[G8GT4now]

I'd rather spend the $6K on better seats.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Re: The interior....Let me pose a question to you --

We know the C7 is coming...when? Not sure...but it's coming (probably soon if all the 'leaks' are true). So where would you rather devote precious $$ and resources? To an improved interior, delaying the time for the new car to come out...let alone the loss on investment if they're going to revamp the car in a couple years....Or an entirely new car WITH that interior when your paying customers really don't have an issue with the current one?

[305pride]

i hope the new vette has an awesome interior.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by syr74

Yeah, I don't get it. That 5k would have been better spent as an option to upgrade the interior into something truly competitive on these cars. Of course, that isn't comparing apples to apples since the truth is that this little 'build your own engine' scheme is probably almost pure profit for GM, which is why they did it. Still, that doesn't make it a great idea.

Actually you can get the 4LT which has the leather wrapped interior. But I'm unclear why this isn't a great idea. There will only be a handful that will do this for that price. But talk about personalization...........can't beat this.

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The interior is ... mediocre, to put it mildly. And cars like the R8 put the Corvettes interior to shame. But I'm pretty sure most of the complaints about the Corvettes interior come from non-owners. And I'd be willing to bet that this idea came from Corvette owners. So, GM could either do something that buyer would appreciate, or something that would cause critics to look elsewhere to complain.

And an Audi R8 costs how much again?

I am one of the rare ones. I like the interior. The seats need upgrading and that is a known weakness in the car. The base center stack and radio are pretty lame, but that is significantly improved with the NAV radio. What I absolutely hate is the steering wheel. Yikes!!!

Gages are outstanding, e-latch buttons (no inside door handles), and the controls work for me. And even in the base car, the materials are pretty good.

BUT.......I understand I am in the minority. I'd just change the steering wheel, the seats and upgrade the radio/HVAC controls on the base car. That would go a long way IMO.

Originally Posted by ViperTomcat

Surely GM could do *something* to improve the interior of their halo car without driving the price up?

Ford vastly upgraded the interior of the Mustang premium(and GT500) and Taurus without sending cost into the roof.

GM and Chrysler should follow!

All the Mustang did was add a soft touch IP top pad, which the Vette has and a metal trim across the front of the IP. What else did they do that was so impressive?

And I'm not sure the Taurus has much over the Corvette in material selection. I'm telling you it's center stack and steering wheel.

Originally Posted by G8GT4now

I'd rather spend the $6K on better seats.

A lot of people do exactly that. But check out the upgrade cost for a CTS-V. I don't think those seats are that much better. Of course one could argue that the base CTS seat is better than the Corvette............and you'd be right.

[ViperTomcat]

Originally Posted by Number 3

All the Mustang did was add a soft touch IP top pad, which the Vette has and a metal trim across the front of the IP. What else did they do that was so impressive?

.

Its a measure of where they were in 2009 to where they are in 2011. The materials are vastly superior, work quality is really great and the entire car feels solid.

Am I saying the interior is perfect? Not at all. What I am saying is that the Mustang was able to upgrade its interior a great deal without sending prices unreasonably up

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by ViperTomcat

Its a measure of where they were in 2009 to where they are in 2011. The materials are vastly superior, work quality is really great and the entire car feels solid.

Am I saying the interior is perfect? Not at all. What I am saying is that the Mustang was able to upgrade its interior a great deal without sending prices unreasonably up

Yes, I agree they upgraded significantly. But (and MO) I'd take a Corvette interior over the Mustang...............except for that damn steering wheel. The Mustang still has hard plastic door trim panels. So they didn't go all out. Just much better than what it was in 09. They spent the money well and are getting credit for a nice upgrade.

And as the Corvette already has good materials in the interior with available leather wrap, the issue shouldn't be that. Argue about styling, sure that's subjective. So I don't think the Corvette is that far off from being pretty good.

But I think the point was made that for an all new interior, you are talking millions of dollars in investment, millions more in development and validation and in the end you only have 25,000 cars (may be less lately) to spread the cost over. So it's more difficult to make a good business case for it.

Dont' get me wrong, pretty much everybody inside GM knows the interior is probably the weakest link by far on the car. It's a frequent discussion for some of us. I'm just saying it wouldn't take much to make it pretty nice because I think the foundation isn't as bad as some suggest. Most say it's just crap and want everything redone, which is hugely expensive.

[FenwickHockey65]

Well the C7's going to need an interior redesign anyways, so I would just throw money into that rather than redoing the C6's interior.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by Number 3

And an Audi R8 costs how much again?

The V8 starts at $114k, so nearly the same a ZR1. However, it would have a hard time keeping up with a base Corvette.

Originally Posted by Number 3

I am one of the rare ones. I like the interior. The seats need upgrading and that is a known weakness in the car. The base center stack and radio are pretty lame, but that is significantly improved with the NAV radio. What I absolutely hate is the steering wheel. Yikes!!!

Gages are outstanding, e-latch buttons (no inside door handles), and the controls work for me. And even in the base car, the materials are pretty good.

BUT.......I understand I am in the minority. I'd just change the steering wheel, the seats and upgrade the radio/HVAC controls on the base car. That would go a long way IMO.

I threw Audi out there as the opposite end of the interior spectrum, as far as most are concerned.

[Stingr69]

Originally Posted by Number 3

But I think the point was made that for an all new interior, you are talking millions of dollars in investment, millions more in development and validation and in the end you only have 25,000 cars (may be less lately) to spread the cost over. So it's more difficult to make a good business case for it.

Dont' get me wrong, pretty much everybody inside GM knows the interior is probably the weakest link by far on the car. It's a frequent discussion for some of us. I'm just saying it wouldn't take much to make it pretty nice because I think the foundation isn't as bad as some suggest. Most say it's just crap and want everything redone, which is hugely expensive.

Sounds like an argument for "you should have done it right the first time". The low volume and high development cost demands you aim over the top from the get-go just to be sure you don't miss. A 6 figure plus car mandates the best materials and design or you will get slapped!!!

-Mark.

[syr74]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

The interior is ... mediocre, to put it mildly. And cars like the R8 put the Corvettes interior to shame. But I'm pretty sure most of the complaints about the Corvettes interior come from non-owners. And I'd be willing to bet that this idea came from Corvette owners. So, GM could either do something that buyer would appreciate, or something that would cause critics to look elsewhere to complain.

I get it, you have to throw the faithful a bone every now and again. That said, I think both of us know that a lot of those non-owners who are complaining are often non-owners because of the interior. Perfect example? I really like the new Grand Sport on paper. However, there is no way I would spend that kind of money on a car with that level of interior.

I know this is a horse that gets beaten to death more often than not, but I think GM continually underestimates how much of a difference this would make for the Vette. In fact, IMO, for just a little more money the Vette could unseat the Porsche as the default global sports car enthusiasts everywhere drool over IMO, but things like the interior conspire to stop htat....just my two cents

Originally Posted by Number 3

Actually you can get the 4LT which has the leather wrapped interior. But I'm unclear why this isn't a great idea. There will only be a handful that will do this for that price. But talk about personalization...........can't beat this.

Again, I get it. That said, I really do think the only folks who can overlook the Vette's interior are those who are already hardcore GM enthusiasts. The base interior is terrible and the upgraded interior is barely tolerable, genuinely. A base Audi TT has an interior that puts the best Vette interior to shame, which is wholly inexcusable particularly when some of those Vette's top 100k. A 911 interior makes the threads inside any Vette look like something you put together in your garage.

If GM is smart mission number one for C7 will be a truly competitive interior.

[syr74]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Re: The interior....Let me pose a question to you --

We know the C7 is coming...when? Not sure...but it's coming (probably soon if all the 'leaks' are true). So where would you rather devote precious $$ and resources? To an improved interior, delaying the time for the new car to come out...let alone the loss on investment if they're going to revamp the car in a couple years....Or an entirely new car WITH that interior when your paying customers really don't have an issue with the current one?

depends on how quickly C7 is coming. That said, Vette sales are suffering pretty badly, and I would bet dollars to donuts the interior has a lot to do with that. If the C7 doesn't offer major advancements in steering feel and interior quality, two issues which have long plagued the Vette, I would argue that they would be better of with another rehash of the C6 that simple updates the styling, offers a little more power, and fixes those two issues.

I suppose my issue is that the story with the Corvette has long been that they were finally going to address the interior and they never really have. C7 may be the car that changes all of that, but these aren't new promises and the Vette needs to be world class in every regard right now.

[lil_chef]

the thing that annoys me is, there is a rumor that the camaro's interior is being redone for 2012, when IMO the corvette needs that overhaul much much much much more. back in 2006 that is what caused my dad to defect to the cayman instead...

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by syr74

depends on how quickly C7 is coming. That said, Vette sales are suffering pretty badly, and I would bet dollars to donuts the interior has a lot to do with that. If the C7 doesn't offer major advancements in steering feel and interior quality, two issues which have long plagued the Vette, I would argue that they would be better of with another rehash of the C6 that simple updates the styling, offers a little more power, and fixes those two issues.

I suppose my issue is that the story with the Corvette has long been that they were finally going to address the interior and they never really have. C7 may be the car that changes all of that, but these aren't new promises and the Vette needs to be world class in every regard right now.

It sales have slipped, yet it still outsells all it's direct competitors. Some have argued that recently past sales have been unnaturally inflated...and yet others will point out how rapid the decline was...that's not natural, and really doesn't reflect a disenchantment with the vehicle...that would reflect in a gradual decline in sales. More likely, sales have slipped because of the economy troubles. Most Corvette owners stretch their finances to own The Icon...that makes its market especially susceptible to financial roller-coasters.

That said, I can't help but believe that the C7 will solve the interior 'issue' (one I've understood, but never really agreed with). Consider, first, that the Corvette is a child of the early 2000s. This is the same era that put out the Previous Malibu, and the Cobalt. Why have they kept it the same this long? Very simple answer -- other vehicles took absolute priority. Plus the fact that Corvette sales are still 'healthy' (I can't really say "strong"), and the people who BUY these cars don't seem to have any problems with it...you can see why it's been post-poned, passed-over, or ignored maybe...

But if you take a peek at current and future interior offerings (see XTS concept), and then read a clippet from the new VP saying how much more improvement needs to happen...The new Vette WILL have a world-class interior. Just don't expect the bargain-basement price to stay so low -- I think they'll truly create a world-class super car....and make you pay for it, too. (Here's to hoping I'm wrong about that, though).

[syr74]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

It sales have slipped, yet it still outsells all it's direct competitors. Some have argued that recently past sales have been unnaturally inflated...and yet others will point out how rapid the decline was...that's not natural, and really doesn't reflect a disenchantment with the vehicle...that would reflect in a gradual decline in sales. More likely, sales have slipped because of the economy troubles. Most Corvette owners stretch their finances to own The Icon...that makes its market especially susceptible to financial roller-coasters.

I agree in many respects. However, I think the reality that the Corvette plays to such a limited market in terms of scope is a huge mistake. A lot of folks who look at a Cayman, or who would have looked at a last gen RX7 or Supra, would never seriously consider a Vette, and not all of that is because of simple bias.

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

But if you take a peek at current and future interior offerings (see XTS concept), and then read a clippet from the new VP saying how much more improvement needs to happen...The new Vette WILL have a world-class interior. Just don't expect the bargain-basement price to stay so low -- I think they'll truly create a world-class super car....and make you pay for it, too. (Here's to hoping I'm wrong about that, though).

Again, I tend to agree but my fear is that GM will try to keep the price down and short-change the C7 in these same areas in the name of building the car to a price point. In fact, my opinion regarding what is needed is in many ways the opposite of yours. I think the Corvette needs to become more expensive both to make it the proper sports car flagship GM needs and to allow room for Camaro to breath. I'm thinking a starting price in the 60-65k range in today's dollars would be just about ideal for the C7....and I can already hear the faithful's jaws dropping at that remark.