5 Mistakes That Would RUIN a ‘Corvette’ Spin-off Brand Before It Even Gets Started

Adding an EV SUV and sedan to the Corvette brand could weaken the Corvette name if GM does not avoid these mistakes.

The Corvette brand spinoff is obviously big news. And, naturally, not everyone’s happy about it. But if it is going to happen, then we should at least be hoping for GM to make it a success. We previously called out the top five things that we think GM must do in order to make the Corvette brand great. Now it is time to look at the other side of the coin. What things must GM AVOID at all costs if they are to have a successful launch of the Corvette brand? This list is long, but we narrowed it down to what we feel are the five most critical.

An all-electric Corvette sports car is going to be tough enough for many people to accept. An all-electric Corvette SUV or sedan may cause widespread panic in the community. But it doesn’t have to be all bad news. In fact, if GM does this right this approach could very well extend the life of the naturally aspirated V8-powered Corvette that we all know and love. But there are some pitfalls that GM really needs to look out for. If they don’t avoid these items, it could sink the Corvette brand.

1. Fail to Elevate Chevy ‘Quality Control’

It is imperative that any product that GM rolls out under the Corvette brand umbrella has impeccable build quality. These Corvette SUVs and sedans are going to be premium offerings. Buyers are frustrated enough when an economy car suffers from poor quality. But if early adopters pay a premium price for a Corvette product, they will never buy another if trim pieces fall off and it rattles more than a pair of maracas.

If it takes extra development, training, and testing time, then so be it. GM needs to put its best foot forward with the vehicle and it starts from day one. Even if the vehicle looks great and performs well, they must avoid building a poor-quality product. You only get one chance at a first impression.

2. Deliver Weak Design with Too Many Parts-Bin Leftovers

GM can not take a Chevy Bolt, slap some 20-inch wheels on it and some sticky tires and say, hey checkout out our new Corvette sedan. It’s kinda what Ford did with the Mach-E and the fans loath it.

Like any great Porsche sedan or SUV, Corvette SUVs and sedans need to evoke the looks of the sportscar.

It can share some parts from the GM parts bin of course. But it cannot simply be a warmed-over model from lower down on the GM food chain. Nothing in the GM portfolio looks like a C8 Corvette. The same must hold true for the SUV and sedan under the Corvette brand.

(We know the Corvette team is exceptionally passionate, so this one’s for the bean counters.)

Remember what got you here, GM. Expanding the Corvette brand is fine. But never forget that it’s quite literally America’s sportscar. The Porsche model is a good one to follow here. Sedans and SUVs definitely pay the bills — and they’re often terrific themselves — but the 911 itself is always the brand’s halo car.

Please keep refining and improving the Corvette sportscar. Do not get so caught up in producing more mainstream vehicles that the Corvette that started it all becomes neglected. The C8 is a world-beating sportscar and GM needs to keep any future Corvette in that league.

4. Head Too Far Upmarket

GM can not come out of the gates with a Corvette SUV that costs $250,000 and is meant to compete with a Lamborghini Urus. A Corvette badge has some brand cache for sure but not enough to get buyers to choose it over the established exotics. After all, this is the same company that sells the Chevy Spark.

Maybe someday the Corvette brand can play in that upmarket sandbox but that will need to be a gradual transition. A premium upmarket brand strategy is fine. But hold off on going Lambo hunting from a price perspective. But if GM can make an SUV that performs like the Urus, then by all means go for it.

5. Calling Everything a Corvette

Ask owners of a Ford Mustang GT what they think of the Mustang Mach-E. The Mach-E is a great EV but sharing the Mustang name gives Ford fans hives. If you own a Mach-E and someone asks what you drive and you tell them, you have ‘a Mustang’ they will have a totally different image in their head.

GM should avoid this situation.

We know GM wants to play off the brand recognition that comes with the Corvette name. But there is only one Corvette, and it is a sportscar. One possible way around this is for GM to create a new group name. It can be ‘Chevy Performance Division’ or simply the ‘Corvette Division.’ But the actual vehicle names under that division could have independent names. The Corvette we know today remains. But the SUV and sedan can have distinct names under that group. Maybe the sedan can be called the ‘Frigate’ and the SUV the ‘Destroyer’ as they are the next largest naval warship classes above the Corvette. The names can be whatever the marketing gurus come up with. But it avoids a situation where GM would have the Corvette, Corvette-SUV and Corvette-Sedan.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things that can go wrong with this rollout of the Corvette brand. The list of pitfalls for GM to avoid is a lengthy one. But we think that above all else the company should pay particular attention to avoiding the issues we listed above. If you have other ideas please let us know by heading over to the Corvette Forum forums and sharing what you think.

Images: Chevrolet; Joe Kucinski

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