Geneva Motor Show: 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport

I am plesantly surprised, I love the color, the blue accent both inside and out. The dash layout is very good for the driver. I am liking this corvette.

Now if GM would just build a new SS AWD Sports SUV/CUV on this like they did with the Trailblazer.

It is interesting to see how GM/Chevrolet is being incremental in their release of Corvette models for C7. 

There were eight models at the peak of the C6 generation; Coupe, Convertible, Grand Sport, Grand Sport Convertible, Z06, 60th Anniversary Corvette Convertible (de facto Z06 drop top?), Z06 Carbon, and the ZR1.

Now the C7 has the coupe, convertible, Z06, Z06 convertible, Grand Sport, and Grand Sport Convertible.

This should keep the demand for new sales high and the resale value steady.

Is the ZR1 next?

I think the Camaro SS 1LE will be very close to this car in performance.

Let's all digest that for a moment.

I think the appeal of a Corvette - to me is really reduced because you can get a coupe in the same showroom, with a lot of the same tech, better daily driving, for a whole lot less.

So, how do they resolve this? Charge maybe $65-68K for this base. That's my estimate of the starting MSRP.

Seeing as how this car has a roughly 10% advantage in power to weight, more forward gears in manual form, and available carbon ceramic brakes/Z07 aero package, I'm fairly confident in saying it will put the 1LE in its rearview mirror pretty quickly.

I dig it, especially in the dark grey and blue. The only thing I'm not too crazy about is how it will look like a Z06 to most and even us from a driving distance. I don't like the foolery with that but other than that, great car. 

Well, without all of the extra goodies that will jack the price up, I think it will be competitive performance-wise to the 1LE. I mean before you add additional downforce and carbon brakes it loses huge advantages of braking late and being able to hold more speed EVERYWHERE with additional downforce. Not to say it would ever lose on a track to a 1LE but that it would be fairly close w/o the aero and carbon brake package. 

I think the Camaro SS 1LE will be very close to this car in performance.

 

Let's all digest that for a moment.

 

I think the appeal of a Corvette - to me is really reduced because you can get a coupe in the same showroom, with a lot of the same tech, better daily driving, for a whole lot less.

 

So, how do they resolve this? Charge maybe $65-68K for this base. That's my estimate of the starting MSRP.

No it won't.

Outstanding. THIS is the C7 to have. 

Outstanding. THIS is the C7 to have.

The widebody alone makes it worth buying (it's why I bought my GS). The fact that you can now get it with carbon ceramics and the Z07 package is even crazier, although the Z07 setup will make it the slowest Corvette in a straight line.

Still, you figure that an iron-brake Z07 GS will ring in around, what, maybe 70 grand? And it'll do 1.2g? And it'll be able to put the power to the ground as easy as a Stingray?

Lotsa wow there, fer sure

I think 70K will get a stripper Z07.

What's the base price for a Stingray in the US these days... 56 grand?

Add in the Z51 stuff and Z07 stuff... ya, it would be close.

I think the Camaro SS 1LE will be very close to this car in performance.

 

Let's all digest that for a moment.

 

I think the appeal of a Corvette - to me is really reduced because you can get a coupe in the same showroom, with a lot of the same tech, better daily driving, for a whole lot less.

 

So, how do they resolve this? Charge maybe $65-68K for this base. That's my estimate of the starting MSRP.

And yet you FERVENTLY disagreed with me when I pointed out the same problem with the new Fusion Sport and MKZ, despite the Corvette having far greater differentiation in equipment and appeal from a Camaro.

 

I think the Camaro SS 1LE will be very close to this car in performance.

 

Let's all digest that for a moment.

 

I think the appeal of a Corvette - to me is really reduced because you can get a coupe in the same showroom, with a lot of the same tech, better daily driving, for a whole lot less.

 

So, how do they resolve this? Charge maybe $65-68K for this base. That's my estimate of the starting MSRP.

 

And yet you FERVENTLY disagreed with me when I pointed out the same problem with the new Fusion Sport and MKZ, despite the Corvette having far greater differentiation in equipment and appeal from a Camaro.

 

I'm not talking about the product stealing sales though. The appeal does not translate to sales. 

And these are performance cars. I want the Corvette to become a high priced non commodity sports car. An exotic priced like it should be. Again, I want the Z06 to be $100k base price.

Lose the volume, but increase the price, and start nickel and diming for options too. GM can make a lot of money. A ton of money. The Camaro can be the value proposition that the Corvette had in the past.

I don't expect Lincoln to be fielding race cars in the GTE class for Le Mans either. 

And I will disagree, but nor will I make this a thread about a luxury car maker when it's about true performance cars.

The summary of my argument is that GM can win even more by squeezing all the juice from the wallets - and I want GM to win. They might not have as much volume, but damn. The Corvette, like the Escalade can be something that directly contributes like $20,000 for every sales directly to the bank.

Having owned both a Zeta Camaro and a C6 Vette, I can (and have) spoken from first-hand experience: they are vastly different cars that are not cross-shopped very much, if at all.

Having owned both a Zeta Camaro and a C6 Vette, I can (and have) spoken from first-hand experience: they are vastly different cars that are not cross-shopped very much, if at all.

Exactly.

So, the one thing to do is to move the Corvette to Jaguar F-Type and Porsche 911 pricing schemes, because largely, the performance gap is closing.

This doesn't need to happen now...but the C8 can be a real vehicle of brand prestige and price increases,

Why?

What kind of beef do you have against (upper, admittedly) middle-class folks owning a world-class sportscar?

Power to the people, man.

Why?

What kind of beef do you have against (upper, admittedly) middle-class folks owning a world-class sportscar?

Power to the people, man.

The Camaro now gives power to the people.

The Corvette doesn't need to anymore. atleast not as much. Here, the they could keep the C7 like a Corvette Classic or something, only available as a GS or above when the C8 comes within a decade, and yeah man...

Power to the people?! Hell, no get the money first. Always get the money first. Don't get customers. Get paid.

GM could raise the prices of both the Camaro and Corvette by 10k and 20k respectively in ILE and GS, Z06 trims and they'd still have the best performance to price ratios in the entire industry.

So, the value pricing hurts them, not because it's not like they're not making money. But that loss of even more money is given back to the customers. Why?! They're loyal, so take it back. Make more money. 

It's like squeezing an orange. Get every last drop. 

No.

The Camaro is CHOICE for the people. It's icing on the cake.

If the Corvette wasn't a moneymaker for GM it wouldn't exist. And as further proof of it's successful performance/price strategy, just look at some of the nameplates it's outlasted, even over the last three generations. 300ZX, RX-7, Stealth/3000GT, Viper (soon), 928, 968...

Perhaps it would be better for the competition if they were the ones doing the following.

No.

The Camaro is CHOICE for the people. It's icing on the cake.

If the Corvette wasn't a moneymaker for GM it wouldn't exist. And as further proof of it's successful performance/price strategy, just look at some of the nameplates it's outlasted, even over the last three generations. 300ZX, RX-7, Stealth/3000GT, Viper (soon), 928, 968...

Perhaps it would be better for the competition if they were the ones doing the following.

The dream of every marketer is to charge more for a product if it has intangible value that you can quantify and deliver to the customer.

Valid point, longevity is nice...

But the products are so improved, that to question their longevity now is a laughing affair.

We're on the same side. Democrats, Reuplicans.

I'm being Republican. GM you're winning, but you can win more - make more money. Yes. Squeeze, drink it up, taste the succulent wallets, leave no stone unturned.

(Playing in my mind is the sound of a sizzling steak)

It's the only recipe that has succeeded. And it has done so by using amazing economies of scale with drivetrains. Porsche doesn't have that. Dodge doesn't have that. Certainly the Italians don't have that.

Dead brands don't make dollars.