mid engine corvette qtr panels leaked photo

Jimmy, read what I said. If the ME is a $65k car at launch it will fall off a cliff after the shiny rubs off. Read what I said please.

 

Eric,
You said:
"Like I said, first year yeah, second year falls off a cliff. Just like the C4 did.

Sorry, I don't know how else to take that.....

 

I'm only on my third vette, so I have less experience than you, but this doesn't make sense.
Tiresome as the cliché is, bang for the buck is why people buy corvettes. I believe you're in the minority with your attitude, among vette owners, at least.
A 65k car may not excite people use to spending three times as much on euro cars, but if you think the average vette buyer won't consider one because it's too good of a bargain, you're mistaken.
There's nothing wrong with the c7 interior that I couldn't live with in the next generation, and it's likely to improve.
If the ME car is a big performance leap over the current car, and can be had for 65k (I'm skeptical), how bad would the interior have to be to curtail sales?
Nothing 15 or 20k couldn't fix.

 

True. The Corvette has always punched above it's weight. There are many of us that buy them for their ability to thrash their European competitors in performance events. Corvettes consistently do this-from local events to the world stage. Frankly, when I buy a Corvette I couldn't care less about the Euro version of Corinthean leather, contrasting stitch count or Alcantara door pulls. I expect such poseur features on my imported exotics, as something better justify the massive price difference between them and a Corvette, as it sure isn't the performance. Corvette has always been the automotive version of Rocky-not always polished,but, a winner none the less.

 

For me, GM spends the money where they should on the Corvette....making it a truly world class SPORTS car from a PERFORMANCE standpoint. The old (and tired) interior complaints do not apply to the C7 (IMO). Is the C7 as nice as a 488 inside? No, and the customer pays A LOT for that superiority. I also disagree with this notion that the mid=engine Corvette is going to jump into the Ferrari/Lamborghini/McLaren price point. That is NOT Corvette's market, has never been Corvette's market. GM didn't spend $800 million on Bowling Green over the last 2 years to make 10,000 cars. I think the mid-engine will go just like previous Corvettes....there will be a base car in the $65,000 range, and go up to who knows where for an uber Corvette (ZR1).

 

When it comes to performance we are at a point where there will not be major leaps and bounds from one generation to the next UNLESS you pony up some coin for it. Therefore, the C8 will not be a vastly superior performing car if it can beat the Z06/ZR1 at all in the first couple of years. Chevy has a lot of catching up to do with the ME first by just getting it out there, working out the bugs and receiving consumer feedback. This is more important (or should be) than trying to be a numbers car out of the box. I never said the ME will be a $200k car like Ferrari/Lambo but I strongly believe it will be $100k+ for the base car and if that is true and it uses the same old crappy interior then it will fail. If they can sell $80k Z06's all day long then they can sell a $100k ME all day if done right. Heck, Escalades sticker for this and they sell all day long. Only time will tell what happens though for all of us.

 

New cad posts showing the tt setup.

I don't see this car base being too expensive,that's born out by the pushrod version.

If they get the chassis suspension right, the and the c5 6 and 7 certainly had talent there
The. Everything else is just an option.

A more powerful motor we already know about and the interior can be improved on the c7,

So the. We need fear only styling and weight. The c7 indicates weight is not a priority and they'll compensate likeso many others with excess hp. As a road car it will be great, however the c6 zo6 was the Las light Vette and loosing weight is the future or real performance.

Still imagine the platform evolved 10 years from now.

 

If they can keep the weight under 3400 pounds for the top motor version it would be a win imho.

 

AFAIK (in the interest of weight savings), the first c7's didn't have the motorized hatch closing mechanism, but later models do.

Certainly seems to prove your point.

 

I think weight is a priority...BUT
We customers want all the latest doodads and creature comforts, which all add weight. The C7 chassis is 99 pounds lighter than the C6 Z06/ZR1 aluminum chassis and yet the C7 is heavier. At Corvette's price point, extensive use of carbon fiber is not realistic, so GM is kind of in a pickle.
Obviously, one option is to take the Alfa 4C approach, but based on that car's relative failure (sales wise), I can't see GM even entertaining that.
"Adding lightness" = "Adding money" in modern cars!

Look at the new Miata (certainly no heavyweight). Literally EVERY review complains about interior noise...well, Mazda wanted a really light car and figured folks would be OK with minimal sound dampening (weight).

 

I don't think there's any way the mid-engine car intro's at $100K. If the mid-engine car IS to be the C8 (the only Corvette), they can't sell enough of them to make business sense. Now, if the C8 is an evolved C7, and the mid-engine is an addition, then and only then does a $100K mid-engine make sense. The problem there is timing (C7 will be made through 2021). Another reason that I think (!) there will be another front engine generation is mid-engine cars, because of their make up, lose a great selling point of the current Corvette, namely it's ability to be used as an everyday car. Corvettes are not Ferraris, many Corvette owners do in fact use their cars as daily drivers.

 

The problem is the C7 interior isn't even on the same par with the Porsche Cayman 718, let alone a 458.

 

I agree there will be a follow on fe car. If you look at how a vette is built a fe and me car will share Sommany parts in common that the cost of doing the 2 versions is incremental.

Not having a fe v8 vette is like porche dropping a rear engines car.
Most fe are autos bought by 65+ yo who use the car for driving around in. The fe offers great trunk space for golf clubs and is easy to deal with, it's a franchise gm would be foolish to abandon.

By the same token current fe vette sales are falling fast, and vette needs to attract younger buyers. It makes sense to introduce a me car, attract new clinetale and then redo the fe car later.

I get that low weight is not a priority or even relevant spec for 95% of vette buyers, but the car also needs certain street/track cred and the vette team has shown itself to have made some superlative drivers cars, the c6 z06 stepping in at 3150lbs was a revelation.

You don't need a cf tub to loose weight, it does require a lot of attention to small details and a willingness to compromise, even the prior gen Camaro lost a few 100lbs in the z28 version.

Maybe is a few years we will see a lighter more track focused me vette knocking in around 3000lbs, just because. Since the track focused buyer is willing to pay a premium for the right bits there will be budget there to loose weight.

Or put another way we will probably see a me vette going for the 911 turbo s in the initial versions and then if we're lucky we will see the equivalent version of a gt3.
The vette team undoubtedly has the talent and I can't believe they are doing a me car and not thinking of some max track attack version, not least because it's on track where the true benefits of a me layout shine, and engineers always love to push the boundaries. The c6 vette has a good formula with the less powerful lighter z06 being the track voice the. The zr1 being the high hp street car with all the spec numbers.

Either way if you go to the track with your streetcar then you know that the current grand sport is in the top tier of trackable street cars. The me one will be better. And given that vettes are mass produced enough to be physically and financially replaceable the me car is in a sense one of the if not the most exciting new sports car to be comming along. Unless the f it up.

 

True
But as Audi and Hyundai can do a great interior so can vette. Whether thy do or are allowed to is another issue.

There is still that gm malaise about where they make some really poor compromises to save a few hundred bucks.

Give. That gems flagship Cadillac still haven't pulled off world class interiors mayors concern is very valid.

 

What in the name of Hans Mezger where they thinking when the substituted 4 cylinders for 6 in the 718? I don't care what kind of interior the 718 comes with.

You guys obsess too much about interiors. Audi is still building the R8 so there is really nothing to complain about with ME car interiors; go there instead. You would think these buyers were being forced into a down market C7 interior as some sort of punishment. Simply buy what you enjoy as the rest of it is wasted noise!

 

I think what we are saying is that if Chevy really wants to compete in the global market, this is an area they need to improve on.

Look -- you spend more time in the interior than looking at it. If it's not a great place to spend time there, you won't.

 

Just got this today from my Chevy Dealer. Massive discounts on new C7's.

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That's one fabulous deal
Oops I misread thought you could get a ha for 48k
And was getting ready to buy.

And that's the issue the vette while a good performer lacks in areas that need not be the case

 

^^^^
Good performer?
Come on....
The car is a GREAT performer. If one wants a legitimately FAST track car, buy a GS 1LT for UNDER $70K. There is NOTHING that will touch it within $100,000 (except a C7 Z06)

 

Till the brake lines melt.

There are lots of ways to go faster on track with a street car for under 100k. But yes new out the box the vette is top tier regardless of price I said so before.

Sadly but for a few k spent at gm on good bits the vette could be superlative as opposed to bang for the buck. Which is what many here are saying.

Some of that is build quality some of that is interior and some related to the mechanicals. To many of us 5k more spent would make a car that would be worth way more tha. 5 k more

On the me car looks like lots of interesting mechanicals, like coil overs, Dohc motors etc.
Let's see how the get the other details right.

 

Seriously? "Till the brake lines melt?
Of course there are "Ways to go faster on a track" , all of which involve another vehicle and a trailer to get there (which cost money also).
The interior is fine in the C7...bitching about Corvette interiors is a national pastime for some, it seems. My C7 is almost 4 years old and the interior has held up very nicely and my soft touch buttons aren't sticky and gooey....
Anyhow, you guys seem to know a lot more about Corvettes than I do (I've owned 5, going back 3 generations). I'll assure you I know their strengths and weaknesses. It's always "if GM did this" or "if GM did that"....well, the car is a strikingly GOOD sports car, with compromises that you can either live with or not. JUST like Ferrari.

 

I have a gut feeling when the ME comes out it is going to blow people's minds.

 

No way.
It will likely have a horrible interior and melting brake lines.
Probably won't cost enough, either.

 

Not true. The Camaro ZL1 is $65k an will lay waste to the GS on track. The problem Corvette has is that it is a cheap performance car in a sea of cheap performance cars. If it wants to stand out then they have to up their game and they will charge more for it. Otherwise it will be an ME with C7 performance. The market for that group would dry up quickly and the ME would be sitting on the lot for a discount just like this.

 

I don't hang out in Porsche forums but I wonder if those guys complain about $100k base models and crappy interiors? Here are some pics of the highend interior in my ZR1. The middle section of the door is not even leather. Its some kind of rubber material. The under dash and around the steering wheel is all plastic. The last shot shows you the beautiful red stitched elephant skin leather. Everything that is common with the base car minus the stitching. I can go get some of the warped carpet which was an option I had to check off to get.
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