CloseJan 14, 2013 9:53:46 PM
nberry:
FWIW, only 4% (and dwindling each year) of all cars manufactured today are manual. I am surprised Corvette is offering it as an option.
Why is it surprising? Just a few percent of all cars made are worth a damn and a majority of those are Manual (especially true among American cars - CTS-V, Vette, Mustang Boss and Shelby, Viper, etc... Even the new Buick).
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73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs). Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550 Maranello
nberry:
FWIW, only 4% (and dwindling each year) of all cars manufactured today are manual. I am surprised Corvette is offering it as an option.
?
Manual are still in production for the sole purpose of the American market. Same Americans who doesn't know how to operate paddles (not talking about you Nick as a ex-Ferrari owner).
Corvette's biggest market is still USA so manual is a must.
Plus, manual gearbox makes burnouts an easy job 
nberry:
FWIW, only 4% (and dwindling each year) of all cars manufactured today are manual. I am surprised Corvette is offering it as an option.
nberry:
GM plans to sell this car aggressively in Europe. They believe they have the features attractive to European buyers particularly the performance settings which provide extreme performance whether in sport or GT mode and comfort for city driving. The fuel savings is also an added bonus.
How? GM needs to change the reputation of the Corvette in Europe, something which is going to be very difficult.
Since US cars seem to have a miserable resale value over here, they also need to offer some special lease deals in the beginning.
They also need to offer more attractive prices (140k EUR for the ZR1 is way too much, I would rather buy a slower 991 Carrera S for that money) and dealerships need a better CI (selling a Corvette next to an Opel is plain idiotic) and service.
It won't be easy for GM, no matter how good the new Corvette would be.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche Panamera Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2012), Mini Cooper S Countryman All4
Jan 15, 2013 4:33:28 PM
The Vette is still selling the Manual because the automatic is a POS (not a dual clutch). The vette auto does not offer a performance edge or mileage edge like in the 991 so it MUST have a manual. Once it has a dual clutch auto there will be far less manual sales of the Vette than of the manual 991.
I agree that reputation is a major hurdle but if the quality and reliability of the car proves itself then the car will sell. Europeans are not stupid. However, they do tend to be nationalistic and buy their own products certainly more so than Americans.
FWIW, Americans of late are becoming more conscious of buying products made in the US.
Jan 15, 2013 5:55:49 PM
nberry:
I agree that reputation is a major hurdle but if the quality and reliability of the car proves itself then the car will sell. Europeans are not stupid. However, they do tend to be nationalistic and buy their own products certainly more so than Americans.
The Vette has serevral hurdles in Europe, first off the pricetag, while in the US its cheap, the European pricetag is not and its a ripoff, not many are will to pay a premium for such a car when they know perfectlñy well the actual price of ther car is in the US.
Aother is dealer infrasturcuture and service which is practically non-existant compared to other sportcars, especially in Europe where you have such great selection of Euro sportcars available.
I don't think European are nationalistic at all, its not the fact that the Vette is not european, japanese sportcars sell quite well, its the fact that its an "american sportcar" and the bad image Corvette has of too flashy with little quality and attention to sophistication in terms of handling, tranny, brakes, etc. and interior.
So why would someone in Europe pay such a price for a Vette, then loose all of it in devaluation the moment he takes it off the lot, then having to worry about maintenance and service, and bear the pimp car stigma it carries? European buyers preffer less power but more sophistication, handling, better interiors, more practicality and readily available service. Vette makes a good car for the US but not for Europe.
Jan 15, 2013 6:26:28 PM
Gladstone:
sfo:
how many exhaust pipes in the center ????
You are quite right! If you have a V8, why not have eight exhaust pipes
Has anyone seen exterior pics with the roof panel removed?
sfo: I actually quite agree. I think that two rectangular exhaust ports angled to match the tail lights (a quadrilateral perhaps) would have been a much more cohesive design.
RossN: many thanks for the pic, and that pic shows a better depth perception of the back of the car which looks much better in that picture than it does from a straight on view.
Jan 15, 2013 11:37:50 PM
Why is the Corvette much more expensive in Europe?
I don't believe it is GM pricing that is the problem. FWIW, Europeans buy European cars even though they have less warranty coverage and are significantly more expensive than the same car sold in the US.
Regarding servicing, there are many GM cars manufactured and sold in Europe under European names and dealerships. They could easily service the Corvette.
Jan 16, 2013 12:09:43 AM
nberry:
Why is the Corvette much more expensive in Europe?
Regarding servicing, there are many GM cars manufactured and sold in Europe under European names and dealerships. They could easily service the Corvette.
Its not like that here in Europe, a Corvette Coupe here in Spain will cost you 115,000$ in the dealership, and there is only two dealerships (its not sold through the entire GM dealership chain), and only three other official repair/maintenance shops (coincidentally one is in my city) ... 115k for a Corvette Coupe and barely any official infrastructure 
Jan 16, 2013 6:23:26 AM
Carlos from Spain:
nberry:
Why is the Corvette much more expensive in Europe?
Regarding servicing, there are many GM cars manufactured and sold in Europe under European names and dealerships. They could easily service the Corvette.
Its not like that here in Europe, a Corvette Coupe here in Spain will cost you 115,000$ in the dealership, and there is only two dealerships (its not sold through the entire GM dealership chain), and only three other official repair/maintenance shops (coincidentally one is in my city) ... 115k for a Corvette Coupe and barely any official infrastructure
That is insane and silly. Why can't Corvette be just as cheap in Europe? Surely they would sell a lot more.
Rumors from the grapevine:
-Corvette is perceived as the 'blue collar' sports car in North America, so there is a ceiling on how much GM can price it. That notion gains traction when you factor in a large percentage of the workers at the Corvette assembly plant owns a Corvette. In Europe GM tries to shed the 'blue collar' image, trying to position it as a legitimate alternative to other high performance 'white collar' sports car, hence the pricing.
-As the numbers of Corvette sold in Europe is tiny, the fixed cost per car, ie salary, advertising, office rent, etc are proportionally higher than the American market, hence the higher price. This is the same excuse car makers gives for the higher price in Canada than the US.
Jan 16, 2013 8:14:13 PM
nberry:
I do not believe the Corvette is built in Europe. The car is imported to Europe. Part of the additional cost include VAT and import duties. However, that still does not explain the significant price increase for the car sold in Europe.
The Corvette is produced in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The pricing issues are part of GM's reluctance to market U.S. produced cars effectively in other parts of the world. It is easier for GM to complain about restrictive tariffs in "closed" markets than to do the hard work and develop a viable distribution plan/network in that country. General Motors has continued to operated as separate entities with little effort towards consolidation. In Europe, for example, Opel and Vauxhall (UK-specific) operate separate from GM North America. As a consequence, U.S. produced vehicles remain niche products with corresponding service, distribution and cost issues.
GM has used this excuse for way too long. For decades, GM has lodged formal complaints that the Japanese markets were closed to the imports while Japanese manufacturers have had unfettered access to the U.S. market. GM has said this is the reason why its has lost market share both in the U.S. and abroad. Tell that to Volkswagen and its own experience in Japan.
Jan 16, 2013 10:30:56 PM
I like this C7.
Design is purposeful, classic proportions with admittedly a mix of 599 and GT-R elements, but that should do no harm. Interior seems to be miles above C6. Technologically it's very promising; the performance of the c6 gransport were already exceptional (hockenheim in 1'11'9!) and this will be even better.
The problem of the Corvette as mentioned above is how it is perceived and sold in the market. If you want to charge premium prices (like they do over here in Europe as the car costs 30-50 more than in US) you must sell the car in the right environment (as was said not parked next to an Opel!) and give it good support (technically and in form of extended warranties and 'clubfeeeling'). To be able to do this requires a lot of effort GM is probably neither willing no capable to do. A 3 year old 911 will always be the smarter investment moneywise than a new Corvette.
So the C7 will unfortunately stay a rare sight on our roads, although it would deserve better. It's a pity that GM is not able to leverage the Corvette's impressive motorsport successes - against many premium european brands!
I will definitely test drive it when it comes out though...
turbolite
Jan 17, 2013 4:41:33 PM
If you believe GM marketing that will change. They have every intention to sell the car aggressively in Europe. The market is ripe for it.
Europeans interested in a top of the line sport car which is unique with limited distribution and has an excellent performance to value ratio this car should be on top of their list.
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nberry:
If you believe GM marketing that will change. They have every intention to sell the car aggressively in Europe. The market is ripe for it.
Nick,
I am a huge fan of the Corvette for its concept, originality and eagerness of their engineers to make a proper sportscar. While Porsche had to fight the laws of physics to make the 911 driveable, Corvette engineers have to overcome the burden of their management to produce a proper sportscar. The issue with the C6 never was its performance but the hindrance Chevrolet imposed on their flagship models Corvette and Cadillac. Its the chassis flex, the unconnected driving experience or simply the details... if one might call it like that... in the interior that weaken the experience of an otherwise great car. Finally on the C7, Chevrolet decided to put proper seats in it, work on the interior and exterior and let the car exude some sophistication.
You keep wondering why the car is no success in Europe? GM stopped importing cars a few years ago, they let the Dutch Kroymaans group run the European business and since a. they were unhappy with the sales numbers and b. GM was in major trouble itself they pulled the plug. Since then, you were only able to acquire those cars via independent dealerships, without European factory warranty etc. Even Infinity, which have very small sales numbers in Europe, have a couple of factory dealerships across the continent to at least ensure service whenever it is required. I do not even think that such a conscious buyer as you would pay five-to-six digit prices for such a car when you have a variety of alternatives around the corner...
Ferdie, thanks for the explanation.
It answers a lot of questions. Hopefully, new management at GM will take heed and rectify the situation. I am of the opinion if GM gets a foothold in the European sport car segment it will be good for all European car manufacturers and their customers.
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