instant sales to the "I'm special" generation.

I don't think that's called "attractive". I think that's called "obscene bastardization".

 

[vetmaniac]

I think it's time we face facts ladies and gentlemen, Corvettes are being viewed by many people as the new Buicks. Personally, I could give a flying rodent's posterior what other people think.

 

[warren s]

I don't think that's called "attractive". I think that's called "obscene bastardization".

Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.......

Ever see a Scion XB? Nissan Cube? Honda Element? or a Kia Soul? I think those cars are so ugly I consider them offensive - but slap a fart pipe on, a beef and broccoli symbol on the side and you have a vehicle that people pay sticker for - and wait for delivery.....

How the world has changed.

 

[KANE]

I'm kind of curious what our members think:

If You Were Chevrolet, How Would You Attract Younger Buyers To The Corvette?

Price and perceived value.


If you have a lower cost product that offers tremendous value- it'll sell like crazy.



Let's be honest- with student loans... there is lower discretionary income that 30-somes have relative to that of older folks. They just don't have the resources to apply towards the Vette when they are working on grad school, student loans, their first house, and families.

 

[Huskerman]

...out on the strip were where the road is wide...two cool shorts standing side by side....Yeah, my fuel injected Sting Ray and a 413...reving up our engines and it sounds real mean......

...I was cruising in my Sting Ray late one night when and XKE pulled up on the right.....he rolled down the window of his shiny new Jag and challenged me then and there to a drag....

These songs (which the wording may not be exact) and others were burned into our brains as we had the old AM single speakers jacked up as we cruised main in some pathetic car that the old man let us drive....waiting to catch a glimps of a real muscle car that the blue collar guys were out showing off.....then there was the rich kid whose dad got a new split window 63 and would let his kid drive it occasionally......we all knew it was the fastest car in town just because it was a Sting Ray...because the songs told us so and the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean and others all drove them.....so to be cool we wanted to drive one too......even if it took 30 years to finally get one.....

I don't think you can go after the blue collar crowd with a 70,000 dollar car and I don't think I want to see a 40K Corvette running around either. My wife and I make pretty good money but we still can't justify a brand new Corvette......we will have to wait 3 or 4 years to get a good low mile 14 or 15. So like a lot are saying here...what nitch does it fill and I'm thinking 20K car production a year will be it unless times get way better.

The run away late 90's and early 2000's caught the boomers at just the right time and they bought a lot of C5's and early C6's, but it had to run out sooner or later......Harley hit the same curve about then. Now Harley is marketing strongly to women which is not a bad idea for Chevy on the Corvette and also Harley is now squeezing every last drop out of the boomers by selling a ton of 3 wheelers to us old geezers that need a 3rd wheel....

Harley has the option of marketing bikes aimed at the new generations and they are doing a good job at it........but they are not trying to sell 30K Full Dressers to the kids...they have other models for that and Chevy can't market the Corvette into that crowd either.....and shouldn't try........

Random thoughts from a random old guy....take it for what it's worth........which as usual ain't much......

 

[ltmax]

I'm kind of amazed at some commentary here. Is it value they want, exclusivity, performance, bling? I don't know what more Chevy could have done for the 1st round of the C7 series at $52grand. You're NOT going to find anything better with that kind of capability! I'm sure they'll come out with successive versions and maybe a simplified one for under $50G. This ride is aspirational and affordable at the same time! You park one of these at the next dinner party and everyone heading out to their high-end rides that evening will KNOW this thing is serious. Even if they look down at it, they damn well better respect it.
Any discussion of affordability will inevitably lead to the condition of the economy and, if truth is valued, all the fraud, lies and deceit that has lead to the present condition, where much fewer potential customers can actually go for a new Vette. Keep an eye on the 10-year treasury bond interest rate and other current data if you want to remain aware of the reality of things. You can see the split between big money makers and small-time earners just trying to get along. That's NOT very helpful for Vette sales.
So Chevy's gonna have to keep attacking with capability, build quality and other characteristics as they continue improving the reputation of our beloved Vette. As for me, an early C2 with an LS3 would hit the spot... but I'm not "mainstream consumer". otfl

GO VETTE!!!

 

[catbert]

I don't know what approach Chevy will take, but the pressure is certainly on Harlan Charles to make it work. No more excuses, no old designs, no half measure effort by engineering. Harlan needs to get it done, and I hope he's up to it.

 

[YumaZ06]

The fist thing they should do is make it clear to younger buyers they must have a good job and then set some money aside and before you know it "Wow you have enough money and then you can pay in cash

Great idea, but they won't be a younger driver by the time they save $60k.