Vette C8 pricing to start at $155k

Distributor’s sharp-edged strategy will surely sting independent importers.

CORVETTE’S official distributor has steered clear of thought that its pricing for the new-generation car, announced today, has been tailored to deflate grey importers who have been asking much more for the model.

GMSV official reason for announcing pricing now, and not closer to the car’s late-year arrival, is that it wants to kick off an order bank because supply will be limited.

General Motors will start building the NZ-bound C8s at the type’s famous plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in the last quarter of this year with hope some will hit GM Speciality Vehicles’ seven national sales outlets before Christmas.

 Planned or otherwise, the distributor’s Model Year 2022 cars are massively cheaper than left-hook examples that are already here.

GMSV’s NZ plan kicks off with a 2LT Coupe at $154,990 and a 3LT Coupe for $169,990. Those variants also provision as convertibles, carrying a $15,000 premium.

There is also a Carbon Edition launch special Coupe that has yet to be priced.

All run a 370kW/637Nm 6.2-litre V8 paired to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic that drives the rear wheels. The C8 is the fastest Corvette yet, with a claimed 0-100kmh time of three seconds (which some independent testers claim to have bettered). 

At least half a dozen independently imported examples of the car often described as America’s answer to Ferrari and Porsche supercars are presently being advertised by private importers.

These cars – apparently shipped directly from the United States or from Japan, which accepts left-hand drive cars - are being advertised on TradeMe from $200,000 to close to $250,000.  

At least one importer appeared to have slashed pricing today, though not enough to achieve anything equality with the factory-appointed distributor.

Full details of the NZ-market models have not been shared, but GMSV NZ has assured they will not be low spec cars.

For instance, all NZ-bound official product will have as standard a Z51 performance pack and frontal lift that seems to be an option in the United States.

The Z51 package includes a dual mode exhaust, performance suspension with ‘Magnetic Selective Ride Control’ (magnetic active dampers that react and adjust within milliseconds), larger Brembo brakes, electronic-limited slip differential, a front splitter, rear fascia-mounted spoiler, extra cooling provisions and specific rear axle ratio.

GMSV here says it added the features because it recognised customers as performance enthusiasts who will want to enjoy the car to its fullest potential. 

The frontal lift is a push-button technology that lifts the front suspension at the press of a button at low speeds, so the front bumper doesn’t scrape on steep driveways.

The 2LT base model also has a colour head-up display, 14-speaker Bose audio system, the Z51 performance pack and frontal lift. The 3LT and Carbon Edition build off this.

The latter is based off a 3LT Coupe and will feature hand-picked interior trims, premium wheels and brake calliper package, an exclusive build plate and owners pack.

A spokesman said supply of the car will be constrained for some time, “due to the global popularity of the vehicle.

“Our focus at launch is to ensure that all GMSV dealers in NZ and Australia have an initial first allocation of one Carbon Edition each and one selling vehicle with two additional units available for customer order.

“Following the initial launch stage, further allocations will be available next year. 

“GM has a certain RHD production capacity, so this consideration coupled with significant demand means there is every likelihood that demand will exceed supply.” 

The Corvette nameplate goes back to 1953 but the latest, eighth generation model, is the first to be available as a factory-built right-hand-drive.

It is also the first to feature a mid-engine configuration.

In addition to the Corvette, GMSV has announced a new derivative of the Chevrolet Silverado large utility, the LT Trail Boss. 

Deliveries of the $119,900 model commence mid-year.

As the name suggests, the Trail Boss is designed to be a more versatile off-road product than the LTZ Premium that has already installed in the market.

“LT Trail Boss is purpose-built, born to perform, offering rugged dependability in off-road settings when exploring on the weekend, but is also at home in urban environments during the week,” says GMSV NZ general manager Matthew Taylor.

“It will enable big thrills and big adventures - it’s a way to really enjoy and experience the road less travelled.”

The Trail Boss achieve a factory-fitted suspension lift-kit, which increases ride height by approximately 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear. It also takes a mechanical rear locking differential and 18-inch painted black aluminium wheels. Hill Descent Control, a heavy-duty air filter and protective all-terrain skid plates complement the all-round off-road package.

The driver receives a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel and, together with the front passenger, enjoys a 10-way power and heated seat.

The vehicle achieves a towing capacity of 4.5 tonnes and runs a petrol 6.2-litre V8 coupled with a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

The column-mounted gearshift selector is a historic throwback – GMSV explains that configuration provides space for a large centre console which acts as a storage chest, capable of hiding away large and bulky items. 

A remote vehicle starter system, consisting of Keyless Open and Start, adds to convenience features.

 Access to the LT Trail Boss was achieved thanks to GMSV’s direct line to Detroit, where the request was made to supply the Australian and New Zealand markets and then remanufacture to right-hand-drive by Walkinshaw Automotive Group.

GM’s gender equality push

‘Greater inclusiveness can only lead to better outcomes’

Jodie Lennon and Joanne Stogiannis.

IN recognition of today being International Women’s Day, General Motors Special Vehicles’ has highlighted that three women are front and centre in their organisation.

“It is common knowledge that the auto industry is skewed heavily towards male representation, so it’s incredibly heartening we’re making gains in changing this balance, albeit as part of a relatively small team,” says Joanne Stogiannis, the director of GMSV, which represents in New Zealand with the Chevrolet Silverado and will also likely have the Corvette here before year’s end.

“This is demonstrated as part of the leadership team, where myself as head of GMSV and my colleagues Jodie Lennon and Dahlia Shnider work hand in hand on this new and exciting business,” she comments in a media release from GMSV, continued verbatim from this point.

“At GMSV, females account for 45 percent of all personnel in the team.  This diversity is incredibly important as studies have shown that company performance can be enhanced through greater gender balance.  Greater inclusiveness can only lead to better outcomes.”  

Stogiannis has been part of General Motors for almost 25-years, working through a variety of ever-increasingly senior roles including her present position of director of the recently established GMSV business.

“Since starting in the automotive industry, I’ve seen a shift from being one of the only women in the room to a place where we have greater diversity and balance," she says.

“Pleasingly, GM encourages and supports women on our journey through the business and affords the same opportunities to everyone as part of the corporation’s aspiration to be the most inclusive company in the world.”

GM is led by Mary Barra, the first female chief executive of a major automotive company, who has held the position since 2014.  

“Mary Barra is an inspiration to women all around the world, not just for those of us employed at GM,” said Stogiannis.

“She is an example of what can be achieved and is evidence that, when it comes to getting a job done, gender is no barrier to success.”

For 2021, the theme of the International Women’s Day is ‘Choose to Challenge.’

“While female representation in automotive is improving, there is still plenty of scope to challenge the status quo,” said Stogiannis.

“To use an auto analogy and something close to our Corvette hearts - as females in the auto-industry, we’re only just now moving through first and second gear and are yet to hit top speed.  

“There’s plenty more left in the tank when it comes to gender equality, we’re not stopping yet.”

Corvette lovers’ field of dreams being auctioned

It’s the ultimate Kiwi road trip – head Stateside, trip down Route 66, secure a classic Corvette and bring it home.

 THIS could be the chance to buy that classic Corvette – assuming, of course, you’re happy to arrange getting it out of the United States.

Kiwi muscle car enthusiasts are taking notice of an auction that will break up one of the world’s best collections of classic General Motors’ American fare, including 80 Chevrolet Corvettes. 

Notification that the Muscle Car City Museum, located the southern US state of Florida, is to close imminently, with the collection being sold off by auction, has created quite a buzz on the internet. 

The collection collated by a real estate mogul, Rick Treworgy, is world-renowned, for good reason.

It holds more than 200 exhibits, of which almost half are Corvettes – with every kind represented; 20 of trhe display cars are 1967 Stingray variants.

News that it will permanently close its doors on January 17 and the vehicles will go to individual auction on January 22-23, US time, with no set reserve price has caused a big stir, with Kiwi enthusiasts among those wondering if this presents an opportunity to secure a car that would normally be well beyond reach.

The museum is located inside a decommissioned Walmart department store and, in addition to the display area, there’s comprises a workshop, secondary car showroom, gift shop, and a 1950s’-style diner.

In addition to ‘Vettes, Treworgy has Chevrolet Camaros, plus Impalas, El Caminos, Chevelles and Novas.

According to the museum’s website, interested parties will be able to bid in person, via phone, or over the internet.

However, buyers keen to get their classic machines on the road will need to wait, as the auction documents reveal most of the vehicles require considerable work to become roadworthy.

It is unclear why the facility is closing down, however multiple media outlets have cited the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic as a key factor in the decision.

Electric Caddies for GMSV push?

General Motors’ electric strategy affects every brand, so what possibility GMSV could provide a conduit for the NZ market?

Lyriq kicks off the Cadillac electric push … and other models are close behind

HOW would you feel if the new General Motors Special Vehicles’ operation, in addition to selling NZ market-prepped Chevrolet Silverado pick-ups and Corvettes, also started supplying electric Cadillacs?

Conceivably, that it could happen. Insomuch as, when asked about this very scenario, the reply from the retail organisation that fills in the gap left by Holden Special Vehicles departing the scene was … well, intriguing. 

Here’s a hard fact: No maker is resisting the shift away from fossil fuels and toward battery-compelled products, Cadillac included. General Motors’ high-end marque figures in a GM commitment to having 30 electric vehicles by 2025, including 10 for availability outside of North America. One of those is Cadillac’s first battery-compelled car, the Lyriq crossover, due out in the US next year. 

Bear in mind this, also. Even though GM determined in mid-February to leave all right-hand-drive markets – a decision that finished off Holden – it remains in that game. 

The C8 Corvette coming in 2021 is factory-built in that format (it was basically production-ready when GM announced its exit strategy) and GMSV will distribute it. It is also continuing availability of Silverado pickups locally converted to right-hand drive – a business previously handled by Holden Special vehicles.  

And there’s this: Media speculation – never outright denied by GMSV – is that if it is to add more US-sourced models for Australasia, they will be Cadillacs.

Cadillac is now in the EV business. Its first battery model, the Lyriq crossover, is on sale in 2022 and the Celestiq, a fastbacked large luxury car, and a full-size SUV are also confirmed. There’s also been talk of a sports car.

Some of America’s Cadillac dealers are declining electric plug ‘n play.

Tasty? There’s no confirmation of any of these every selling outside of North America, but it’s worth keeping in mind that EVs are a relative cinch to transform from left to right hand drive because … well, no pesky engine under the bonnet to work around. 

So with all that, it seemed relevant to ask GMSV whether those potential products might include electric vehicles. 

The response? “We will continue to examine opportunities to bring vehicles to Australia and New Zealand that we believe can compete strongly in their segments, but we don’t have anything to announce at the moment.” 

Not everyone in Cadillac support club likes the idea of a mains electricty-refreshed future. Subsequent to the Lyriq being unveiled in August, around 150 of the marque’s 880 domestic US dealers have decided they’d rather take buyouts from GM than make upgrades required to sell electric vehicles. The estimated spend to include charging stations, training of employees and lifts that can carry EV batteries comes to around $NZ284,000 per dealership.

The cost to prepare at retail level is but a fraction of what GM intends to spend over the next few years; in November it made clear that targets established at the beginning of 2020 have changed. Now intention is to unveil more electric cars, trucks and SUVs than previously announced and that it will produce many of them sooner than originally planned.

GM will also lift the budget for all-electric, autonomous vehicles and battery development over the next five years to $NZ39 billion, an increase of $NZ10.1 billion over initial plans announced in March. 

GM has high confidence in its Ultium battery programme.

All its US domestic market brands will provision electric cars to ensure availability at “all price points for work, adventure, performance and family use.”

GM has also created a new division, EV Growth Operations, dedicated to creating new electric vehicle models and the software and services to go with them. It anticipates that within five years, 40 percent of GM models sold in the US will be electric.

Some will have a new proprietary battery system, called Ultium, which GM believes presents a breakthrough for cost, packaging and range. GM says Ultium cars can clock 750kms before need for recharging.

Cadillac aside, there are also big plans for Hummer, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick.

In addition to the Hummer EV pickup, GMC will add a Hummer EV SUV and these will eventually be joined by a mainstream electric pickup, also with GMC branding.

Chevrolet will release a replacement for the Bolt electric hatchback it presently sells in the US and Canada. Additionally, it will have an electric full-size pickup plus several SUVs and cars, though there’s never been an indication Corvette will join the electric charge. Buick has two SUVs.

All these brands have previously represented in New Zealand, though it’s been a long time between drinks for some.

Hummer has been reborn as an electric vehicle brand.

Get ready for GMSV … and Corvette

It’s all over for HSV … but, don’t worry, there’s a good reason.

 CONFIRMATION today that Holden Special Vehicles is going, GM Speciality Vehicles is taking over within a couple of months and from now on the push is with American Chevrolets, pick-ups and a certain two-seater sports car … to start with.

Nothing about the above will surprise: Talk about a re-emergence as GMSV traces back to comment aired during the General Motor’s announcement on February 17 about Holden heading for the grave.

The one twist in today’s announcement from the remnants of the soon-to-go Holden operation is that the guy who has developed GMSV for New Zealand and Australia won’t be holding the reins when this new enterprise springs into operation.

Peter Keley, a General Motors and Holden ‘lifer’ who in rising up through the ranks of the Lion Brand served a popular term from 2005 to 2008 as managing director of Holden New Zealand, has elected to leave the brand at the end of October.

The amiable and energetic Australian will work with Joanne Stogiannis, announced today as Director – GM Speciality Vehicles, to establish the GMSV dealer network in Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to his departure.

She’s been Holden’s dealer development manager, with more than a decade of experience working with the lion brand.

GMSV establishes alongside GM’s existing business units in the region, Holden Aftersales and Isuzu New Zealand.  It is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

Full clarification on what this means for those dealers currently flying the HSV flag in is yet to be spelled out. Currently, HSV has 56 dealers in Australia and eight in New Zealand, all but two in the North Island. Does GMSV need that many outlets?

There’s also no word about what this means for any employees of HSV in New Zealand.

When this writer last spoke to Andrew Lamb, the specialist make’s New Zealand regional manager, it was on April 28.

 His comment was sought then on talk then that has also come to prove true now – that central to the future programme is a deal between GM and Walkinshaw Group, the powerhouse behind HSV, which dates back to 1988. 

As was speculated then is confirmed now. GMSV be a joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM and its task initially will be to continue exactly what HSV has been doing now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.

Specifically, that’s just the Silverado. HSV ceased remanufacturing of the Camaro into right-hand drive in April. There’s no plan to restart this. 

Speculation about GMSV and what it meant for HSV rose at an interesting time for Kiwis as it was when dealers here were finally told that the Silverado 1500 pickup was coming here.

GMSV comment today is that this model will be core to ongoing operations, though the larger 2500 will also be expected to pull its weight.

However, it’s clear that if any one vehicle will pull punters in for tyre-kicking, it’s the world’s first factory right-hand-drive Corvette, whose availability in 2021 has been signalled. No more news than that, however.

And then? Well, there’s already conjecture GMSV will want to add in more metal to fill in some gaps. So, conceivably, the Chevrolet Tahoe and some Cadillac variants might also show.