More evidence that GM is going directly against the Europenas in their own turf
06-25-2002, 06:23 PM
#1
Moderator Alumnus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Washington DC (NOVA)
Age: 52
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
More evidence that GM is going directly against the Europenas in their own turf
This is impressive. C6 will be shorter and possibly narrower for the sake of European tastes (which by the way, I agree with). This is some major move that proves that GM is all out against sports cars from Europe. Good for them. Here is the article:
GM hopes shorter, narrower Corvette will win more buyers in Europe
By RICK KRANZ
Automotive News
LE MANS, France -- General Motors will make its American-bred sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, shorter and narrower to boost European sales.
In recent clinics, German Corvette owners said that they prefer a smaller car, said Dave Hill, the sports car's vehicle line executive. They also disliked the plastic in the passenger cabin.
"They want a car that is more compact on the outside," Hill said. "Of course, Americans don't want to give up anything on the inside."
The new Corvette, due in summer 2004 "is going to be a little bit narrower and quite a bit shorter" than the current car, he said. But it will be "just as accommodating on the inside." He declined to specify the new dimensions.
The 2002 Corvette is 179.7 inches long and 73.6 inches wide - 8.7 inches longer and 3.5 inches wider than the 2002 Porsche Boxster, for instance.
Corvette's sales in Europe are relatively small: about 1,200 annually, about 75 percent of them in Germany. Hill sees more sales opportunities in Switzerland, France, Italy and Spain. He did not say how much GM hopes to boost Corvette sales in Europe.
Chevrolet sold 31,208 Corvettes last year in the United States.
Hill said Corvette owners in Germany criticized the current Corvette's interior, which uses plastic finishes commonly found in family sedans. Full-sized images of the new car were shown to Corvette owners in Germany.
"While the current Corvette is a huge jump from the car that preceded it, it has frankly not kept up," Hill said. "Others have overtaken it, particularly Audi and Porsche. They have more apparent richness in the interior.
"We are going to leapfrog what we have done, and we're going to have an interior that has more attention to detail, more money devoted to it."
He added: "If we make the car better for the European market than it is today, then we will be rewarded by plus business. And if we do it skillfully, we won't lose any of the fascination that the Corvette has in the States."
GM hopes shorter, narrower Corvette will win more buyers in Europe
By RICK KRANZ
Automotive News
LE MANS, France -- General Motors will make its American-bred sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, shorter and narrower to boost European sales.
In recent clinics, German Corvette owners said that they prefer a smaller car, said Dave Hill, the sports car's vehicle line executive. They also disliked the plastic in the passenger cabin.
"They want a car that is more compact on the outside," Hill said. "Of course, Americans don't want to give up anything on the inside."
The new Corvette, due in summer 2004 "is going to be a little bit narrower and quite a bit shorter" than the current car, he said. But it will be "just as accommodating on the inside." He declined to specify the new dimensions.
The 2002 Corvette is 179.7 inches long and 73.6 inches wide - 8.7 inches longer and 3.5 inches wider than the 2002 Porsche Boxster, for instance.
Corvette's sales in Europe are relatively small: about 1,200 annually, about 75 percent of them in Germany. Hill sees more sales opportunities in Switzerland, France, Italy and Spain. He did not say how much GM hopes to boost Corvette sales in Europe.
Chevrolet sold 31,208 Corvettes last year in the United States.
Hill said Corvette owners in Germany criticized the current Corvette's interior, which uses plastic finishes commonly found in family sedans. Full-sized images of the new car were shown to Corvette owners in Germany.
"While the current Corvette is a huge jump from the car that preceded it, it has frankly not kept up," Hill said. "Others have overtaken it, particularly Audi and Porsche. They have more apparent richness in the interior.
"We are going to leapfrog what we have done, and we're going to have an interior that has more attention to detail, more money devoted to it."
He added: "If we make the car better for the European market than it is today, then we will be rewarded by plus business. And if we do it skillfully, we won't lose any of the fascination that the Corvette has in the States."
06-25-2002, 10:07 PM
#3
Moderator Alumnus
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Washington DC (NOVA)
Age: 52
Posts: 16,399
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
Originally posted by Zapata
Wow nice i'm glad they are going to pay some attention to the interior. I agree that the current C5 is just way to friggin big. Z06 is nice.
Wow nice i'm glad they are going to pay some attention to the interior. I agree that the current C5 is just way to friggin big. Z06 is nice.
The interior of the Z06 this year is of much better quality than previous C5s, yet of the same design. So GM is already fixing the problem slowly. They are working hard at GM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
emailnatec
5G TLX Tires, Wheels & Suspension
29
09-28-2018 04:27 PM
xsilverhawkx
2G TL Problems & Fixes
5
09-28-2015 06:51 PM