Kentucky officials say General Motors Corp. plans to invest $290 million at the automaker's Corvette plant in Bowling Green
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky officials say General Motors Corp. plans to invest $290 million at the automaker's Corvette plant in Bowling Green.
The company's North American manufacturing manager, Arvin Jones, said Friday the investment includes technology upgrades to improve the Kentucky plant's manufacturing process.
The investment announcement was made by Gov. Matt Bevin's office in Frankfort.
So if they were going to switch the Vette over to mid-engine, would it make sense to make these upgrades? Though they are pretty vague about exactly what they are doing, I'd assume $290 million isn't enough for the wholesale change to mid-engine. However, I could be wrong as I don't have any automotive background.
So if they were going to switch the Vette over to mid-engine, would it make sense to make these upgrades? Though they are pretty vague about exactly what they are doing, I'd assume $290 million isn't enough for the wholesale change to mid-engine. However, I could be wrong as I don't have any automotive background.
If this means a mid-engine Corvette is on the way, It will have o be a second model, mainly due to price. Not too many people would be able to afford one and would still be able to buy a conventional Corvette.
If Corvette was to switch to a proper mid-engned set up, would that mean a big price increase
or could the changes be done in such a way as to keep the cars affordable?
Would it then be a smart move to consider a TTV6 engine option like the Ford GT?
I'm wondering how GM could make all those changes and still keep hold of existing buyers.
IMHO could 290 MIL buy enough to build a second unrelated car IE the MR "uberVette" ?
I would imagine maybe a CADDY coupe based from the MF C7 assuming CADDY refuses to run the "SBC" small block and wants to build out the TTV6 and TOTALLY "new" body+interior
Could it be that GM has seen the light and is prepping for a Corvette hybrid similar to the Prius?
Or an all electric Vette similar to the LEAF or electric IQ?
You don't build a new paint shop for 1 vehicle. To me this definitely says atleast 2 vehicles are coming. A Zora and Cien. Both would be built at the same time as the C7 and C8
Convertible cavaliers and sunfires were made just down the road from Lordstown assembly. They took regular coupes and sawzalled the roofs off. Think it was called ACS, talked with a few guys who worked there years back before GM acquired the company.
People need to remember that while $290M IS a lot of money it does not go very far in a large manufacturing operation. Some $375M+ was used back in 2010 for the first gen cruze and much of the equipment was used, from OK city.
GM recently invested $490 million in a new Corvette paint shop a year or two ago, and now another $290 million, for a total of $790 million. $790 million is a lot of money to spend on a car that isn't going to be changing significantly, if GM is to be believed.
Oh I disagree in full. The Corvette perfectly represents the core component of the Chevrolet brand; value. Luxury brands are identified and attract customers by using suggestive, nonnumerical metrics like sex appeal and image. Value brands like Chevy, Ford and Toyota attract customers with real numerical figures that epitomizes value like fuel economy, warranty, cost of ownership and so on. There is nothing on planet Earth that touches the value, price per performance, of the Corvette. The C7 is the bargain of the industry, IMO. And the C7 is still riding on the same foundation from 1997 and destroying modern supercars! Nothing can display a brand's value proposition better than a $55k-80k car murdering $200k-400k Ferraris and Lambos. The C8 will be an absolute marvel when it debuts just like the C5 that was decades ahead of its time.
This cash, plus the outlay for the new paint shop, means an increased prominence for Bowling Green besides being the home of the Corvette.
My best guess is that it will allow for a second/enhanced assembly line for a mid-engine Corvette and/or Cadillac... and possibly an in-house customization and restoration shop like those at Aston Martin and Ferrari.
They're going to do those small runs of vintage stuff using that EPA exemption that allows a few hundred copies per year. First up is a redone '68 riding on an SRIII Motorsports chassis with a 454LSX crate motor and Tremec TR6060.
Yes, doubtless GM intends to shutter Bowling Green immediately after putting in a new paint shop. Even poor old Oshawa got a decade out of theirs before the end started looming large.
Having come from Oshawa I'm aware that this cash, in and of itself, is not a huge number. But it may be enough to allow manufacturing flexibility for both front and mid-engine aluminum frames, especially if said frames use similar manufacturing techniques.
I hope GM keeps the standard Corvette and pricing structure, and then just adds this new mid engine car (whether it's a Corvette, or a Cadillac, or a new model...) so they don't jeopardize losing all of the current Corvette clientele. I'm one of those people, and I like the configuration of my car the way it is with the great value proposition, great mileage, great performance, and great trunk size. You take one of those away and I'm not sure I'd buy it....I don't care how fast it is.
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