Report: Next Gen Corvette Plans on Hold?
Between the still unfolding financial crisis and its resonance on the automotive landscape, changing customer tastes and demands, and looming increases to federally mandated corporate average fuel economy standards; new reports indicate that General Motors has put any plans for the next generation, C7 Corvette on indefinite hold.
Autoweek has reportedly heard from “multiple sources” that have confirmed that The General’s current financial woes will cause all C7 plans to be tabled for the time being. Previous Corvette plans may have called for a significant refresh of the current C6 in 2012 as a 2013 model year vehicle, with the all new model coming some four years later. The newest reports speculate that even those modest plans have become too binding for GM, which is looking for cost savings at every turn these days.
For his part, Corvette executive Tom Wallace has said that changes are due up for the Vette in 2010; though it’s doubtful as to whether such changes would add up to anything as dramatic as a new model. Wallace did acknowledge that the impending CAFE standards would play a part in both the “layout and hardware” of the next generation machine.
+ Autoweek: C7 on hold--How long must fans wait for a new Corvette?
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Comments
mo
I don't see the poblem right here. the corvette still looks fresh in my eyes. Anyways, I believe some models can remain for up to 8 years without a thorough change.
Rex
The current model can last 8-10 yrs without any major changes.
I love the above picture of a C6R, I felt that model should been the ZR1.
I like the ZR1 but feel it doesn't the visual Wow it should've.
Ducati Minor
I don't think the C6 can last that long. And neither does GM.
In this day and age of fast-paced refreshing, the C6 is already growing stale. The same problem has befallen the Viper, supposedly due for retirement. The C6 didn't even have the benefit of having a hot edgy design--it was an improved work on the C5.
Of course, this has happened in the Corvette's lifetime. The C3 was supposed to be replaced in the mid-Seventies. Instead, Chevy stuck with the C3 design from 1968 all the way to 1982. The C4 was also supposed to be replaced in what ended up being mid-cycle of its period. That design, flat and uninspired, ran from 1984 to 1996.
If you want something different with your 'Vette, you may have to settle on a Callaway.
TheStig
If that dumb@$$ idea of a merger goes through, maybe it'll turn into the b@stard cross of a Viper and Vette.
Mark in Maine
Yeah, Stig, I can just hear it now - 'That thing got a Hemi?' GM can work to try and keep the design somewhat fresh, but it will still become stale in the not terribly distant future . . .
Anonymous
The 911 looks pretty much the same as it did 30 years ago. Why does America have to change sheet metal so often instead of making improvements where they count - in the engineering.
Russ Bellinis
The problem GM faces with the Vette is a classic example of why "one size fits all" cafe standards don't work. If the cafe standards go through, expect the C7 Vette to be a restyled, rebadged Solstice or Sky.
James Perspective
What if a low end entry model of Corvette was a high performance, 6-cyl, restyled, rebadged Solstice. And a Covette Stingray would be a high end, high tech, ZR-1 replacement with a low production run in line with other exotics as an American Flagship. Undercut Ferrari , Lamborghini, and Porsche for price, with comparable performance. Porsche has the Cayman and their image isn't floundering (except, perhaps, due to SUV). We need a realistic, kick-ass solution that keeps Corvette alive and kickin.
Ducati Minor
A CAFE hike wouldn't destroy a (key) small-volume vehicle. The C3 really changed everything for the Corvette, making it a large-scale semi-sports car with as many as 52,000 units sold in a single year. Ever since then, GM has constantly focused on mass-production for the Corvette. If Corvette target sales numbers were kept slim, there wouldn't be much effect because of CAFE's wide corporate average. 20,000 exotics averaging 20 mpg is not a big deal compared to 3,200,000 units overall.
The 911 may not appear dramatically different in design character since its 1964 debut, but the 911 has changed a lot. Porsche has not stayed with the same platform for forty-four years. The 911 is also a different car than the Corvette. Some may talk about "under the hood" being what counts (and that's true), but consumers want new and want fashionable. The Ford Mustang, Jaguar XKE, and Ford Thunderbird all faced this during their original incarnations.
The Corvette isn't an exclusive, purist's car either. It's become a finely worked machine in the C6, but it's still a common tool for well-off retirees (men and women) with auto trannies and as many luxuries as possible. It's no track star.
cbrseadude
Ha ha ha the Corvette and Viper already looking stale, thats a good one. I would have to disagree with those comments, the current C6 and Viper are very good looking cars, and will be for some time. Also the current Corvette gets great fuel mileage, close to 30 mpg on the interstate, thats pretty impressive considering the performance its capable of. Yea theres alot of old folks rolling around in loaded up auto C6s, but there are just as many Z51 equiped C6s and Z06s tearing up the tracks, more then capable of handling a 911 on a race course.
Ducati Minor
Yup, stale...apparently the buying public feels that way too. While premium exotics continue record sales, Viper sales are slim to none and 'Vett production has been slashed.
Anonymous
This car contributes nothing to the survival of GM. When you're fighting for breath, a little jewelry is expendable. GM needs to forget the Corvette and much more, or hope for the best in bankruptcy.
TTG35forT
A few years ago, most of GM's profit here in the U.S. was coming from truck and SUV sales. Now that the sales of trucks and SUVs have plummeted, GM needs to focus on sedans and other smaller cars. In my humble opinion, a flagship like the Corvette helps to lend credability to GM's engineering expertise in the minds of consumers, and thus helps to move these other models.
As I have stated before, GM has made giant strides with their some of their new car models. For example, the attention to detail in the Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS interiors is unlike anything I have before seen come out of GM. If they had started making these changes 5 or 10 years ago, they would probably be in much better financial shape today. Hopefully, GMs new, and much welcomed, design strategies are not too late to stave off bankruptcy.
cbrseadude
All the big 3 were making their profits off of trucks and suvs, why is that? Its because of CAFE fuel economy standards and Americans love big cars and trucks, so really, there is alot of blame to go around for the current situation the big 3 are in, still, you just dont kill an American icon, the Corvette.
TTG35forT
I agree.
cbrseadude
Ducati, do you really believe that stale looks is the reason for the sales slumps of those two cars??? Really, it has nothing to do with the looks of either, you need to look at the buying demographic for the exotics, which are very low numbers in sales compared to mass produced vehicles like the Corvette, and have tons of disposible income who wouldnt even consider a cheap Corvette over a Lambo or such, the corvette isnt even an exotic, but it is the poor mans supercar, and the poor man just cant shell out the cash in this current economy, and GM probably has made way to many C6s, and when they dont sell, and you need incentives to move them, it really drives down the used value of theses cars, coupled with the bad economy, it just adds up to alot of unsold cars. It has absolutely nothing to do with looks.
cbrseadude
One last thing, the Viper has never been produced in large numbers, and has never been meant to be sold in large numbers, it doesnt make Chrysler corp. any money, its a Halo car, something to hang your hat on. So the sales will always look low.
Ducati Minor
Okay, bud, you need to calm down and find something to do.
The term exotic is subjective, just like supercar. It seems like you're posting a rant, waiting a few minutes, looking at Wikipedia, and then ranting some more. I wouldn't call a $70K Z06, $90K Viper, or a $100K ZR-1 a "poor man's" anything. No one believes an exotic would sell in large numbers--only an idiot would think an $80K sports car would sell en masse. The Viper always ranged in the low thousands. There is something called demand--which there isn't much of for even this low-volume car. A halo car, if you will, is meant to lure customers into showrooms and to grab spotlight in the media, providing brand coverage. Those two things aren't happening, in addition to slumping sales.
The fact is, people do care about styling. Maybe not a kid on a CBR, but most people do. A lot of folks who buy a high-end sports or luxury car want something that indicates presence. They want prestige associated with a nameplate and aesthetics the show. And they want something that sticks out--that's a big reason someone grabs Lambo. It's distinct, outlandish, and an instant attention-grabber.
I can't help you if you fail to see that, You can go whining and ranting about it, claiming that logic makes no sense (maybe it's a CBR thing), but I've made my point well enough.
cbrseadude
Well im hardly a kid at 38 years young, and I wasnt ranting DM, so keep the name calling out of an adult conversation, you are an adult I hope. Your wrong to surmise that the lack of sales is do to looks,and looks alone,get over it, are you feeling threatened because your reasoning is wrong, and pointed out? Do you know nothing of the current economic health of this nation? The average vette sells for $40,000, not $80,000. If you dont know this, then why do you even think your close to being right? You make it sound like the vette is already out of style with the times, be realistic. Dont hate on me because your argument is lame and off base. Your opinion is not fact, its ok to be wrong sometimes, I promise. P.S. I own a Seadoo also, would you like to childishly make fun of that as well?
Ducati Minor
If you're 38, then you should have the language comprehension to gather that I didn't make my assessment based on looks alone. You should also develop better research methods about a topic you seem to have incomplete knowledge of. I'm sorry, but you're employing Palin logic. "Ducati, do you really believe that stale looks is the reason for the sales slumps of those two cars??? Really, it has nothing to do with the looks of either, you need to look
at the buying demographic for the exotics, which are very low numbers
in sales compared to mass produced vehicles..."
Of course, incorrect punctuation kept it rambling. I live in the Greater Los Angeles metro area. Whether you're on Rodeo or at a specialty car center, you have Corvettes, Vipers, Caddys, and Saleens beside Maseratis, Porsches, and Astons. I'll try to keep this simple so even you can understand: You included both cars in your criticism of my remarks. The Viper is an automobile that retails at a price of $82,000 and up. The Chevrolet Corvette is a vehicle priced at base at $45,000, but averages around $50,000 in common trim. One trim level, manufactured in healthy quantity (Z06) in the mid-thousands retails at $75,000. A new one that's just come out will sell for over $100,000.
That ends the foolish "middle-class" B.S. you were pulling for these cars. There's nothing "middle-class" about fifty, seventy, or one hundred grand. The 'Vette is an item popular among well-off retirees who have cash to spare. It's a two-seat, V-8 sports car priced above a mid-range luxury from BMW or Lexus. Just its configuration alone, a $50,000 two-seater with a high-output V-8 engine, kills any poor middle-class point. There's little reality in the populist message for this machine. It's a product all about choice, and one that seldom appeals to people making $40,000 a year--the per capita income.
If you're going to complain, come up with some clear points, not vague alcoholic rants like: "If you dont know this, then why do you even think your close to being
right? You make it sound like the vette is already out of style with
the times, be realistic. Dont hate on me because your argument is lame
and off base. Your opinion is not fact, its ok to be wrong sometimes, I
promise. P.S. I own a Seadoo also, would you like to childishly make
fun of that as well?"
If you're thirty-eight, you need some growing up. Screaming and attacking on a Web board doesn't inspire an image of sophistication or maturity. In the case of this debate, arguing an $80,000 Dodge (in which hood replacement alone totals the cost of a new Asian sub-compact) is pointless. If you'd like to continue whining, you can reach me at one of the more recent topics.
As for the CBR thing, that wasn't an insult since I ride as many Suzukis and Kawasakis as I do Ducatis and Aprilias.
cbrseadude
Dude, for real, who do you think you are? I wasnt yelling at anyone. Or whining for that matter, i was debating I thought with you about your comments until you made smart @ss comments. I could care less what you think about my age, and for the record, you did try to insult me. Not everyone is gonna agree with you boy, get over it, and yourself while your at it, your comments show you dont handle critisism very well, you must really hate it when your wrong. You should work on that, see someone maybe, work out this anger you have. Im glad we had this talk.
Trinks
The internet is serious business.
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