RE: Mid-engined Corvette spied testing

RE: Mid-engined Corvette spied testing

Author
Discussion

hairyben

8,516 posts

183 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
So they're going to make 2 somewhat different cars and both are going to be the corvette?

Are they going to do a bmw-mini and trade off the hip name with Heinz 57 flavours including SUV, pickup and dustcart versions?

Or will the front engine corvette become the s-line of corvettes? Will we be seeing the vectra 1.4d c-vette in the not too distant future?

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
unsprung said:
In a further development of epic jobsworth proportions, Australian trademark authorities denied Chevrolet -- and therefore an OEM Corvette -- the right to use the 100+ year old Chevrolet logo in Australia
Except they didn't.

Read that second link, and it's the Corvette logo which is in question, not the Chevrolet one.
Even then, it's not the whole logo, it's a bit of it. The bit with the white cross on the red background, just to the right of the flagpoles.



Even then, it's not actually "denied the right to use" - they've been denied a trademark registration.
Even then, it's not an outright denial - they were asked to include...
GM's rejected caveat said:
It is a condition of registration that, in use, the cross device contained within the trade mark will be rendered in colours other than red on a white or silver background, or white or silver on a red background.
...because Australian law includes the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 which expressly requires "ministerial approval" for the use of...
Aussie law said:
...the emblem of a white or silver cross with vertical and horizontal arms of the same length on, and completely surrounded by, a red ground, being the heraldic emblem of the Swiss Confederation (s 15(1)(d));

Yep, bit of a similarity there, isn't there? And the Swiss were there first - the 14th century...

Meanwhile, GM have submitted a revised trademark application which includes...
GM's requested caveat said:
It is a condition of registration that the mark will not be used in a manner which offends section 15 of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957
...and which may yet be accepted.

unsprung

5,467 posts

124 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
...and which may yet be accepted.
oops, make that Corvette logo where I said Chevrolet logo

but you're wrong about rejection; from my link:

"A Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks [of Australia] has rejected General Motors LLC’s (“GM”) application to register its Corvette Emblem trade mark"

this rejection by Australian authorities is ironic and, many believe, invalid -- given that Corvette is sold as an OEM product in Switzerland, where the International Committee of the Red Cross is based



TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
unsprung said:
but you're wrong about rejection; from my link:

"A Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks [of Australia] has rejected General Motors LLC’s (“GM”) application to register its Corvette Emblem trade mark"
Perhaps you should compare that line to...
TooMany2cvs said:
Even then, it's not actually "denied the right to use" - they've been denied a trademark registration.
...before telling me I'm wrong, eh? I've highlighted the relevant bits.

RHD-converted Corvettes have been for sale in Oz for years, and still are - including the logo.
http://www.crossovercarconversions.com.au/chevrole...
https://www.caradvice.com.au/516466/2017-chevrolet...
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/chevrolet...
Nobody's stopped that.

GM have simply been told they can't register the trademark, not that they can't use the logo.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Tuesday 4th September 16:46

unsprung

5,467 posts

124 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
unsprung said:
but you're wrong about rejection; from my link:

"A Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Marks [of Australia] has rejected General Motors LLC’s (“GM”) application to register its Corvette Emblem trade mark"
Perhaps you should compare that line to...
TooMany2cvs said:
Even then, it's not actually "denied the right to use" - they've been denied a trademark registration.
...before telling me I'm wrong, eh? I've highlighted the relevant bits.

RHD-converted Corvettes have been for sale in Oz for years, and still are - including the logo.
http://www.crossovercarconversions.com.au/chevrole...
https://www.caradvice.com.au/516466/2017-chevrolet...
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/chevrolet...
Nobody's stopped that.

GM have simply been told they can't register the trademark, not that they can't use the logo.

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Tuesday 4th September 16:46
you are mistaking apples for oranges

and your errors are to some extent damaging this thread

no Corvettes are sold in Australia by General Motors; all are non-OEM, non-licensed, or grey market transactions -- which, as currently executed, make no claims and enjoy no rights subject to Australian trademark law

being denied trademark status is the act of rejecting a brand owner's exclusive rights; this transcends product and puts at risk shareholder value -- something that General Motors could not and did not tolerate in Australia


unsprung

5,467 posts

124 months

Tuesday 4th September 2018
quotequote all
rockin said:
The question of what it will eventually be called is a good one. I'm not aware of any indications from GM as yet.

Corvettes are the only vehicle built at a dedicated factory in Bowling Green. From 2003 to 2009 GM built the Cadillac XLR alongside Corvette at the plant. Underneath its skin Cadillac's XLR was a very similar car to the Corvette, albeit with a higher bonnet line to accommodate its OHC Northstar engines. It wasn't a big seller at around 3,000 cars a year compared with about 30,000 Corvettes.

Of possible names for the new mid-engine car,
  • I doubt Cadillac would be used, its brand emphasis being "luxury" rather than "performance".
  • Pontiac used to be a GM performance brand until it was terminated in 2009. The mid-engine Pontiac Fiero was an interesting development in the 1980s but otherwise many of the cars were badge engineered - including Firebird - running alongside Chevrolet's Camaro. The mid engine link to Pontiac could be made at a stretch but seems unlikely.
  • Corvette has been the halo performance car since 1953 so this name must be favourite. One possibility might be to have a front engine base car and a mid-engine ZR1.
if this car should eschew the Corvette brand in favour of another General Motors marque, the unveiling will be a massive surprise indeed

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2018/08/20/gm-trade...

in my opinion, based on what we know today, there is significant evidence of the name and other attributes of this car


RumbleOfThunder

3,556 posts

203 months

Wednesday 5th September 2018
quotequote all
Call it a Corvette Berlinette to differentiate it from the regular one. Thank me later GM. smile

tgx

147 posts

150 months

Wednesday 5th September 2018
quotequote all
So far...I don't like it. Looks like a stylistic mess.

tgx

147 posts

150 months

Wednesday 5th September 2018
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
...and which may yet be accepted.
The issue to me with regards to the logo denial is simply a design error. It's supposed to be a chevy bowtie but the
artist squished it a bit to make it look like it's on a waving flag. stretch it out a bit more
and it'll be a chevy logo not a swiss flag which I am sure was never the intent of the artist.



vz-r_dave

3,469 posts

218 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
tgx said:
So far...I don't like it. Looks like a stylistic mess.
Can you link photos of it without the camo? Assuming you have seen it?

Speed_Demon

2,662 posts

188 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've got the impression that recent Corvettes have been more than capable on track, people haven't bought them with that in mind, opting for an alternative if handling and track tines is a real priority.

Perhaps with this moving to mid-mounted, they can retain their current customer base and probe more into the handling/"real sports car" enthusiast market?

daveco

4,126 posts

207 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
Speed_Demon said:
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I've got the impression that recent Corvettes have been more than capable on track, people haven't bought them with that in mind, opting for an alternative if handling and track tines is a real priority.

Perhaps with this moving to mid-mounted, they can retain their current customer base and probe more into the handling/"real sports car" enthusiast market?
And at what will likely be a much cheaper OTR price than their European competitors.

The Corvette name alone is a big deal for most of us so it's not like they'll have to play 'catch up' reputation wise, if the car handles/looks/goes well.

If they start showing up their more expensive competitors it can only benefit the buyer.

unsprung

5,467 posts

124 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all


based on the PH update video...

sounds like a DOHC engine

and not a pushrod / OHV engine



Oldwolf

935 posts

193 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
From what I could see / hear on the phone..
Fast
Quiet
Auto

I'm sure it'll upset the hard core fans but if they're keeping the traditional front engined model too presumably they hope this will provide additional sales to non-traditional Corvette buyers.

Harveybw

129 posts

94 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
I haven’t read all the comments so if I’m late to party, sorry for saying this.

But....I can see this doing some damage at Le Mans, if it sounds like the current racers, they may have my backing.

anonymous-user

54 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
Edmundo2 said:
Looks like a crap kit car. Also looks to be 20 years old already...Badly proportioned and lacking any fluid design or cohesion. Pretty bored of generic mid size mid engined cars but this looks especially dull. Seems a shame when the Corvette was starting to get good and stand out. Hope the old one continues along side..

Edited by Edmundo2 on Monday 3rd September 18:58
Are you for real?

skinny

5,269 posts

235 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
gigglebug said:
Will there likely to be a completely new engine to get up to 850BHP, if that rumour is correct, or would one of the current engines be capable of producing that amount and still be within regulations?
Well the c7 zr1 puts out 755 bhp so I'd expect the cooking c8 zr1 to be the LT2, supercharged at higher boost than the LT5 and pushing 850 bhp

kainedog

361 posts

174 months

Monday 10th September 2018
quotequote all
I’d be impressed if they get it right the first time but the last couple of corvettes have looked every bit as exotic as the European mid engine rivals however can’t imagine similar corvettes being optioned with front and mid engines simultaneously .I would not be surprised if Aston are planning a similar model.

DomRoePhotography

234 posts

123 months

Tuesday 11th September 2018
quotequote all
Sounds turbocharged to me, but that's not necessarily a bad thing!

anonymous-user

54 months

Tuesday 11th September 2018
quotequote all
Getting the power down in current C7 Corvette can be "interesting", even with electronic LSD etc.

I'm told the current Z06 and ZR1 are "lairy".

850 bhp sounds "wild" even with more weight over the driven wheels! That's the sort of power found in top end race cars running on sticky slicks.

I guess one possibility with the mid-engine layout is, at some point, to put electric motors on the front wheels for 4WD and enhanced traction.