This past April marked the highest sales EVER for the Corvette, and these are far from good economic times. Not only is the Vette profitable, but the mass sales allows GM to put more money into R&D. I would not be surprised at all to see a 500+HP C6 Z06 weighing in at 3000 - 3100 lbs, costing 20-30K less than a Viper.
C6 Corvette to **** the doors off competition- By Bob Lutz
- Thread starter Mopar
- Start date
Viperfreak2
Enthusiast
35,000 Cars is still chicken feed in the real world of auto production. They would have to crank the number up over 100,000 to make any real money. That's over 400 per day production. Ain't gonna happen. A couple of our plants build 1200-1500 units per day, and we are very small in the industry.
The other part is clear. Horses add weight. You can't make a 500+ hp car that weighs unders 3000 lbs without serious drawbacks. There is no such car today, and IF GM could pull it off, I would applaud them and probably buy one. Again, it ain't gonna happen. The Enzo has a complete carbon fiber tub. No frame. It's as light (and expensive) as you can possibly go in a street legal, semi-mass produced car. Yes, I'll buy the arguement that you CAN make a car with the HP and weight in question, but it would not come from a major carmaker. Like I said, the sounds, ride, and refinement would be so harsh, it would only be good for a racetrack. The comp coupe is a great example. The ALL ALUMINUM Ford GT is another.
The other part is clear. Horses add weight. You can't make a 500+ hp car that weighs unders 3000 lbs without serious drawbacks. There is no such car today, and IF GM could pull it off, I would applaud them and probably buy one. Again, it ain't gonna happen. The Enzo has a complete carbon fiber tub. No frame. It's as light (and expensive) as you can possibly go in a street legal, semi-mass produced car. Yes, I'll buy the arguement that you CAN make a car with the HP and weight in question, but it would not come from a major carmaker. Like I said, the sounds, ride, and refinement would be so harsh, it would only be good for a racetrack. The comp coupe is a great example. The ALL ALUMINUM Ford GT is another.
With tons of sales ( with major incentives ) also lends itself to making the resale abhorrent. We trade for more Corvettes than we do Vipers, and the sales have caused it to be very difficult to get someone out of a Vette( everyone seems to be upside down ). The sales may be at an all time high, but when incentives grace a semi-exotic car, resale plummets and many in the High-Line field feel Vettes are at an all-time low for resale. Is it a great car, sure, but when you have almost 20 timesmore vehicles available, it is no wonder Snakes have higher demand. Is the C6 good for business, absolutely, as we all love the horsepower race. I just have faith in Wolfgang Bernhard , as he is nothing but a consumate gearhead, who will do about anything to win. Mark my words, and those of a little birdie who overheard Bob Lutz about 2 years ago, Mr. Bernhard is probably the most dynamic force in the Auto Industry today. Bring on the challenge, just don't be too surprised when the 500+ HP Vette is answered with a 600+ HP TorqueSerpent.
MannyC
Enthusiast
Nah, I doubt the body will look like those photos. I remember seeing the ugly Nissan 350Z test photos and the car today looks nothing like those cars. The photos above look 95% like the previous generation -- that is not good and too close.
MannyC
Enthusiast
Here are some other photos I found:
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Big Medicine
Enthusiast
If I buy a Vette it will be a 60's model; I don't care what the new ones look like or what they have in them. If I want to have a better power to weight ratio I'll mod my 96 GTS, thank you very much. I'm sure I could outrun a new Vette if I sank $40k into my ride couldn't I?
Andrew/USPWR
Enthusiast
I'll keep my Viper.
I drove up to Orlando last weekend and counted 46 Corvettes I passed............. I saw only 3 Vipers, and THAT was unusual.
Vette are everywhere.
Stop the madness.
2000 GTS Steel Grey
Six piston Bier claws up front, front brakes in back
Quaife Differential, GKH half shafts, alloy fly wheel,
short throw shifter, polished intakes, K&N air filters, Optima battery,
I drove up to Orlando last weekend and counted 46 Corvettes I passed............. I saw only 3 Vipers, and THAT was unusual.
Vette are everywhere.
Stop the madness.
2000 GTS Steel Grey
Six piston Bier claws up front, front brakes in back
Quaife Differential, GKH half shafts, alloy fly wheel,
short throw shifter, polished intakes, K&N air filters, Optima battery,
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