Opinion piece @ MotorAuthority - MidEngine Corvette Shouldn't be a Corvette!

[Ripper]

Interesting opinion piece
Link to article if you wish to view it on their site

The mid-engine 2020 Chevrolet Corvette will debut in 2019 even though it shouldn’t. At least not as a Corvette.
Late last month I asked what the point of the mid-engine Corvette waswhen the ultimate Corvette already exists. That doesn’t mean Chevrolet shouldn’t build a mid-engine supercar. Not by a long shot.

The mid-engine Corvette is GM’s moonshot. But moonshots shouldn’t be watered down to fit parameters.


2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

What it is
Spy shots revealthat the mid-engine Corvette’s going to look like a mashup between an Acura NSX, Ferrari 458 Italia, and a Corvette. An odd combo and certainly not as wild as the Ford GT.
A range of engines including a 500-horsepower evolution of today’s 6.2-liter V-8 to a flat-plane crank 5.5-liter V-8 with about 600 hp—even up to 800 hp when turbocharged—will power the car. Set to sit atop the model range is an all-wheel-drive hybrid model with an electric motor, a V-8, and combined output of about 1,000 hp.
The problem
The idea of GM making a mid-engine supercar to serve as a halo vehicle and prove the automaker can build such a thing isn’t a bad one.
Halo models bring traffic and buzz to showrooms, just ask Dodge about the Demonor Ford about the GT.
But watering down your halo vehicle to meet a base price point—say about $80,000 so current customers aren’t priced out— kneecaps your moonshot.


2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

What it should be
The Corvette now, a front-engine rear-wheel-drive sports car verging on supercar, should continue down its evolutionary path rather than transform into a mid-engine supercar.
This new mid-engine supercar should be a supercar that crosses into hypercar status in top hybrid trim. There shouldn’t be a base model with an evolution of today’s 6.2-liter V-8 to hit a price point.
The entry-level model should be special on its own merits with the expectedflat-plane crank 5.5-liter V-8 with 600 hp before turbocharging and 800 hp after it’s breathed upon.
An AWD version that adds an electric motor to the turbocharged model should be the range topper with about 1,000 hp and world-beating performance.


2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

Sell the image
The mid-engine model should absolutely not wear the Corvette name. It should sit above the Corvette atop the Chevy lineup as a halo model should.
Its name should be Zorato honor the father of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov. Historical mid-engine concepts were dreamed up and executed by Arkus-Duntov.
Price it from $130,000, which would overlap the front-engine Corvette ZR1directly but would be completely different animals, which would still be a bargain with a 600-hp flat-plane crank V-8. The turbocharged model should up the price to $150,000, and the range-topping hybrid would be a steal at $180,000 or even $200,000. There shouldn’t be a 1LT or 2LT interior package, all mid-engine Zoras should have premium materials and all the latest electronic goodies.
Naming this new mid-engine supercar the Corvette with a pedestrian 6.2-liter V-8 engine and $80,000 price tag to meet a price point undercuts the purpose of creating a halo vehicle.
If GM wants to prove to the world it can build a 1,000-hp all-wheel-drive hybrid mid-engine supercar then it should do just that. Go all in.

[Ripper]

Images from the article (I think these are not new though)

[07MontyRed]

Thanks for posting. There is, of course, some merit to what he says and it has been discussed on several forums. We don't get a vote so I'm not going to get concerned about it. And personally, I like my pedestrian OHV V-8 ... I have had several high-revving DOHC engines and, although lots of fun, I prefer the slow-winding torque of a Chevy small-block (even if the current engines really are not small blocks ...).

[Brian Kissel]

Unless it is BUTT ugly, I’m st ill in at 200,000 for the 1000 hp model. But it must be something special. I really don’t care what they call it. Just build it, test it and deliver it.

Regards Brian

[SheepDog]

We do not know the GM plan. We are speculating. About the future of the FE car. The name of the ME. The names. The specs. The top dog platforms.


The Ford GT is great. But limited. No storage. It is a collectors item.

[John]

We do not know the GM plan. We are speculating. About the future of the FE car. The name of the ME. The names. The specs. The trip dog platforms.

SheepDog, I have repeatedly learned massive amounts from your posts! You are smart. You have added so many accurate facts here, but may I respectfully say you and I are on completely different sides of these specific issues.

Actually, if one sorts through the massive amount of media articles, and more repeat articles by different sources, there is a lot that is “most prevalent thinking” that will be confirmed. Unfortunately, other than for the 2020’s ME, it is going to take from one year more to several years more to see how much of the “common wisdom by the majority is right.”

Re front engine Corvette continuance, the most recent pole showed that at least among forum people, 83% are saying the front engine Corvette only has months to live. Listening to top members of the Corvette team saying the current platform is “maxed out,” and knowing GM had add 50% more MSRP money to just reduce the 0-60 time from a 2.95 seconds to 2.85 seconds going from a Z06 to a ZR1 (a 3% performance again), the FE platform is maxed out. No sports car appealing primarily to the middle class and upper middle class buyers, in the face of severely declining overall sports car sales, can again afford to have the customer pay a 50% MSRP penalty for only a 3% gain.

Additionally, that 3% gain was only is a measure of FE straight line acceleration, for the ME will better brake, better handle, and better accelerate from a track’s curve apex than a comparably powered FE. I personally believe that the majority is right, e.g., soon bye bye C7.

Also birdies, in fact flocks of birdies, are talking about massively- powered. beyond-first-year Corvette ME’s.

About the ME model names, at least for the 2020 C8, we even have seen a picture with the name Stingray on the waterfall, and corroborated separately by a screen print from a Pennsylvania dealer also showing that the 2020 Corvette is going to be called a Stingray.



I know I will learn staggering amount from you in the future, but we do think differently on these few issues. And could I be wrong? For sure.

[Plasboy]

Well it’s another opinion. I personally think there is the ability to play the whole scale. Put out a base model that’s very capable as far as engine and suspension and then you can take it anywhere from there.

[meyerweb]

I wrote my response to that article in the article's comments.

[SheepDog]

SheepDog, I have repeatedly learned massive amounts from your posts! You are smart. You have added so many accurate facts here, but may I respectfully say you and I are on completely different sides of these specific issues.

Actually, if one sorts through the massive amount of media articles, and more repeat articles by different sources, there is a lot that is “most prevalent thinking” that will be confirmed. Unfortunately, other than for the 2020’s ME, it is going to take from one year more to several years more to see how much of the “common wisdom by the majority is right.”

Re front engine Corvette continuance, the most recent pole showed that at least among forum people, 83% are saying the front engine Corvette only has months to live. Listening to top members of the Corvette team saying the current platform is “maxed out,” and knowing GM had add 50% more MSRP money to just reduce the 0-60 time from a 2.95 seconds to 2.85 seconds going from a Z06 to a ZR1 (a 3% performance again), the FE platform is maxed out. No sports car appealing primarily to the middle class and upper middle class buyers, in the face of severely declining overall sports car sales, can again afford to have the customer pay a 50% MSRP penalty for only a 3% gain.

Additionally, that 3% gain was only is a measure of FE straight line acceleration, for the ME will better brake, better handle, and better accelerate from a track’s curve apex than a comparably powered FE. I personally believe that the majority is right, e.g., soon bye bye C7.

Also birdies, in fact flocks of birdies, are talking about massively- powered. beyond-first-year Corvette ME’s.

About the ME model names, at least for the 2020 C8, we even have seen a picture with the name Stingray on the waterfall, and corroborated separately by a screen print from a Pennsylvania dealer also showing that the 2020 Corvette is going to be called a Stingray.



I know I will learn staggering amount from you in the future, but we do think differently on these few issues. And could I be wrong? For sure.

I agree fully, but: "knowing GM had add 50% more MSRP money to just reduce the 0-60 time from a 2.95 seconds to 2.85 seconds going from a Z06 to a ZR1 (a 3% performance again)" And, You are certainly correct about that observation. However, I "speculate" what percentage gain if GM has simply removed 500Lbs of stuff from the Z06 and reduced the price a few thousand dollars. And called that creature "Z06-500lbs" . I would bet someone else's money that the Z06-500 would out sell, out perform and outrun the ZR1.

It is completely accurate that " we even have seen a picture with the name Stingray on the waterfall, and corroborated separately by a screen print from a Pennsylvania dealer". But a lot of folks use placeholders. Call the child in gestation "Little Joey" or "Junior" until delivery and then place the real legal name on the birth certificate. Is Stingray o placeholder on a GM authorized leaked document ?

Sure there is good info out there. But it may be labeled with placeholder words and names until the day of delivery. And GM does not seem to be settled on every detail just yet. Keeping some of the powder dry? Why? Wisely allowing some play and uncertainty or future directions. Flexibility is a wonderful forward strategy. Allow the market and the future to decide the finer details of itself?

[Frenzy36]

Whatever they wish to call it doesn't really matter to me it will still be a Corvette to Me, just a ME Vette. Time to turn the page. Very Exciting new platform. Bring it on !

[JB]

The article states the corvette should not be mid engine although for the life of me I dont know why..

taking into account the corvette has always been a seperate platform what difference does it make from a manufacturing stnadpoint where the engine is located in a stand alone platform...

should cost about the sa,e give or take five grand...

where the price lands on the top models which are lower volumes who cares?

the average price of all cars and trucks sold in america keeps rising...

today the average price of a vehicle sold in america is 35 grand (2018) where a c7 grand sport costs 65 grand.

in 1999 the average car sold in america was 20 grand, a c5 z51 cost 40 grand..(double the cost of the average car sold in a,erica.)

in 2020 the average car sold in america should be 36 grand so all things being equal a 2020 z51 coupe shoukd cost 72 grand...

sounds normal to me and sticking to pricing strategy the corvette team is right on the money...

im betting 68 grand for a c8 dct fe4 1lt...other options lifting the msrp to upwards of a $100 000.

Todays grand sport ranges from 66 to 99 grand...

i dont see the death blow to unit sales for the c8 the motor1 writer is describing.

if anything thise that can buy ferraris,mclarens, and lamborghinis will add a c8 to their stable of cars using the c8 as a daily driver or track toy...all incremental sales...

and the rest of us regular people will still buy the c8 as we have the c7, the c6 and the c5...

the c8 will continue the tradition of double the cost of the average car sold in america...

i believe the article is incorrect in its assumption that the move to rear mid engine will be a marketing failure.

[George]

Interesting opinion piece
Link to article if you wish to view it on their site

100% agreed.

[Milliwatt Rob]

I always thought that any ME car from GM would be a Cadillac. This was because the racing Cadillacs are ME cars, and by labeling it a Cadillac, they can raise the MSRP substantially over Corvette levels. Though this is less of a factor now that we have Corvette models in the $130K range.

But a ME supercar on the Cadillac showroom floor would attract some potential Cadillac buyers to the other models they sell. Whereas, as a "magnet" car for Chevy dealers, who is going to come in to see a new ME car, then buy an Equinox?

I think that we will not see simultaneous production of FE and ME Corvettes. So the base level ME car cannot be priced in the stratosphere, But if they can charge $130K and more for a ZR-1, the sky would be the limit on a 800-1000 HP ME Corvette.

[Plasboy]

I always thought that any ME car from GM would be a Cadillac. This was because the racing Cadillacs are ME cars, and by labeling it a Cadillac, they can raise the MSRP substantially over Corvette levels. Though this is less of a factor now that we have Corvette models in the $130K range.

But a ME supercar on the Cadillac showroom floor would attract some potential Cadillac buyers to the other models they sell. Whereas, as a "magnet" car for Chevy dealers, who is going to come in to see a new ME car, then buy an Equinox?

I think that we will not see simultaneous production of FE and ME Corvettes. So the base level ME car cannot be priced in the stratosphere, But if they can charge $130K and more for a ZR-1, the sky would be the limit on a 800-1000 HP ME Corvette.

I can follow your reasoning but don’t agree 100 percent. My local Cadillac dealer has Chevy, Buick as well as Chevy and GMC trucks. I think C8 buyers could well be interested in a Chevy truck along with a C8 or several other models. Some of us who splurge on a Corvette don’t necessarily want or are able to splurge on everything we drive.

[JB]

The slumping sales of the audi r8 and acura nsx was the deathknell for the cadillac rear mid engine two seater.

imo..

the runaway sales success of the porsche macan and lamborghini Irus proves consumers want the go anywhere versatility of awd cuv s inconjunction with sports car dynamics.

the first mass market sports car producer that creates a reasonably priced hot rod cuv will have created a new niche segment of massive potiential.

just as most corvette owners flocked to the awd fe2 cadillac cts for their spouse....so too will consumers rage on the sports car maker who offers a reasonably priced version of the porsche macan or lamborghini urus.

thats where the growth market is...

not in two seat sports cars like the audi R8 , acura nsx and the previouslyplanned cadillac rear mid engine sports car.

the cadillac division did fund a good portion of the bowling green expansion, paint shop and even some of the research and development of the c8..

we as corvette enthusiasts will benefit in lower msrp of the c8 than would have been possible without cadillacs still born rear mid engine halo vehicle...(footing a portion of the R &D...

the luxury appointments offered as options we will see in the second or third year twin turbo c8 will also have come from cadillacs still born sports two seater.

its always possible the two seat cadillac will make an appearance but given todays shrinking two seat karket thats relatively unlikely.