Corvette: Coming to an SUV near you

First Mustang, now GM is seemingly jumping into the “model-into-a-brand” party by turning Corvette–yes, that Corvette–into a multi-model brand.

Our colleagues over at Car and Driver are currently reporting–although we have not been able to confirm through official GM sources–that Corvette will expand into a multi-model brand as soon as the 2025 model year with a four-door “coupe,” and a …

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I remember when Cutlass was kind of a separate brand. Ditto Genesis before it became one.

David S. Wallens said:

I remember when Cutlass was kind of a separate brand. Ditto Genesis before it became one.

Editorial Director, Grassroots Motorsports & Classic Motorsports

Yeah there was the regular Cutlass, then ther was the Cutlass Supreme which came with tomatos and sour cream. 

JG Pasterjak said:

David S. Wallens said:

I remember when Cutlass was kind of a separate brand. Ditto Genesis before it became one.

Editorial Director, Grassroots Motorsports & Classic Motorsports

Yeah there was the regular Cutlass, then ther was the Cutlass Supreme which came with tomatos and sour cream. 

I was certainly upset when the Baja Cutless was discontinued, the Supreme just doesn't compare. 

In reply to JG Pasterjak :

Exactly. I thought I once heard that, at one point, Cutlass was like the third-best-selling nameplate in the U.S. Or something like that. We had several, both front- and rear-drive. Never had the ones with tomatos and sour cream, though. We did have one with a factory tach, however. 

PS: Cutlass Ciera with a factory tach, body-color mags and auto on the column. :) 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Possibly the most uninspiring car I ever drove.

In reply to preach (dudeist priest) :

I used to see a guy with a C5 towing a small trailer with a dirt bike on it during my morning commute. Saw him driving that combo more than a few times.

Corvette SUV?  With the number of Cayennes driving around, I can't see why not.  If built and priced right, I can see GM selling a lot of them. 

This is not saying I like it or would want one, but it definitely appears the majority of buyers think otherwise.

Cadillac currently offers an Escalade V: supercharged V8 making 682 horsepower, big wheels, big brakes, etc. 

How would a Corvette SUV differ? It's like GM's already pretty much there. 

David S. Wallens said:

Cadillac currently offers an Escalade V: supercharged V8 making 682 horsepower, big wheels, big brakes, etc. 

How would a Corvette SUV differ? It's like GM's already pretty much there. 

This.  If its just GM's typical half-assed badge engineering hack job, dilution of the name and utter failure. 

If they do something interesting such as Ford did with the Mach-E, maybe it'll work.*

* interesting does not necessarily mean good, just interesting. 

Ugh.   I'm not sure what's worse:  That manufactures decide that their research shows that the marketing association of utilizing these classic names is so large that it will increase net profit without diluting the marketability of that names historic core product; or, That it works and consumers lap up the Corvette TM brand rebadged Spark.  

I honestly wish they would have continues with a down market front engine Corvette model when they introduced the C8. Yes, I understand that one model would have cannibalized sales from the other and they converted the line over to the mid-engine model but I sure miss the thunder of the C7 models in the new car line up. Funny, I never really liked the styling of the C7 until the C8 came out and now it is the one I would rather have.

If GM really does this branding thing with Corvette it will be interesting to see what comes out of it. Hopefully, it will be unique models and not just a re-badged Cadillac sedan or SUV.

Funny thing is I find that lead photo very flattering to the C8 and I really like the way the car looks in that pic.

I am indifferent to brands and dilution so I only care if the new vehicles are interesting. I could care less about the "heritage" or other BS. As a life long Mustang lover I shrugged when they came out with the Mach E name. Make something good and I'll think it's cool no matter what you call it.

In reply to Toyspyder :

Like a front-engine Corvette Classic? The C8 is selling like crazy. Are there enough people still interested in buying a new C7? (Also, does GM even have the capacity to build more?)

hobiercr said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Possibly the most uninspiring car I ever drove.

Definetly the crappiest car I ever owned.  I don't know what I was thinking when I bought it.

Toyspyder said:

I honestly wish they would have continues with a down market front engine Corvette model when they introduced the C8. Yes, I understand that one model would have cannibalized sales from the other and they converted the line over to the mid-engine model but I sure miss the thunder of the C7 models in the new car line up. Funny, I never really liked the styling of the C7 until the C8 came out and now it is the one I would rather have.

If GM really does this branding thing with Corvette it will be interesting to see what comes out of it. Hopefully, it will be unique models and not just a re-badged Cadillac sedan or SUV.

Yep, IMO the C8 should have been a Caddy and Corvette remain front-engined. If nothing else, Cadillac's design language would have been more restrained than the over-busy Corvette.

My issue with the iconic nameplate as a brand concept isn't that it devalues the nameplate it's that it creates confusion and I don't think there's really any reason to do it.

I don't think people are buying the electric SUV because they've always like Mustangs but I know that when someone says they bought a new Mustang I don't know what they're referring too.

Thanks, I hate it.

I can't remember from whom, but I did get the truth about the Mach E getting named a Mustang from someone with close ties to Ford.  Bill Ford was (wisely, IMO) against it but the vehicle's main target market was California. And, of course, the marketing department did a study out there to see what name would generate the most recognition and interest. Thus, the horrid application of the running pony onto a four door SUV.

Marketing people. Ugh. Round them up with the lawyers.

They could have called this the 911XL and it wouldn't have affected the coupe at all. You could argue that the Porsche brand was as strong or stronger than the Corvette one and it survived. In fact, it gave Porsche the bank to build crazier and crazier 911s.

How about a sedan version?

Think of how many straw hats, Hawaiian shirts, crying dolls, quick detailer bottles, and folding chairs a Corvette SUV could carry!

Also:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

Always been a Cutlass fan......