New C7

[Ferrer]

Price wise it's about the same no? Maybe not so much in Europe as there are smaller displacement motors in the SLK and Z4, but here they little roadsters start off at around $50,000 anyway.

Well...

• 370Z -> 46k €

• Boxster -> 54k €

• Z4 35i -> 55k €

• Z4 35is -> 67k €

• Boxster S -> 69k €

• TT RS Plus -> 72k €

• Cayman S -> 74k €

• Exige S -> 77k €

• SLK 55 AMG -> 85k €

• Evora S -> 85k €

• Corvette Grand Sport -> 88k €

• 911 Carrera -> 101k €

• GT-R -> 106k €

• Corvette Z06 -> 109k €

[NSXType-R]

Wow. Euro pricing is terrible on the Corvette.

Oh, and SBC was such an obvious acronym! I am embarrassed.

[Matra et Alpine]

RM, don't confuse TopGear with British motoring journalism

Ferrer if it is matched up against the Boxter et al in your list then the handling (aka size and placement on the road to get round tight corners safely and quickly ) will condemn it It will sell well to owners who like big Jags, Ferraris, Astons etc.

BUT, the badge just does not have the kudos. Like Renault dropping Alpine and then wondering why hardly anyone bought an A610 when it was better handling and performing than the 911 of the day. You could own a better "RENAULT" or spend £1K more and have a Porsche badge !! Guess what..... So it's not a "American sportscar" thing really, it's brand image and the 'Vette is stuck until a generation of drivers die off who remembered the bad

Second hand sales prices make a huge difference to sales success too and there just isn't big enough market imho in Europe for it other than a low volume import Shame

[RacingManiac]

I don't confuse TG with actual press, but TG has much wider reach than your typical media, and they just perpetuate the silly stereotypes....

[Matra et Alpine]

True RM, but for anyone who would be in the market for a 'Vette then TG tv show is the last place they consider I agree the reach in to the 15 y'o kiddies market is high ! But they aren't buyers.

[RacingManiac]

They are going to be buyers in a decades' time though....in time for C9 or something rather....And be in the demographic that GM probably wants...Well maybe 2 decades...

[culver]

So why do we think that the Corvette cost so much more in Europe? Is the a GM chose to price it like that sort of thing? Is the car not imported by GM but perhaps under some odd, old contract (this is true of Toyota in the Southeast US)? Is this a case of tariffs and other duties trying to increase the cost of imports? The C7 is reportedly designed to meet the rules of the road in all left hand drive countries so it's not a bunch of conversion for Europe type costs.

[Kitdy]

So why do we think that the Corvette cost so much more in Europe? Is the a GM chose to price it like that sort of thing? Is the car not imported by GM but perhaps under some odd, old contract (this is true of Toyota in the Southeast US)? Is this a case of tariffs and other duties trying to increase the cost of imports? The C7 is reportedly designed to meet the rules of the road in all left hand drive countries so it's not a bunch of conversion for Europe type costs.

Communism?

[pimento]

Niche volumes require higher profit margins to justify training up the dealer networks, maintaining stock of parts etc, potentially because they feel they can even, that sort of thing.

[Ferrer]

Ferrer if it is matched up against the Boxter et al in your list then the handling (aka size and placement on the road to get round tight corners safely and quickly ) will condemn it It will sell well to owners who like big Jags, Ferraris, Astons etc.

BUT, the badge just does not have the kudos. Like Renault dropping Alpine and then wondering why hardly anyone bought an A610 when it was better handling and performing than the 911 of the day. You could own a better "RENAULT" or spend £1K more and have a Porsche badge !! Guess what..... So it's not a "American sportscar" thing really, it's brand image and the 'Vette is stuck until a generation of drivers die off who remembered the bad

Second hand sales prices make a huge difference to sales success too and there just isn't big enough market imho in Europe for it other than a low volume import Shame

I don't disagree that the Boxster is in a bit of a class of its own, but all the others are either boulevardiers (SLK, Z4) or cheap sportscars with a whiff of musclecar-ness about them (the 370Z). So no problems in terms of handling or pace on that aspect.

The biggest nail in its coffin, though, aren't the 6 cylinder versions but the SLK 55 AMG. True it comes with cloth seats and halogen headlamps, but it has a big V8, folding metal roof and it is a Benz.

It's the same problem the Camaro has in Europe. The size is even worse, but if it was priced to compete against high level hot hatches it might work. Against entry level sportscars? Not so much, since if you are going to buy an impractical car with abysmal fuel consumption it may as well be a BMW or a Porsche.

So why do we think that the Corvette cost so much more in Europe? Is the a GM chose to price it like that sort of thing? Is the car not imported by GM but perhaps under some odd, old contract (this is true of Toyota in the Southeast US)? Is this a case of tariffs and other duties trying to increase the cost of imports? The C7 is reportedly designed to meet the rules of the road in all left hand drive countries so it's not a bunch of conversion for Europe type costs.

Aside from the lack of dealer network and service network (as I said the SBC here is as exotic as a Lamborgihini V12 engine) the volumes do not justify competing on price.

It's the same problem that affects the Camaro or the new Cadillac saloons. They are good cars, and might even work in Europe (with some adjustments) but first of all you'd have to overcome all the image problems they have. So since there's no point in competing on price because you are going to sell three a year you might as well at least get some nice profit on the (few) cars you sell.

Europe has to be one of the most recalcitrant, difficult and annoying automotive markets in the world...

[culver]

What you are suggesting then is that GM sets the price high, not that say Europe has some import duties which force up the price (this would be true in say Korea).

[Ferrer]

What you are suggesting then is that GM sets the price high, not that say Europe has some import duties which force up the price (this would be true in say Korea).

Let's look at it this way (for ease of calculation I've taken a straight USD to EUR).

The Cayman S increases its price by 56% from the US to Spain, while the Corvette Grand Sport increases its price between the same countries in 109%. They are sold under the same tax rates in Spain, so it can't be that.

[Matra et Alpine]

Expectation and after sale service and support from a "dealer network" is higher in the UK than in US for sure - can't speak for all of Europe but most of it is likewise. So you need to fill a parts delivery chain with items and train techs and assign forecourt dealer space. None of that comes cheap IF they could predict selling 100,000 cars then it could be justified, but without it you have to set a price on the volume expected to sell that covers the costs of import and operating the support network. Thus it gets crucified and price has to be higher to pay for it.

The likes of hot hatches are on a win here as they piggy-back the massive distribution and dealer network selling 10,000 a month ! In the UK at least nobody with an interest in cars would go near a Chevrolet dealer or trust them to properly maintain anything beyond a cheap 3 door A-B car So they face higher costs here to break the barriers the Daewoo absorption created.

comments like "communism" are the funniest so far

Minimum 'tax' in Europe added is VAT which is 20% in the UK ( equivalent of sales tax ).
SOME European states heavily tax luxury and low mpg cars in attempts to reduce emissions. UK uses an annual road tax to do that ( £500 for the worst offenders - so not a big issue here )

[crisis]

Doesn't work for me. Too much "wannabe European supercar look" about it.

'Vettes should look like 'Vettes !!

I have to agree. It looks great but it doesn't look enough like a Vette. GM have managed to morph the original design and still keep a signature look over the years much like Porsche but the headlights for me are the problem, extending back so far an all.

[crisis]

Wow. Euro pricing is terrible on the Corvette.

And Australia.