Spying: Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Shows Off A Little More

Meh, I have mixed feeling about moving the Mid engine corvette from behind the front wheels but in front of the driver to behind the driver but still in front of the rear tires. Be interesting to see how this changes the 51% / 49% weight distribution.

I haven't seen anything definitive, but my understanding is this is going to be the top-of-the-line Corvette?  And that the current C7 Stingray will carry on as the 'volume model'.  

Of course, if they were paying attention to the market, they really should be developing a Corvette CUV to compete w/ the Cayenne....and a Corvette 4dr to compete w/ the Panamera...

Cadillac should have done an SRX-V back in 2010 when the 556 up CTS-V came out.  With a front drive small crossover under that if they needed something where the XT5 sits now.  Then when the 640 hp CTS-V came out they could have had an XT6-V.

Interesting that they will have 2 Corvettes, I don't like when you have multiple of the same car like all the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.  Why not just call it Land Rover Evoque?  Unless maybe the mid engine Corvette gets a new name.

1 minute ago, smk4565 said:

Cadillac should have done an SRX-V back in 2010 when the 556 up CTS-V came out.  With a front drive small crossover under that if they needed something where the XT5 sits now.  Then when the 640 hp CTS-V came out they could have had an XT6-V.

Interesting that they will have 2 Corvettes, I don't like when you have multiple of the same car like all the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.  Why not just call it Land Rover Evoque?  Unless maybe the mid engine Corvette gets a new name.

No one calls a Range Rover a Land Rover Range Rover, though.  

I take any engine speculation with a grain of salt at this point. The Corvette Z06 and ZR1 were both disappointing to me when the facts came out. Z06 because it was far more like the C6 ZR1 and it lost the unique charm and spirit of the C5/C6 Z06 models, and the upcoming ZR1 because it's just a C7 Z06 with a bigger blower and more aero.

I hope the mid engine Corvette and the eventual Z/28 Camaro are more special.

^^^Cool.. we can go back to disagreeing. The Z06 is a beast.. even more so over my Z51 or a Grand Sport. Its just better. An upgrade on the Z06 as the ZR1.. for around $100K+ will be the ultimate slap in the face of anyone owing a so called exotic. Most likely it will be in the 700HP range and fuck up anything moving. Z06 is already a car pulling in high 10s stock.. and ZR1 will be in the 9s. U can't more special than that without spending $1Mil. 

I'll hold off and simply buy the Mid-Engine in its second year I think tho.. unless they say its on sale date isn't til 2020.. and then I might have to upgrade in 2018-2019 to a Z06 or ZR1

My guess is that they will want over $100k for it.   Mid engine cars are expensive.  I am surprised to hear of 3 engine options.  Do they really need 3 on a low volume car?

Corvette, within it's segment, is high volume.

27 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

My guess is that they will want over $100k for it.   Mid engine cars are expensive.  I am surprised to hear of 3 engine options.  Do they really need 3 on a low volume car?

Sure. The ZR1 C6 touched $100K when it came out. It was a slow seller...but the market got used to $100K Vettes. If this rear mounted mid-engined Vette is to be the best of the best of the Vettes, then it seems plausible to assume it will be north of $100K.

Please dont tell me that Vettes are affordable...Best of the best Vettes were NEVER affordable. Not the 1965 396 Vette, not the 427 1966-1969....certainly not the 1969 ZL1 nor the 1990-1995 ZR1s. Not the 1996 Grand Sport nor the C5 Z06s...Not the C6 ZR1 nor the C7 Z06 and the upcoming ZR1...

Ive covered 52 years of best of the best Vettes that were not affordable by the average joes...so spare me that argument please.

Vettes always had a plethora of engine choices in its history. I wont delve into the rockin' 50s and crazy '60s where the engine choices were mind exploding overwhelming...but dont tell me that in your era that is not the case as from 1990 forward...there was always at least 2 engine choices. It even grew to three as of late. The C6 had 3 engine choices. The C7 will soon have 3 options....

Plus...the good thing about that is that Chevy gets to use these in their Camaros and watered down versions in iron form in their million a year sales pick-up trucks....so...

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

^^^Cool.. we can go back to disagreeing. The Z06 is a beast.. even more so over my Z51 or a Grand Sport. Its just better. An upgrade on the Z06 as the ZR1.. for around $100K+ will be the ultimate slap in the face of anyone owing a so called exotic. Most likely it will be in the 700HP range and f@#k up anything moving. Z06 is already a car pulling in high 10s stock.. and ZR1 will be in the 9s. U can't more special than that without spending $1Mil. 

I'll hold off and simply buy the Mid-Engine in its second year I think tho.. unless they say its on sale date isn't til 2020.. and then I might have to upgrade in 2018-2019 to a Z06 or ZR1

No disrespect to the Corvette's outright performance, it's just that in the past Z06 was always meant weight-conscious and naturally aspirated. The C5 and C6 Z06 were both under 3200 lbs, the C7 Z06 is over 3500 lbs. That's a clear change in approach that defies the name's heritage. It's an incredible supercar nonetheless, even if overheating issues put a damper on the release.

Hearing the ZR1 is slated to be another supercharged 6.2L just seems mundane after rumors of DOHC and turbochargers (and knowing such an engine is well into development for Cadillac).

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

My guess is that they will want over $100k for it.   Mid engine cars are expensive.  I am surprised to hear of 3 engine options.  Do they really need 3 on a low volume car?

Porsche has offered multiple engines on the 911 for years and is also low volume. Options are a good thing too, last time I checked. 

At one point a few years ago, there were like 23 variations of the 911 available.  Lots of variety is good.  

50 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Porsche has offered multiple engines on the 911 for years and is also low volume. Options are a good thing too, last time I checked. 

Yes but the 911 has one flat six engine in a lot of different tunes and with and without turbo or maybe they are all turbo now they are headed there.  

Since they already have a Corvette with 2 engine options, and this mid engine Corvette is a specialty car which I assume would be $100k and up, then 2 engines (like NA and Supercharged) would be enough.

If however they kill the front engine Corvette then I can see 3 engine choices in the mid engine car.  I agree that choices are good, but there is a development cost and certification cost to that also.

Last month 80% of GM's sales were trucks and crossovers.  That trend probably isn't getting reversed so you got to figure GM will put 80% of their R&D into more trucks and crossovers.

3 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Yes but the 911 has one flat six engine in a lot of different tunes and with and without turbo or maybe they are all turbo now they are headed there.  

Since they already have a Corvette with 2 engine options, and this mid engine Corvette is a specialty car which I assume would be $100k and up, then 2 engines (like NA and Supercharged) would be enough.

If however they kill the front engine Corvette then I can see 3 engine choices in the mid engine car.  I agree that choices are good, but there is a development cost and certification cost to that also.

Last month 80% of GM's sales were trucks and crossovers.  That trend probably isn't getting reversed so you got to figure GM will put 80% of their R&D into more trucks and crossovers.

And? The Vette using two engines is not a big deal at all so adding one more is perfectly fine in this realm. Again, it's called choice which is ALWAYS a good thing. You are also assuming that this will be in addition to a regular Vette, which no one knows for sure at this point. If it replaces the current model entirely, then that makes this an even smarter move by GM to offer more choice in the engine department. However, even if they do keep the current Vette (front engine), then it still isn't a big deal to have three engine choice for the more expensive mid-engine model. BTW, you made my point about this by illustrating the 911 engine uses here. The Vette uses a similar formula so again, this is not a big deal except for those just looking to, yet again, nitpick GM.

One last thing. How many engine choices are there for the low volume S Class? I bring it up because they sell fewer models of it than Chevy does for the Vette so I'm curious how you address that

3 hours ago, smk4565 said:

Yes but the 911 has one flat six engine in a lot of different tunes and with and without turbo or maybe they are all turbo now they are headed there.  

Since they already have a Corvette with 2 engine options, and this mid engine Corvette is a specialty car which I assume would be $100k and up, then 2 engines (like NA and Supercharged) would be enough.

If however they kill the front engine Corvette then I can see 3 engine choices in the mid engine car.  I agree that choices are good, but there is a development cost and certification cost to that also.

Last month 80% of GM's sales were trucks and crossovers.  That trend probably isn't getting reversed so you got to figure GM will put 80% of their R&D into more trucks and crossovers.

This is just pure, unadulterated trolling.

8 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

And? The Vette using two engines is not a big deal at all so adding one more is perfectly fine in this realm. Again, it's called choice which is ALWAYS a good thing. You are also assuming that this will be in addition to a regular Vette, which no one knows for sure at this point. If it replaces the current model entirely, then that makes this an even smarter move by GM to offer more choice in the engine department. However, even if they do keep the current Vette (front engine), then it still isn't a big deal to have three engine choice for the more expensive mid-engine model. BTW, you made my point about this by illustrating the 911 engine uses here. The Vette uses a similar formula so again, this is not a big deal except for those just looking to, yet again, nitpick GM.

 

One last thing. How many engine choices are there for the low volume S Class? I bring it up because they sell fewer models of it than Chevy does for the Vette so I'm curious how you address that

S-class sells near 100,000 units per year world wide, I believe they have 2 diesels, which are probably going to be gone soon, a V6, a hybrid, 2 V8s and 2 V12s.  But the 4.7 liter and 5.5 liter V8s are getting dumped this year for the 4.0 liter.

There is a front engine ZR1 coming, so they will have 3 engine options in the front engine Corvette.  If the mid-engine car has the same 3 then that makes sense.  My original point was that I don't see GM making 3 new engines for a low volume car.  But if they use the same 3 in the front engine model  then the engineering is already paid for.

51 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

S-class sells near 100,000 units per year world wide, I believe they have 2 diesels, which are probably going to be gone soon, a V6, a hybrid, 2 V8s and 2 V12s.  But the 4.7 liter and 5.5 liter V8s are getting dumped this year for the 4.0 liter.

My original point was that I don't see GM making 3 new engines for a low volume car.  But if they use the same 3 in the front engine model  then the engineering is already paid for.

Yes and if it was not for them using those engines in other products, all those engine options would not survive for a single auto that only sells 100K a year globally. GM like MB uses the engines in various tunes on various products throughout their portfolio. Thus spreading the cost of R&D around to allow them to have options.

2 hours ago, smk4565 said:

S-class sells near 100,000 units per year world wide, I believe they have 2 diesels, which are probably going to be gone soon, a V6, a hybrid, 2 V8s and 2 V12s.  But the 4.7 liter and 5.5 liter V8s are getting dumped this year for the 4.0 liter.

There is a front engine ZR1 coming, so they will have 3 engine options in the front engine Corvette.  If the mid-engine car has the same 3 then that makes sense.  My original point was that I don't see GM making 3 new engines for a low volume car.  But if they use the same 3 in the front engine model  then the engineering is already paid for.

Thanks for proving my point because S Class worldwide sales are still low volume (and I should clarify that I was referring to US sales) by definition and offering multiple engine packages has clearly never been an issue for them. What's funny here is that despite having as large an R&D budget as Benz, you don't think GM has the resources or the need to spread that out on a world beating car. 

I'd imagine the volume on a mid-engine Corvette would be small, like 20% of front engine Corvette sales, maybe even 10%.  So we are talking low volume.  If they share the new engines with Cadillac they can spread cost.   This rumor of LT2, LT6, etc looks like they are making something new, and not using the current Z06 engine.

8 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

This rumor of LT2, LT6, etc looks like they are making something new, and not using the current Z06 engine

Yeah....

Just like every new generation Vette that comes out...there is almost always a new engine that goes along with it...

There are exceptions of course when a new engine goes in the last of the old generation...but in general...a new gen Vette appears, so does a new engine...

And in between, HP bumps and tweaks are offered and sometimes new engines are introduced mid-cycle...but usually...a decade goes by with the same generation platform so sometimes new engines are introduced to compliment the base engines along the way...

Standard industry wide practice I would assume...and GM with the Corvette is no different...

Why is this perplexing you?

it's hard to believe that after 50 years of mid-engined Corvette prototypes and speculation, it may actually happen.   Though I figure odds are good it will get cancelled before production begins...

14 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

I'd imagine the volume on a mid-engine Corvette would be small, like 20% of front engine Corvette sales, maybe even 10%.  So we are talking low volume.  If they share the new engines with Cadillac they can spread cost.   This rumor of LT2, LT6, etc looks like they are making something new, and not using the current Z06 engine.

I do not care about volume. I only highlighted it to show you that low volume clearly doesn't matter when it comes to offering options. Surely if Benz, Porsche, and a host of other makes can get away with it, then so can GM. It's that simple, regardless of the obvious trolling attempt going on here.

8 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Yeah....

Just like every new generation Vette that comes out...there is almost always a new engine that goes along with it...

There are exceptions of course when a new engine goes in the last of the old generation...but in general...a new gen Vette appears, so does a new engine...

And in between, HP bumps and tweaks are offered and sometimes new engines are introduced mid-cycle...but usually...a decade goes by with the same generation platform so sometimes new engines are introduced to compliment the base engines along the way...

Standard industry wide practice I would assume...and GM with the Corvette is no different...

Why is this perplexing you?

 

Because this is about GM. That's why it's perplexing him. If this were about Benz, the narrative would be completely different.  

54 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

I do not care about volume. I only highlighted it to show you that low volume clearly doesn't matter when it comes to offering options. Surely if Benz, Porsche, and a host of other makes can get away with it, then so can GM. It's that simple, regardless of the obvious trolling attempt going on here.

Because this is about GM. That's why it's perplexing him. If this were about Benz, the narrative would be completely different.  

Yeah, his single-focus M-B fanboy bias really comes through clearly...

I am not against options, for the past couple years I have said there should be a V6 Corvette that undercuts the current V8 pricing to widen the appeal of the car.   My surprise was that the Corvette has 2 engine choices now and they were going to do an exclusive mid engine version then give it 3 engine choices?   I like the idea of a hybrid Corvette though.

17 hours ago, cp-the-nerd said:

No disrespect to the Corvette's outright performance, it's just that in the past Z06 was always meant weight-conscious and naturally aspirated. The C5 and C6 Z06 were both under 3200 lbs, the C7 Z06 is over 3500 lbs. That's a clear change in approach that defies the name's heritage. It's an incredible supercar nonetheless, even if overheating issues put a damper on the release.

Hearing the ZR1 is slated to be another supercharged 6.2L just seems mundane after rumors of DOHC and turbochargers (and knowing such an engine is well into development for Cadillac).

Lotta extra hardware in going S/C, plus DOD and Direct Injection.. not to mention a certain level of luxury appointments in the C7 that are absolutely absent from the C5 and C6. Sorry.. the Corvette guys made the C7 a better car than either.. Z06 or otherwise. As an ex owner of both.. and 2 gens before.. I can attest that they made right decisions with exception to the small inter-cooler this time around and not giving the car a more up to the task cooling system considering the additional heat. Either way.. those negatives are fixed as far as I kno.. and again.. a better car. To me.. in a world of EVs getting press by not gear heads for simply being able to have instant torque and this faster 0-60 times.. I say a Z06, Z51, GS are absolute genius car making in the flesh. Perhaps the C8, utilizing some of the CT6's Omega engineering may be lighter.. but I still miss the issue of its additional 250lbs actually hindering any of the model's performance. A C7 will beat a C6 in any form, including the ZR1 C6. 

7 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

I am not against options, for the past couple years I have said there should be a V6 Corvette that undercuts the current V8 pricing to widen the appeal of the car.   My surprise was that the Corvette has 2 engine choices now and they were going to do an exclusive mid engine version then give it 3 engine choices?   I like the idea of a hybrid Corvette though.

You were specifically agianst options for such a "low volume" car. Only after it was pointed out that others do the same thing, did you move the bar. 

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

I'd imagine the volume on a mid-engine Corvette would be small, like 20% of front engine Corvette sales, maybe even 10%.  So we are talking low volume.  If they share the new engines with Cadillac they can spread cost.   This rumor of LT2, LT6, etc looks like they are making something new, and not using the current Z06 engine.

Personally I believe that Cadillac should be the receiver of this vehicle first and foremost.. I think that all Corvette costs should be shared with Cadillac. I see the Corvette as more Cadillac than I see it as a Chevy. As that... I could see a nice 2000 a year between  the two.. similar to the relationship and sales of the R8 and the Gallardo. Truth is that for once we agree .. Volume is needed within certain set parameters simply so the car might survive... GM is not just allow a vehicle to live without it being cost effective.. and I doubt seriously that the C8 or Mid-engine Vette is a one-off platform that is not going be utilized by the Corvette brand as a whole. In fact.. I am betting good money that its platform will be essentially a highly modular and modified version of what is already in existence. 

2 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Personally I believe that Cadillac should be the receiver of this vehicle first and foremost.. I think that all Corvette costs should be shared with Cadillac. I see the Corvette as more Cadillac than I see it as a Chevy. As that... I could see a nice 2000 a year between  the two.. similar to the relationship and sales of the R8 and the Gallardo. Truth is that for once we agree .. Volume is needed within certain set parameters simply so the car might survive... GM is not just allow a vehicle to live without it being cost effective.. and I doubt seriously that the C8 or Mid-engine Vette is a one-off platform that is not going be utilized by the Corvette brand as a whole. In fact.. I am betting good money that its platform will be essentially a highly modular and modified version of what is already in existence. 

I see the Corvette best served with a base V6, probably turbo, at like $50k, a V8 middle level and the current Z06 as the range topper at $100k.

This mid-engine car I would make a Cadillac for $100-200k, or whatever the range is to be, and I'd have a V8 and a hybrid powertrain.  Audi really took off after the R8 came out because it made Audi cool.

32 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

I see the Corvette best served with a base V6, probably turbo, at like $50k, a V8 middle level and the current Z06 as the range topper at $100k.

This mid-engine car I would make a Cadillac for $100-200k, or whatever the range is to be, and I'd have a V8 and a hybrid powertrain.  Audi really took off after the R8 came out because it made Audi cool.

I don't think a V6 is needed at all considering the LT1 or LT2 will still be in the 500HP realm.. a V6 Turbo in fact shouldn't even be the only engine in the ATS-V.. it should be a base with the LT1 as an optional upgrade. 

7 hours ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

it's hard to believe that after 50 years of mid-engined Corvette prototypes and speculation, it may actually happen.   Though I figure odds are good it will get cancelled before production begins...

'73 Aerovette was the first, I believe.

EDIT :: '67 XP-880 Astro II was mid-engined, was said to be eyed for the Corvette.

- - - - -

Anyone wonder if this mid-engined machine WON'T come out as a 'Corvette'?

3 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'73 Aerovette was the first, I believe.

EDIT :: '67 XP-880 Astro II was mid-engined, was said to be eyed for the Corvette.

Anyone wonder if this mid-engined machine WON'T come out as a 'Corvette'?

Speculation has been that it will be named Corvette Zora...which would be cool...

I can't help to [dream] this may come out with a much different badge on the tail.

33 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'73 Aerovette was the first, I believe.

EDIT :: '67 XP-880 Astro II was mid-engined, was said to be eyed for the Corvette.

- - - - -

Anyone wonder if this mid-engined machine WON'T come out as a 'Corvette'?

That looks almost just like the updated mule.  LOL 

7 minutes ago, dfelt said:

That looks almost just like the updated mule.  LOL 

It does have the crossed flags emblem and 4 round taillights, so I could see it as a Corvette prototype...

As far as the current mid-engined mule, the shape reminds me of the Porsche Carrera GT from a decade ago or so...but a lot of mid-engined supercars have a similar profile. 

IMO, there's just no interest in the 'supercar' arena, not like there used to be.

When the SL was a gold-chain slug with plastic cladding, a Lambo or ferrari were truely fresh air & special. Now we have a Mustang & Camaro running with Porsches/ferraris, and 50 times the number of historical concept & production supercars... and there's really nothing new under that sun anymore. Cab forward, huge overhang, low with lots of scoops, done.

I've made this observation before- one of the very last stylistic borders to be crossed was putting the windshield & the hood in the same plane. Lamborghini did that in production for 1974. There's no more ceilings to shatter.

I've seen the spyshots of the GM mid-engine mule and I'm 100% positive I'll find the production front-engined Corvette much more appealing than the RPO ME Corvette.

I see the not much changes here. 

Some still have no clue about what they are about to witness. 

Sad!

12 hours ago, balthazar said:

IMO, there's just no interest in the 'supercar' arena, not like there used to be.

 

Hard to get excited by today's supercars...most will either a) catch fire if driven, b) be stored away in a garage and rarely driven, or c) driven by unskilled douchebags that will crash them.   Boring....

2 hours ago, hyperv6 said:

I see the not much changes here. 

Some still have no clue about what they are about to witness. 

Sad!

 

Well please inform. Speculation is all we have if we are not an insider. The predictions are that this is a super-car for Chevy to be sold along with the current C7 configuration

2 hours ago, hyperv6 said:

I see the not much changes here. 

Some still have no clue about what they are about to witness. 

Sad!

 

Please, by all means, enlighten us.

5 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Please, by all means, enlighten us.

Exactly. I still hope that it is a shared thing between Cadillac and Chevy. To me.. it is absolutely ridiculous to make a one-off vehicle when GM's luxury brand clearly needs a halo car to compare to that from Benz, BMW, Audi , and even Lexus. Even better would be the opportunity this presents for Corvette to throw its hands into the realm of a separate premium division the like of Porsche.. CUVs included.

It does seem like an expensive proposition that a new specialized platform like this would be a one-model vehicle, but the current front-mid engine Corvette is also a one model platform... 

Another thing is that with both Cadillac and Vette rolling hard.. and winning at Lemans and Sebring.. I see zero reason why this car would not be a harbinger of that collaboration

7 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

It does seem like an expensive proposition that a new specialized platform like this would be a one-model vehicle, but the current front-mid engine Corvette is also a one model platform... 

The current Corvette.. and several generations  before have been the test bed for almost every performance vehicle GM has put out. The Camaro didn't suddenly become a handling genius out of no where.. nor did the CTS, ATS, and even Regal and Tahoe.. the engineering was started by team Vette.. and trickled into what is now the absolute best handling line-up (every GM) on the market overall. I can tell U that it wouldn't be far fetched to take a GMC Yukon and put it up against a 335i and that Yukon, all 2.5 tons would hold its own on the twisties.. So the invest is not for nothin.. Thanks Corvette

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Exactly. I still hope that it is a shared thing between Cadillac and Chevy. To me.. it is absolutely ridiculous to make a one-off vehicle when GM's luxury brand clearly needs a halo car to compare to that from Benz, BMW, Audi , and even Lexus. Even better would be the opportunity this presents for Corvette to throw its hands into the realm of a separate premium division the like of Porsche.. CUVs included.

I agree with all but the last sentence.  I think Cadillac should do the performance SUVs to take on Porsche.  Because they are the luxury brand and have the dealerships, etc.  If you split Corvette to its own brand, then you have to take it out of Chevy and sell them at Cadillac dealerships anyway, and have Cadillac/Corvette dealers.  Chevrolet dealers would revolt if they lost the Corvette.  

I think the only model turned into a brand was Ram, and that sort of worked since it is pickup and a van, it isn't really a full line.  But it weakened Dodge and made them sort of expendable at the same time.

1 hour ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Another thing is that with both Cadillac and Vette rolling hard.. and winning at Lemans and Sebring.. I see zero reason why this car would not be a harbinger of that collaboration

 

The current Corvette.. and several generations  before have been the test bed for almost every performance vehicle GM has put out. The Camaro didn't suddenly become a handling genius out of no where.. nor did the CTS, ATS, and even Regal and Tahoe.. the engineering was started by team Vette.. and trickled into what is now the absolute best handling line-up (every GM) on the market overall. I can tell U that it wouldn't be far fetched to take a GMC Yukon and put it up against a 335i and that Yukon, all 2.5 tons would hold its own on the twisties.. So the invest is not for nothin.. Thanks Corvette

OK, now you lost me, a Yukon isn't going to keep up with a 335i, or I think it is 340i now, but same difference.  I'll give you that what's done on the Corvette helps the Camaro and Cadillacs, but this holds true for top end cars at any brand, there is trickle down effect.

21 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

OK, now you lost me, a Yukon isn't going to keep up with a 335i, or I think it is 340i now, but same difference.  I'll give you that what's done on the Corvette helps the Camaro and Cadillacs, but this holds true for top end cars at any brand, there is trickle down effect.

Drive a Yukon.. a current Yukon... 

20 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Drive a Yukon.. a current Yukon... 

Haven't driven a current Yukon, but I did have a Tahoe LT for a long weekend a couple years ago...it drove very well on winding, mountainous northern AZ roads and freeways..didn't drive like a big truck, IMO... and I had driven a couple of the previous generation Yukons and could tell a difference in the feel. 

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

I agree with all but the last sentence.  I think Cadillac should do the performance SUVs to take on Porsche.  Because they are the luxury brand and have the dealerships, etc.  If you split Corvette to its own brand, then you have to take it out of Chevy and sell them at Cadillac dealerships anyway, and have Cadillac/Corvette dealers.  Chevrolet dealers would revolt if they lost the Corvette.  

I think the only model turned into a brand was Ram, and that sort of worked since it is pickup and a van, it isn't really a full line.  But it weakened Dodge and made them sort of expendable at the same time.

Chevy WOULD benefit by Spinning Corvette out as it's own brand inside Chevy Dealerships with using the underpinnings as halo auto's at Cadillac.

1 hour ago, smk4565 said:

OK, now you lost me, a Yukon isn't going to keep up with a 335i, or I think it is 340i now, but same difference.  I'll give you that what's done on the Corvette helps the Camaro and Cadillacs, but this holds true for top end cars at any brand, there is trickle down effect.

Go Slum at a GMC dealership and take a Yukon or slum even lower at a Chevy Dealership and test drive a Tahoe. These SUV's handle really well especially compared to the 300 series of BMW. The only exception is of course the M line and Cmicasa did not compare it to the M series but the normal i series. BMW is falling more and more behind the US auto makers.

C&D 2013 ~ BMW 335i lateral G : .89
Motor Trend 2008 ~ Lingenfelter Tahoe lateral G : .95

There is nothing physically that would disallow a Tahoe from outhandling a 3-series.
The only difference is a higher CoG, but hardware can still overcome that.

GM's Magnetic Ride Control is awesome, one of the best things they've produced.. 

12 minutes ago, frogger said:

GM's Magnetic Ride Control is awesome, one of the best things they've produced..

GM didn't produce magnetic ride control. They license it from Delphi, which they owned at one time.