GM’s Mary Barra Deflects Question on Possible Corvette SUV

By
Mitch Talley
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12
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GM's Mary Barra Deflects Question on Possible Corvette SUV


We’ve speculated for years about the possibility of the Corvette brand expanding to include an upscale SUV, the way some automakers have already done and others are rumored to be considering.

Now comes word about a Corvette SUV from the top of the food chain at General Motors … sort of.

Company CEO Mary Barra was asked by a Wall Street analyst Tuesday during GM’s third-quarter earnings call if a Corvette SUV is out of the question.

Barra didn’t rush out and say “no comment,” but like all good GM employees, she didn’t confirm any such talk, either.

Instead, she took the diplomatic approach, saying, “I appreciate that you think our Corvette franchise is very strong,” and then quickly declined to discuss future products.

No surprise there.

What may be surprising to some of us is the Detroit Free Press says that Ferrari is rumored to be working on an SUV code-named “Purosangue” or “Thoroughbred” that will appear in 2022 for about $350,000. The newspaper also says Ford will lift the curtain on a “Mustang-inspired” electric SUV in mid-November that apparently will target Tesla’s new and cheaper electric SUV named Model Y that’s on the way in 2020.

Of course, Porsche has already had the relatively inexpensive but high-powered Cayenne SUV for years, with the latest model starting at just $66,800.

We think it could make financial sense for Chevy to leverage the sterling reputation of the Corvette brand for all it’s worth, though our heart believes the ‘Vette should remain a sports car and only a sports car.

If Ferrari is joining the SUV bandwagon, though, it could very well open the door for Chevy to jump on board, too.

Barra’s parting comment makes us think that’s a distinct possibility: “We look at a variety of things as we go forward and we recognize the strength of the Corvette brand.”

After all, with the rumors of a hybrid Corvette C8 in the works, why not add a very upscale sports SUV with the same drivetrain?


Source:
Detroit Free Press

Related:
Bob Lutz Thinks the Corvette Brand Needs a Performance SUV
The Detroit News Announces Winners of its Corvette SUV Design Contest
Detroit News Asks ‘Hey, what if GM built a Corvette SUV?’

 



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12 COMMENTS

  2. NO..and HELL NO !!! Don’t disrespect Corvette’s heritage, legacy and history, as one of the world’s great sports cars by bringing out ANOTHER SUV and putting the Corvette badge on it, just to make a few more bucks
    Chevy has plenty of SUV’s to offer, and should concentrate on moving them, and keep “HANDS OFF!!!” the
    Corvette name, for anything other then a real Corvette !! Porsche sold his soul, when they brought out the Cayenne, and stuck a Porsche nameplate on it, just to milk the name for more profit.

  3. No, no, and hell no!

    If anything, howabout a lower-cost, stripped down version for the younger aftermarket crowd, and call it a SuperSport?

  8. That would be an atrocious shame. NO NO NO NO and NO !

    So what if other manufacturers are doing it. Let them. Corvette needs to be kept pure — a CORVETTE thank you.

  9. While you’re at it, Mrs Barra, howabout a ZL71, 4×4 Camaro truck? The Corvette is a car and a legend in and of itself, Mrs Barra, NOT A BRAND!

  10. I think maybe under the Cadillac brand but the engine taking up the 2nd row of seating might be a problem. 😉

  11. “…though our heart believes the ‘Vette should remain a sports car and only a sports car.”
    It already is no longer a sports car, as it lacks a manual transmission.

    Anyway, might as well make a Corvette SUV, a Corvette sports sedan, a Corvette whatever. Remember when “Porsche” meant only “356?”

  12. i own a c-7 corvette, 1962 f.i. vette, have owned a 58, a 57, all solid axle cars. all standard trans. who needs 7 speeds in a manual? 5 speed is enough. the tko 5670 trans 2nd gear hang up in the c-7 has never been resolved. this trans is used in 10 sportcars around the world, from porsche to ferrari,
    no problems. what’s up corvette?. throw a 5speed , 5th. gear over drive,.60 or better.
    , in the 2021 c-8. no twin turbo v-6 true vette owners want to bang the gears.

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