C8’s “Potential #1 Sales Impediment” For More Pre-Sold Orders Than It Can Deliver

[John]

What do your think is the biggest obstacle the ME will face toward not just its being sold out, but also its first and second years having more pre-sold orders than can be filled?

[Frenzy36]

Price

[Racer86]

So far, price and production seem to be the majority.

[Bikerjulio]

John, Can you reword this or something? I read it several times and I'm confused

I agree. The question incorporates a giant assumption. Looking at past sales numbers I'm not convinced there will be a problem filling orders. Why not just ask "what is the biggest impediment to sales?"

Given that these are discretionary purchases, the biggest influence might be the state of the stock market next year.

[Plasboy]

Since we really don’t know anything for sure it’s hard to answer. Therefore I voted other.
Price certainly could be a factor as could looks, performance and usability.
As to being sold out and lack of production capacity I think a tight market might be ok but only to a point.
My 2 cents!

[Fasttoys]

I clicked: Other (please post what you think its other impediment could be)
Pricing, usability, looks and performance our the obvious.

Since this is a new platform it will bring a lot of new challenges for BG and the engineers. I do believe it will be sold out but we will have many previous buyers sitting on the side-lines.

Challenges
New customers coming into the brand and dealers trying to learn the ME platform. Some buyers will wait till they can sit in the car and make sure they fit and like the seating position. You will have some people buying the cars just to flip them and gain a premium on the resale. I can see Suppliers having issues meeting demand, new material tariffs and getting parts to the end users could be another issue. Higher interest rates could help balance out demand. I am glad I am on a waiting list it’s the safest place to be to help me control some of the process.

I said many times before Timing & marketing will be very important with this new ME release. It’s a drastic change for the brand.

[John]

Really good points “Fasttoys!”

Zero’ing on just one for I have a friend who was getting a C7, but after he tried sitting in it, we said, “I can not fit.” We need some folks of different sizes to sit in the car, in a video with the following three in turn progressively sitting into the car, e.g., someone 6’2” around 200, someone around 6’3” at 230 and someone around 6’5’ and 250 pounds getting and then making commentary. GM, you can have your folks put on a full face mask without eye slits (just breathing holes), monitor/control it all, and we the audience will never see anything but the three individuals commenting afterwards.

Or something much simpler, how about GM getting some one who is 6”5” and 250 pounds being part of the on-stage reveal?

[Racer86]

Sorry ,but someone that weighs 250+ lbs needs to buy an Escalade.

[Plasboy]

This fat boy is 6’1” and 265 and I fit fine. Maybe you should lighten up.

[John]

We welcome and celebrate all here! One of the realities of all OEM vehicles, is that they only design to 95% of the demographic of probable buyers. GM and other OEMs recognize someone who is outside of the design parameters could have an issue fitting in one of their vehicles, e.g., a person who is 4’8” tall might not be able to depress a clutch fully on a 7M 2019 Corvette, etc.

[John]

Returning to another comment above, timing is going to be critical. We know, thankfully, that the mid will be a 2020 model, but that only legally means that it may not be sold before next January 1st. Doubt that that will be an issue, but other timing factors mentioned by Fasttoys could be an impediment to sales.

Of course, what if the ME when revealed, as two have described it, absolutely incredible looking? What prevents it being such an incredible achievement, in both looks and performance, that it results in 60,000 pre-orders within a couple of months of its reveal?

Am I remembering correctly that in 1964 1/2, that over 20,000 Mustangs were sold in the first 48 hours of its reveal? Over 300,000 its first year.

What if, thanks Yogi Berra, “we have deja vu all over again?”

[JB]

Pretty much supply will be tight and demand will far outstrip available corvette c8s...

at least a year maybe two.

the lowering of production capability from 40k units a year down to 33k at max capacity...

id be surprised if bowling green ever runs at max capacity...i think c7 best year was 36or 38k...


extrapolating ...max capacity sounds like its 10 percent higher than gm ever gm runs with the corvette...so 33k new max capacity would suggest a maximum of 30k units per year...holding back supply for 4years to match demand if not a little shy of demand...

i dont expect to see traditional 5percent off by model year 3..

forget about the 10 percent discount....and honestly i dont believe we will see 20 percent off in any hear of the c8

[Frenzy36]

You never know with technological advancements, another car company may produce a practical light beam hover ship and tank sales immensely.

[John]

Frenzy36, you signed a Non Disclosure Agreement not to show that very picture of the 2020 ME Corvette until reveal day. GM’s honcho’s are coming to your front door shortly. Hope you have good lawyers.

[Frenzy36]

I know John but I just had to show off that new Liquid Silver Paint Color. I might as well mention the new LIFEP04 Selenium Battery which is good for 250 miles of night driving after the light collectors accumulate.