Quote:
Originally Posted by Lug
The Vette puts all it's efforts to handling and power to weight ratio. Not a bad thing for a sports car. There is nothing anywhere near it's price point that can perform like the base Vette. That's why "feel" and "interior quality" suddenly become so important when discussing it, because the numbers just don't lie.  |
You're right about the bang for the buck. The Corvette is fast/handles well for the money. But...what if Nissan dropped their V8 into the Z? The car would be as fast as the Corvette, cost about the same, yet still offer its advantages in solidity, fit-and-finish, etc. The Corvette would then be lacking value in comparison. GM places the standard Corvette in its own category, there is no direct competition, per-say. But, that doesn't mean you sacrifice quality. You never know when the competition will sneak up on you. IMO, GM shouldn't turn current buyers off in any way. Why have customers yearning for a better package, because one day the competition just may offer it.
IMO, as it stands, there's not a (roughly) $12K-15K difference in effort between the current 370 and C6. The Corvette is built using mostly normal materials (excluding the Z06 and ZR1, of course), equipped with a relatively low-tech V8 and boasts average sport-suspension tuning...i.e., really no more effort than the Nissan designers put into the Z. Plus, GM offers the Corvette with plenty of optional amenities, it's really not a bare bones, pure sports car (like a Lotus, for example). And you're not buying exclusivity, either...GM builds plenty of Corvettes, roughly 30K-40K a year.
The Corvette is aimed at enthusiasts with a few dollars. They can appreciate quality and performance. Point being, if GM wants to keep future Corvettes priced where they currently are, they need to up the quality a good notch or two. The Corvette does sell, but how long can GM hold off the competition?