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Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM Last year was brutal for the auto industry, with sales down by 21 percent versus 2008. Sports cars were hit even harder, as many customers shied away from spending big dollars on what typically amounts to a second or third vehicle. The Chevrolet Corvette was no different, as America's sports car saw sales plummet 48 percent versus 2008 - the worst year for Vette sales in nearly 50 years. But was the drop in Corvette sales because of the economy, or its new pony car stablemate, the Camaro? Wards Automotive claims that web data shows the number one competitor to the Vette isn't something like the Nissan GT-R or Porsche 911 - it's the reborn Camaro. But who in their right mind would cross-shop a track-ready thoroughbred with near supercar performance and a relative bargain price tag against the heavier, less agile, less exclusive Camaro? Apparently a lot of people. The Camaro had a rather remarkable 2009, with 61,648 units sold in its first year back. The new Bowtie coupe even managed to beat out the Mustang the last seven months of the year and came within 5,000 sales of besting Ford's iconic steed despite the fact that the Camaro didn't go on sale until spring. With the economy still on the rocks, we're thinking there may have been some customers who noticed that the Camaro has the same V8 engine as a base model Corvette, seating for four and a price of entry that starts some $18,000 lower than Chevy's halo car. The Camaro is also a fresh face for the 2010 model year after an eight-year hiatus from the market, while the C6 Vette is now on its sixth year of production, and despite frankly incredible variants like the Grand Sport, ZR1 and just-announced Z06 Carbon, Chevy's top dog is getting a little long-in-the-tooth. Either way, it's hard to argue with the fact that having two high performance, rear-wheel-drive vehicles in the same showroom is going to mean that there will be some cross-shopping. We're not complaining, though, because choice is a good thing, especially when the options are as nice as these two. [Source: Wards Automotive | Image: Joe Raedle/Getty]Is the Chevrolet Camaro cannibalizing sales of the Corvette? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM, Design/Style Chevrolet 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery The Chevrolet Corvette is a uniquely American invention. It's the quintessential sportscar from the land that brought us baseball and apple pie. Interesting, then, that General Motors would choose to seek out design studies from its various styling studios from all around the globe, particularly those in Europe. According to AutoWeek, though, that's just what GM's vice president of global design, Ed Welburn, did late last year when the time came for The General to start drafting proposals for the next-gen Corvette. Why would GM consider looking at European design flavors for its oh-so-American, V8-powered, rear-wheel drive sportscar? Demographics. According to Welburn, "We have challenges in the States with the Corvette. The average age of the customer is really rising." That average age, for those keeping track, is 54 years-old (so says the Power Information Network). And it seems that the import-favoring younger generation in America isn't all that interested in the current 'Vette, a fact that has undoubtedly played a part in the Corvette's 48-percent sales decline in 2009 over the previous year. One thing's for certain - its certainly not the Vette's all-conquering performance that's holding it back. Perception seems to be a bigger problem. "We have to develop a design that feels trimmer, meaner, to go along with the incredible performance that the car has," said Welburn, referring to the notion that many believe the current Corvette looks too big despite being roughly the same size as the benchmark Porsche 911. We might also suggest that GM needs to gag the beancounters who will undoubtedly threaten to nickel-and-dime the quality out of the next Vette's interior. Whatever the case, Welburn knows the car can't stray too far from its heritage. "It can't mutate into something that gets so far away from Corvette that it is no longer a Corvette," he said. It seems the future may hold very interesting things for the iconic Corvette within the next two or three years. We anxiously look forward to seeing what Chevrolet manages to cook up. Gallery: Chevrolet 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept revealed again [Source: AutoWeek]Report: GM scouring the globe for next Corvette design, first time looking beyond U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments