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Originally Posted by thebig33tuna,Oct 14 2009, 12:16 PM
See, here's the thing... I don't think that my problems with the vette are 'problems'... I think they're reasons I personally wouldn't buy the car. The difference is, if they changed things about it that I personally didn't like, they'd alienate far more people than they'd draw... so that will never happen. For most people, they aren't problems at all.
To put it another way: the vette is a great, successful car. They don't *need* to change anything, and they won't. They have a formula that works. Things I don't like about the car aren't problems, they're just reasons why I'm in an s2000 and not a vette. I'm obviously in the minority, given the # of s2000s sold vs vettes... why would GM appeal to the minority when the masses love the vette?
the article makes sense right up until he calls for chevy to actually *Do something* about the issues people have with the car. Aside from some minor tweaks to the interior, they could leave it the same forever and get hardly a complaint from anyone... or at least, anyone they care about.
Amen. /thread Anyone continuing to disparage the Vette does so for personal reasons that Chevrolet isn't going to change to appeal to you. The C7 will improve on the C6 as the C6 improved on the C5 and Chevrolet will continue to sell 30k+ a year which as I mentioned earlier, many auto manufacturers would kill their mothers for a sports car that has annual volume in excess of 30,000 units that invariably has a very nice gross profit margin.
People who complain about the Vette's interior for the $$$ don't seem to get that it also offers GT3 performance (using the GS model here) for about 1/2 the price.
If you have 50K to spend, and want the best interior possible, buy an Audi. If you want the most ass-kicking performance you can get for the money, get the Vette. Somewhere in between (like me), get an M3 or Cayman S. Yes, Chevy compromised in certain areas to hit their performance/price targets, but a better interior means you pay more &/or get less performance.
Chevy doesn't give a damn about all the people who bitch about them, since most prob. can't afford a new one anyway. The S2000 is dead from lack of sales, but the Corvette just continues outselling its competition year after year.
[QUOTE=Chris S,Oct 14 2009, 05:28 PM] People who complain about the Vette's interior for the $$$ don't seem to get that it also offers GT3 performance (using the GS model here) for about 1/2 the price.
If you have 50K to spend, and want the best interior possible, buy an Audi.
Just as an aside: The people who race miatas often don't look like average miata owners. The people who race corvettes often don't look like the average corvette owners. And there are plenty of SCCA National Champions that don't look fast and plenty of cool-looking kids that couldn't drive their way out of a paper bag.
So what does it mean? That all cars can't be all things to all people. Not really ground-breaking stuff.
I'd have to agree. It's a performance bargain and a very nice car. The exterior, to me at least, looks damn good. It still looks as good as the first day I saw one rolling by me. The author's beef was mainly the price, and anybody with a clue knows you won't pay MSRP. Someone should hit him over the head with that one. I don't think it's cheesy in the slightest, and even though the interior isn't up to Bimmer snuff (M3 etc), it's come a long ways and I know longer have a problem with the interior, it's good enough. The C5's interior is a good step down IMO.
If I was going to buy a weekend/track car, this would be at the top of the list.
Originally Posted by Chris S,Oct 14 2009, 05:28 PM
People who complain about the Vette's interior for the $$$ don't seem to get that it also offers GT3 performance (using the GS model here) for about 1/2 the price.
If you have 50K to spend, and want the best interior possible, buy an Audi. If you want the most ass-kicking performance you can get for the money, get the Vette. Somewhere in between (like me), get an M3 or Cayman S. Yes, Chevy compromised in certain areas to hit their performance/price targets, but a better interior means you pay more &/or get less performance.
Chevy doesn't give a damn about all the people who bitch about them, since most prob. can't afford a new one anyway. The S2000 is dead from lack of sales, but the Corvette just continues outselling its competition year after year.
Actually, I don't think GM pinched many pennies on that interior. It reminds me of what Lutz said about the first CTS interior. It was an expensive interior, it just didn't look it.
At that price point few cars have leather covered dashes etc. The Corvette's materials are actually every bit as good as those in the Cayman. The switches feel just as good. The fit and finish are just as good.
The problem is the styling was a let down. It was as if GM wanted to avoid offending so they went with bland. For the most part it's only bland through the center stack but that's such a big part of the styling of the dash that it kills things like the doors which really are well done.
Things like the radio and HVAC controls are disappointing. They are Corvette specific parts (like almost all of the interior) but they look parts bin.
I think the problem is when the C6 came out GM hadn't got the interior thing fully together yet. They were close. They had the buyers sourcing good materials. The engineers figured out how to match the panel gaps of anyone (yes, up close the Vette panel gaps are just as good if not better than a Cayman).
However, the styling department was still suffering from 1990s GM bland. So even though the money was spent, it was a bit like hiring a top notch portrait painter to paint your patio white. They didn't get a return on their investment. Anyone who's been in the Enclave, LaCross, CTS, or the new small Caddy SUV knows that GM once again knows how to do a great interior. The C6 however, was transitional and seemed to be part of the first gen CTS group of GM cars, great chassis and good lookers but interiors that look cheaper than they are.
I have full faith that the C7 will have a CTS quality interior since GM seems to understand these things now. That should go a long way to address the interior gripes.
I personally thing the current car looks really good on the outside.
I'm curious, for those who don't care for the Vette, what would make you like it. Forget the image and all that crap because it's just that crap. Also, over time that image will change if the car appeals to you outside of the image. So for the non-Corvette people, what would realistically get you into a Corvette. Please understand that if you say "$10,000 cheaper" GM would have to reduce the content of the car by "$10,000".
10-14-2009, 05:06 PM
the article makes sense right up until he calls for chevy to actually *Do something* about the issues people have with the car. Aside from some minor tweaks to the interior, they could leave it the same forever and get hardly a complaint from anyone... or at least, anyone they care about.
