RE: Mid-engined Corvette spied testing
Discussion
Robert-nszl1 said:
the bugbear of mine is how usable this car will be in the UK or indeed most of Europe. OK, not the target market but it looks very very wide. I love touring, and am currently sitting beside lake Garda on a 3k mile trip around Europe. Lack of luggage space I can cope with, but excessive width would without question have me wincing too much to enjoy it
Current Corvette is 2" wider than a Porsche and 1" wider than my old Lotus Esprit.Luggage space in both Boxster and Corvette is excellent and I anticipate GM had this very much in mind when designing the new car.
unsprung said:
RDMcG said:
it will take a long time before the US changes its regulations,
if you're speaking of emissions controls, you may be mis-speakingthe US was first with catalytic converters... beating many European countries by a decade
for most of the last 40 years, the US generally led on emissions controls -- thus the requirement for European cars to be de-tuned when exported to the US
and California -- a state with 40 million people and a GDP that is both fourth in the world and greater than that of the UK -- leading in both emissions controls as well as adoption of alternative powertrains
a dozen other US states have abandoned US federal emissions standards to join California -- embracing and enforcing California standards within their own borders
sorry... not sorry
It has less than 4.5% of the world's population.
When it comes to industry and energy production, US standards are appalling.
unsprung said:
General Motors wants a global halo car of sorts. And they intend to a) increase total earnings of the Corvette portfolio and b) leverage Corvette halo status to drive forecourt traffic, where this makes sense, in any relevant country. Motorsport, already something in which Corvette is involved, may become even more important.
GM do not care about any markets except the US and China and have zero interest in any sort of global car.They have no global brand selling anything resembling a global car, and never have had. Why would that change now?
bobo79 said:
Why did they make the back of it look like that?
Have you seen something the rest of us haven't yet? The devil will be in the detail here, and there's no pictures yet of what the rear light clusters & bumper detail will definitely look like.I think the spoiler looks weird the way it's dragged down in the middle on the prototypes, but as for the rest of it... hard to say.
BFleming said:
Have you seen something the rest of us haven't yet? The devil will be in the detail here, and there's no pictures yet of what the rear light clusters & bumper detail will definitely look like.
I think the spoiler looks weird the way it's dragged down in the middle on the prototypes, but as for the rest of it... hard to say.
I think the spoiler looks weird the way it's dragged down in the middle on the prototypes, but as for the rest of it... hard to say.
The proportions are thoroughly generic, but then there's only so much you can do with a small mid-engined car. The details will make the difference between it being pretty, bland, or ugly. I hope they don't try and make it look too aggressive. kambites said:
So do you think we'll see General Motors attacking other global markets with a slew of mainstream cars as well to take advantage of the halo? As far as I know, GM don't actually sell any cars in the UK since they sold Opel to Peugeot, do they sell anything in mainland Europe?
The expansion or supplemental role of Corvette is about the BRICs and Latin America -- and not especially about the UK or Europe.BFleming said:
A wildly inaccurate blanket statement. In reality it varies from state to state as follows:
Queensland: Any light vehicle over 30 years old able to be registered LHD provided it meets a roadworthy inspection.
New South Wales: Vehicles over 30 years old can be registered either as an unmodified historic vehicle, or for general use once they’ve been inspected by an authorised inspection station.
Victoria: 30-year old cut-off for modified LHD vehicles to be registered, but also allows vehicles over 25 years old to be registered under historic registration providing they are near-standard.
Tasmania: Registration of LHD cars is determined on a case-by-case basis. In addition, it also has a Special Interest Vehicle option which allows for LHD vehicles aged 30 years or older, or LHD competition vehicles of any age, to be used on public roads for up to 52 days per year.
South Australia: LHD vehicles must be in 100% original condition and manufactured before 1 January 1979.
Western Australia: LHD vehicles have to be 15 years old before they can be registered.
Northern Territory: If you personally import your vehicle, it can be registered LHD with no age restrictions.
lol, you've missed the plot; we're talking here about the sale of a new car (sotto voce: and I suspect that NT won't be bumping the sales figures much)Queensland: Any light vehicle over 30 years old able to be registered LHD provided it meets a roadworthy inspection.
New South Wales: Vehicles over 30 years old can be registered either as an unmodified historic vehicle, or for general use once they’ve been inspected by an authorised inspection station.
Victoria: 30-year old cut-off for modified LHD vehicles to be registered, but also allows vehicles over 25 years old to be registered under historic registration providing they are near-standard.
Tasmania: Registration of LHD cars is determined on a case-by-case basis. In addition, it also has a Special Interest Vehicle option which allows for LHD vehicles aged 30 years or older, or LHD competition vehicles of any age, to be used on public roads for up to 52 days per year.
South Australia: LHD vehicles must be in 100% original condition and manufactured before 1 January 1979.
Western Australia: LHD vehicles have to be 15 years old before they can be registered.
Northern Territory: If you personally import your vehicle, it can be registered LHD with no age restrictions.
but you appear to be a fine candidate for standing alone in a corner, staring at your drink, at any good cocktail party
je777 said:
The US produces 27% of the world's carbon dioxide.
It has less than 4.5% of the world's population.
When it comes to industry and energy production, US standards are appalling.
I would like to personally thank you for all the kit, concepts, content, and, most of all, European leadership, which keeps the free world moving as it does. /sarcasmIt has less than 4.5% of the world's population.
When it comes to industry and energy production, US standards are appalling.
Your bigotry is not wanted here.
Jader1973 said:
GM do not care about any markets except the US and China and have zero interest in any sort of global car.
They have no global brand selling anything resembling a global car, and never have had. Why would that change now?
You don't believe that offering Corvette more formally, and in the best-in-class mid-engined form factor, can help Corvette to grow outside the US? And be of use to General Motors portfolio brands outside the US?They have no global brand selling anything resembling a global car, and never have had. Why would that change now?
unsprung said:
but you appear to be a fine candidate for standing alone in a corner, staring at your drink, at any good cocktail party
Ah that's the PH way... you say something that's not accurate, you get enlightened, then personally insult the person that called you out. Feel better now?BFleming said:
Ah that's the PH way... you say something that's not accurate, you get enlightened, then personally insult the person that called you out. Feel better now?
as luck would have it, I'm texting a mate in Victoria just now 
and I've commented more than a few times about Oz and RHD, here on PH, in the past
leafed through the South Australia government pages on requirements for LHD older cars
in this one particular case, I've managed to come to the party already rather "enlightened"
now: about the Corvette... we are talking a new vehicle here
as Aussies currently buy, per capita, almost as many Mustangs as their cousins in the States, it would not be unreasonable to assume that the C8 Corvette, despite being further upmarket, will be commercially viable Down Under
What? I have little idea what any of that means. Have you written it like abstract poetry on purpose, or does punctuation have Tuesdays off?
Anyhow, you said (word for word) 'the on-road use of LHD imports is prohibited'. Not the case. But let us know what your mate in Victoria says if he comes back to you with the results of his traffic survey.
Anyhow, you said (word for word) 'the on-road use of LHD imports is prohibited'. Not the case. But let us know what your mate in Victoria says if he comes back to you with the results of his traffic survey.
BFleming said:
What? I have little idea what any of that means. Have you written it like abstract poetry on purpose, or does punctuation have Tuesdays off?
Anyhow, you said (word for word) 'the on-road use of LHD imports is prohibited'. Not the case. But let us know what your mate in Victoria says if he comes back to you with the results of his traffic survey.
Yes, you're right that for most Australians, registration of LHD is a matter of the age of the used car.Anyhow, you said (word for word) 'the on-road use of LHD imports is prohibited'. Not the case. But let us know what your mate in Victoria says if he comes back to you with the results of his traffic survey.
We are talking about a new car, here. (and the mate in Vic, he and I are talking about something else, entirely)
kambites said:
Not sure how they'll sell them in Europe though.
Nor do I. It would have been easier with Opel / Vauxhall. I imagine that in Europe there will be a small number of specialist dealers chosen.
There is also the perennial mumblings, in Detroit, about a return of Cadillac to Europe. And this, one might guess, would provide a dealership network that is friendly to Corvette distribution. But I personally believe that it's far too late for Cadillac to attempt its umpteenth return to the right side of the Atlantic. Except for Russia.
Yet again, it bears repeating that although the C8 Corvette is planned for Europe, the emphasis on volume sales, such as they are for an expensive car, will be in other parts of the world.
I guess it's possible they'll aim at the dealers which currently cater for the small volume exotica, but that doesn't bode well for servicing costs. I guess the alternative seem to be to attempt to court individual dealers who already have franchises with mainstream manufacturers who don't have a competing product. Toyota/Lexus dealers might be a good target since they tend to have very good customer service and don't really have a product which competes.
kambites said:
Not sure how they'll sell them in Europe though.
Well, how about through their existing dealer network? 
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But a Corvette was never a sports car, it was the definitive muscle car coupe. Vipers and ‘vettes sold not because they won on track (although both did well in their Le Mans class, Porsche Bentley and Audi all claimed outright wins during that time), but because they looked *cool*. They make your inner six year old giddy with excitement.
No one same buys a TVR either - or, rather, you don’t buy one as a serious track weapon, as a Caterham or even a tuned Elise would leave them for dead - we like such ludicrous cars, because they are *fun*. This car makes me worry, because by focusing on trying to be a Ferrari-clone, they’ve designed a car that looks like one of those “supercars” you could build using a Sierra chassis in the 90s - like a Poundland Ferrari 360 but with slabbier sides so the fibreglass comes out of the mould more easily and the awkward proportions where the wheelbase looks a bit off.
I’m sure it will be fast and comparatively cheap, but I really don’t *want* one.
No one same buys a TVR either - or, rather, you don’t buy one as a serious track weapon, as a Caterham or even a tuned Elise would leave them for dead - we like such ludicrous cars, because they are *fun*. This car makes me worry, because by focusing on trying to be a Ferrari-clone, they’ve designed a car that looks like one of those “supercars” you could build using a Sierra chassis in the 90s - like a Poundland Ferrari 360 but with slabbier sides so the fibreglass comes out of the mould more easily and the awkward proportions where the wheelbase looks a bit off.
I’m sure it will be fast and comparatively cheap, but I really don’t *want* one.
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