Chevy To Launch Corvette Sub-Brand: With Electric SUV

[SubaDuba420]

Corvette to Launch as a Brand in 2025 with a Four-Door and an SUV
These new EV spinoffs will reportedly aim to distill the "essence of Corvette" in terms of design and driving dynamics.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...te-brand-2025/
-The next move for GM with its valued Corvette nameplate will be to launch a Corvette subbrand.
-It will include a four-door "coupe" and a sporty high-performance crossover to partner the upcoming two-seater Corvette EV.
-The new Corvette lineup will be positioned well above its rivals, such as a future trio of electric Mustangs.

What's in a name? When you are a carmaker, the answer is: everything. Arguably, people buy a BMW or a Benz at least as much for the name as for the car itself, and the same goes for Corvette. In terms of brand value, Corvette is among the auto industry's most heralded and valued nameplates, and yet it currently only pulls a small percentage of the potentially huge profit. But according to those in the know, this is going to change.

We have already seen the new Z06, and there are several more versions of the C8 still to come, including a possible E-Ray hybrid, the revived ZR1 and the even more extreme Zora hybrid named after Zora Arkus-Duntov, father of the original C1. There's also a Corvette EV on the horizon slated to use GM's Ultium architecture.

Step two of GM's Corvette brand strategy is even more ambitious and far-reaching. Starting in 2025, GM plans to launch a Corvette brand that will also include a sleek four-door coupe and a brawny crossover. Both of these future new Vettes will be EVs.

Sports cars are useful image builders, but their contribution to the bottom line is—at least in the case of GM—negligible. Played intelligently and with authenticity, however, the name Corvette should be a license to print money. At a point in time when Ferrari and Maserati and Porsche are all offering one or more SUVs—the antithesis to the hard-core sports cars that put them on the map in the first place—why shouldn't Corvette also consider building sedans, crossovers or, heaven forbid, even pickups?...

A source who has seen the first proposals describes them as "copies of nothing" and as "encapsulated emotional purity." Waxing lyrical may do justice to the styling themes, but what about the bespoke content? The mechanical package apparently includes battery packs with high energy density, superfast software, a patented cooling concept, staggered Lego-like topographic packaging, miniaturized componentry, ultra-efficient inverters, high-revving electric motors, an 800-volt electrical system that provides up to 350 kW of charging power, a two-speed transmission, brake-by-wire, multi-mode four-wheel steering, and torque vectoring.

According to our friend from within the GM Tech Center: "Corvette is not just a brand. It's a constantly evolving system paired with a dramatically different user experience."

The four-door coupe (think of it as more of a liftback) and the crossover add two new values to the marque: mainstream exclusivity and overt luxury. Thanks to a delicate balance of functionality and fashion, stats and style, and limited availability fueling high desirability, all three pillars are prepared for pragmatic evolution and subsequent proliferation.

"The aim is not to beat Taycan and Cayenne at their own game but to create three American legends capable of breaking new ground by making the essence of Corvette scalable. To do so, that essence must at all times be in a state of progressive flux," our source comments. Hear, hear.

That's DEEP, who wrote that, Jack Handy.....

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[Scooby-Doode]

Fords success of the Mustang Mach E convinced GM. Now let's see what Stalantis does. Viper or Charger or Challenger? hmmm

[Kostamojen]

Remember when they were going to do this with the Prius? Remember when they were going to do this with the BRZ?

Ya, Sub-brands announced this prematurely rarely actually happen...

[4S-TURBO]

Buick?

[godfather2112]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Remember when they were going to do this with the Prius? Remember when they were going to do this with the BRZ?

Ya, Sub-brands announced this prematurely rarely actually happen...

Mustang Mach E and Maverick truck have done pretty damn well sub branded. At the end of the day, it’s just a name. If the vehicle appeals to buyers it doesn’t matter if they call it the E-Corvette SUV or EV snot rocket

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by godfather2112

Mustang Mach E and Maverick truck have done pretty damn well sub branded. At the end of the day, it’s just a name. If the vehicle appeals to buyers it doesn’t matter if they call it the E-Corvette SUV or EV snot rocket

Both of those are one model, not a sub brand.

[godfather2112]

Originally Posted by Kostamojen

Both of those are one model, not a sub brand.

Eh, whatever. Point still remains that a name means less and desirability is what matters.

Corvette could be the brand and all the “performance” focused cars, trucks, and SUV’s could be sold under that.

[Kostamojen]

Originally Posted by godfather2112

Eh, whatever. Point still remains that a name means less and desirability is what matters.

Corvette could be the brand and all the “performance” focused cars, trucks, and SUV’s could be sold under that.

MINI is the best example I can think of with a model becoming a "successful" sub-brand for manufacturer (BMW).

Ram qualifies too, but they don't have independent dealerships nor try to separate themselves from Dodge.

I'm sure I'm forgetting another example, but this isn't going to happen with Corvette. Too much immediate backlash and if anything, will be like the Mach-E with just a Vette named single model EV at most. This is not a successful formula.

[White out]

New Balance sales about to skyrocket.

[SCRAPPYDO]

I have been saying Corvette should be its own brand for YEARS!

Will take my victory lap now. Get as far away from GM mediocrity as you can Corvette. While your at it GM, Cancel Caddy. It is a dead brand.

[godfather2112]

Originally Posted by SCRAPPYDO

I have been saying Corvette should be its own brand for YEARS!

Will take my victory lap now. Get as far away from GM mediocrity as you can Corvette. While your at it GM, Cancel Caddy. It is a dead brand.

Eh, I think Cadillac will actually turn around rather well with the progression to electrification. If GM does launch a Corvette sub brand that’s performance focused cars, CUV, suv and you have Cadillac for luxury market, Chevy for your standard market, what the hell happens to GMC?

Kinda seems like GMC can consolidate brands down to 3 in 3 segments: Standard, Performance, Luxury.

[cboggess]

Originally Posted by 4S-TURBO

Buick?

HOLY SMOKES!!! WHAT IS THAT?!

[SCRAPPYDO]

Originally Posted by cboggess

HOLY SMOKES!!! WHAT IS THAT?!

something GM will never build, but the Chinese will soon copy verbatim.

[dwf137]

ICE corvette and corvette EV SUV as a sub-brand.

I think this could just be a hack to avoid paying EPA fees on their "fleet" mpg's. Pulling the corvette out and pairing it with an EV lets their CAFE numbers pencil out - or at least make them better than when they're combined with all of the other offerings from chevy. If I'm right, I wouldn't be surprised to see other manufacturers do the same thing.

[SCRAPPYDO]

Originally Posted by godfather2112

Eh, I think Cadillac will actually turn around rather well with the progression to electrification. If GM does launch a Corvette sub brand that's performance focused cars, CUV, suv and you have Cadillac for luxury market, Chevy for your standard market, what the hell happens to GMC?

Kinda seems like GMC can consolidate brands down to 3 in 3 segments: Standard, Performance, Luxury.

Well that is certainly a plausible Idea bud. To me Caddy has hit the reset button more time than Hollywood has reset batman. It just keeps ending up in the same place. A brand with a history most have long forgotten about or never cared to learn. Caddy should make ONLY 100k+ dollar cars. Completely mentally stupid over the top luxury. It would open up the playing field for Chevy. All of caddies current lineup of SUV's and sedans should be rebadged as Chevies. That would finally get Chevy something that is not dog **** to sell.

If Caddy is to be relevant, they need to be aspirational like they once were.



They need take conventional luxury and curbstomp it. EV or ICE, does not matter. Make is ludicrous and borderline vulgar with opulence and price it as such. CEOs and image conscious people will flock to it.

[Skunkers]

Originally Posted by SCRAPPYDO

Well that is certainly a plausible Idea bud. To me Caddy has hit the reset button more time than Hollywood has reset batman. It just keeps ending up in the same place. A brand with a history most have long forgotten about or never cared to learn. Caddy should make ONLY 100k+ dollar cars. Completely mentally stupid over the top luxury. It would open up the playing field for Chevy. All of caddies current lineup of SUV's and sedans should be rebadged as Chevies. That would finally get Chevy something that is not dog **** to sell.

If Caddy is to be relevant, they need to be aspirational like they once were.



They need take conventional luxury and curbstomp it. EV or ICE, does not matter. Make is ludicrous and borderline vulgar with opulence and price it as such. CEOs and image conscious people will flock to it.

Pretty much agree. Sending Caddy way upmarket would not be my first thought, but it's hard to deny it kills two birds with one stone for GM as a whole. Caddy has struggled for decades now with often overly-beancounted inferior products and difficulty pinpointing their market as silent generation/boomers die off. Just cutting the chaff and heading aspirational could be a great move. If there's anything GM has shown in the past decade or two it's that when they actually put some money and focus behind a product, they are capable of making some truly world class vehicles. A future modern Cadillac that could use stuff like a loaded I7 or EQS as the absolute bare minimum baseline would be truly compelling for those who could afford it, and make a good halo for GM as a brand. The only real issue I see with that is the number of dealerships that would need to close to make that happen and NADA's tomfoolery to prevent it.

Likewise, moving some of the current Caddy stuff to Chevy would provide Chevy some actually decent cars to sell as you stated. My only worries with a Corvette sub-brand would be the actual real Corvette sports car eventually disappearing in lieu of 4-door coupes/SUVs, or the new sub-brand unfortunately being used to catapult the sports car upmarket out of it's aspirational but attainable niche (which is realistically half the appeal of the nameplate).

[SubaDuba420]

GM going to PIMP out all the good names.....
Chevy Camaro and Cadillac Escalade reportedly becoming sub-brands
Would follow the Corvette template, offering at least three models
https://www.autoblog.com/2022/12/08/...de-sub-brands/

To the surprise of no one, there are some strong opinions about GM's rumored plan to turn the Chevrolet Corvette into a sub-brand with an electric four-door and an electric SUV around 2025. Georg Kacher's GM source apparently had more to say about family trees getting more branches, so here's part two from Car and Driver: The Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac Escalade are supposedly being primed for the same treatment.

The Camaro news isn't the bombshell here. There have been rumors for years that 2024 will see the Camaro's current incarnation into retirement, twinned with the rumor that GM was prepping something like an electric sedan to keep the name alive. The C/D piece says GM sees a viable model-based brand as able to support three vehicles. In the Camaro's case, we're told that could be a "fully electric 2+2 seater coupe and convertible," plus a "sporty crossover" and a "mid-price flagship sports car loosely linked to the C9 Corvette in content but not appearance."

The first sounds like an electric version of today's Camaro. The second sounds like a Camaro that does to the Blazer what the Blazer did to the Camaro. The third sounds like what a Pontiac would have been if Pontiac still existed, distinguishing itself from top-tier versions of the 2+2 coupe and convertible by having only two seats. The previous Camaro rumors have always posited a purely electric reboot, but Kacher's report doesn't mention powertrain possibilities.

The Escalade is the unexpected one, despite how long everyone has considered Escalade its own brand akin to the way everyone considers Range Rover its own brand. As Cadillac's begins its pure-electric reinvention, it's alleged GM saw the Escalade on its own as having the strength and legs to go global as a brand. It's said the 'Slade could branch into a smaller seven-seat crossover destined for the U.S. and China, a challenger to Porsche's planned SUV above the Cayenne; a luxury minivan for the Chinese market that's currently going gaga over fancy kid buses; and a "more carlike modern-luxury segment-fusing all-terrain Escalade."

Parsing every word of that last theoretical vehicle gets us to carlike luxury all-terrain crossover. Is that something between an Audi RS6 Avant and a BMW X6? Is it a luxxed-up Lyriq with a lift and mud terrains? Or is it GM's version of Land Rover's mythical Road Rover? There were no dates offered for product arrivals this time, so we'll have to wait and see the splits of all these pieces of all these pies. As long as no one's talking about an Escalade pickup, no need to ring alarms. Yet.

[godfather2112]

I know we're all going to say creating all these sub brands is ridiculous (I mostly agree). But I'm thinking this is actually GM's strategy to end the dealer network and go direct with eventual consolidation and death of dealer network.

[godfather2112]

I know we’re all going to say creating all these sub brands is ridiculous (I mostly agree). But I’m thinking this is actually GM’s strategy to end the dealer network and go direct with eventual consolidation and death of dealer network.

[dwf137]

Originally Posted by godfather2112

I know we're all going to say creating all these sub brands is ridiculous (I mostly agree). But I'm thinking this is actually GM's strategy to end the dealer network and go direct with eventual consolidation and death of dealer network.

at this point I think it's just to make their cafe numbers pencil out so they can continue to offer the corvette. Make a sub-brand that's the traditional ICE corvette and a whole bunch of EV's and boom, it all works out. Wouldn't be surprised if ford is headed that way with the Mach E...

Dealership models aren't going anywhere any time soon. They're locked in law in most states and there's too much gridlock on that situation.

[godfather2112]

Originally Posted by dwf137

at this point I think it's just to make their cafe numbers pencil out so they can continue to offer the corvette. Make a sub-brand that's the traditional ICE corvette and a whole bunch of EV's and boom, it all works out. Wouldn't be surprised if ford is headed that way with the Mach E...

Dealership models aren't going anywhere any time soon. They're locked in law in most states and there's too much gridlock on that situation.

I think it will end up being a court battle but GM and have made it rather clear they want to transition away from the dealer model for their EV’s. Creating a sub brand would essentially be a new company under the umbrella and dealers would need to get licensing from OEM to sell the new brand.

GM could keep dealers pushing ICE, direct to customer for EV. The biggest issue I see is the cost of building OEM dealerships with service centers throughout the country. Real estate and employees are not cheap.