[Firebird400]

I'm not sure if anyone here has an Automotive News subscription, but there was an article today suggesting that GM build a four door Corvette along the lines of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide or Porsche Panamera. Personally, I hate the idea, but I'm curious what the Corvette community thinks about it.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/SUB/70511036

Why not build a 4-door Corvette?

It can be done; just ask Porsche and Aston Martin

Rick Kranz | Automotive News
May 14, 2007 - 1:00 am

If the world were a little different, there might be a Corvette four-door sedan.

Maybe even a Vette crossover!

I can almost hear Corvette purists muttering that those are two of the most ridiculous ideas they have ever heard.

"It would severely hurt the car's reputation if the Vette were stretched," they are probably whining. "Two extra doors, four seats, let alone talk about a dirt-grinding crossover! What's wrong with you?"

The thought of a four-door Corvette sedan occurred to me in the past several months as a tidal wave of Porsche Panamera spy shots and computer-enhanced images hit my e-mail directory. The Panamera is Porsche's sleek four-seat sedan that debuts in 2009. It will have a front-mounted engine and a coupe-styled body with four real doors.

The bottom line: a true four-seat, four-door Porsche sports sedan that likely handles as well as the cars that made Porsche an iconic brand. Porsche's strategy makes a lot of sense, as would a four-door, four-seat Vette sedan.

Porsche was criticized -- mostly by Porsche enthusiasts -- when word of the automaker's interest in an SUV surfaced in the mid-1990s. Of course, a new group of buyers embraced the brand once the Cayenne SUV hit the road. And a new group of buyers who found the previous Porsche coupes too small for their lifestyle or family needs now will have a realistic option, the Panamera.

I believe the same would be true for a four-door Vette sedan if it were developed.

They have an artist's rendering of what one might look like - they took a silver C6 Z06 and basically just added a section behind the doors and in front of the fenders. In terms of proportions, it looks terrible and WAY too long.

So what do you all think?

 

[Pay2Play]

I think I am getting sick and about to throw-up on my keyboard at the very thought a four door Vette. There is absolutely no need for such a vehicle to EVER exist.

 

[Patrick]

:laughing:

They are smoking crack. They need new sources.

 

[00ant]

My eyes are hurt:thud:

 

[iburke]

:rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:

Give me some of that stuff there useing....

 

[Cal92Coupe]

:wtf

 

[Firebird400]

Yeah, the photo they showed reminded me very much of those hack-job Corvette limos you see from time to time. Too long proportionately! Plus, it's a deviation from the original concept of a two seat sports car - a formula that has worked for 55 years.

If you told me 10 years ago that Porsche would sell an SUV and Aston Martin and Porsche would sell four doors, I'd think you were nuts - but the situations are different. Frankly, I'm surprised that over the years, GM hasn't been shortsighted with regard to the Corvette in attempting to milk more money from their most hallowed model. The fact that they didn't should speak volumes to the excellent stewardship that the Corvette's chief engineers have had over the years.

Back to my original question - are you opposed to the idea in general of a four door, or just to one that is an obvious stretch of a standard car like in the photo? The Rapide, for example, has much better proportions, but STILL doesn't look as good as a two door would.

 

[fyreline]

This is nothing new. A four seat (but two-door) version of the C2 Sting ray made it as far as a full-size mock-up, but was wisely decided against by GM. And, in 1980 a true four-door version was briefly offered by the aftermarket, the Corvette America. A model of it even exists. I always thought that it looked like an anteater - the proportions are all wrong for the styling. This looks like just the latest version of an answer to a question nobody asked.

And here's a link to an old Corvette Fever article about the car:
http://www.corvettefever.com/featuredvehicles/18458_1980_chevrolet_four_door_corvette/index.html

 

[Polykarb]

At the Tampa International Auto Show, GM/Chevy had the "The SS" car concept. Maybe it's a tie in, because Benz has their CLS class and Maserati with the Quattroporte.

 

[Arnie]

If they took this and shortened it up a lot, redesigned the body, added doors similar to the Mazda RX-8 and called it something other than Corvette, than yea, build it.

 

[Firebird400]

The SS concept of a few years back does carry similar proportions to the Corvette...and the Panamera/Rapide. I'm curious to see how similar the production 2009/2010 Impala turns out to be to this concept.

 

[OldVetteFan]

I think the fundamental difference is that with Porsche or A-M, that is the name of the Company, and when they market a Ceyanne (sp?), then it is a Porsche Ceyanne.

In the mind of the Porsche buyer, those other models are seperate from the core model that they are interested in - which is generally the 911 or one of it's many offshoots.

In the Corvette case, it doesn't make sense to call a four door sports car a Corvette, as if it were just another option package. The four door sports car is a seperate vehicle - there's no need to make it a submodel of the Corvette, since Corvette is part of Chevrolet.

Now, if GM made Corvette a Division, then you would have to develop different Corvette models, just like Chevrolet does with their cars.

Steven

 

[GRIPPER]

I am opposed to the idea of a 4-door Corvette, but Mazda sure did pull it off with the RX8.

 

[crimsonwake]

Four doors, No. A four Seater like the Ferrari 456 or 612 I wouldn't be apposed against. As long as it was billed as a Grand Tourer and not a true sports car. Heck 911s have had four seat for how long? Even the Turbos.

 

[Tom_Slick]

I'm not sure if anyone here has an Automotive News subscription, but there was an article today suggesting that GM build a four door Corvette along the lines of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide or Porsche Panamera. Personally, I hate the idea, but I'm curious what the Corvette community thinks about it.

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070514/SUB/70511036

So what do you all think?

What's next, a C6 pickup?

 

[VetteTizom]

They do have a 4-door Corvette, its called a CTS-V, the reason you see Porsche and Aston Martin (i guess jag) making them is because they don't have other brands... GM has a lot of other brands for "4-door Corvettes"
Keep Corvette a 2-door, 2 seater artyon:

 

[Gordee]

Well...if a C6 pickup would allow me to drive a Vette all the time, I'd like to C 1. And that 4 door is ugly, but from behind the wheel...

 

[SoCalDon]

It needs a trailer...

...and a roofrack.

Hell, if you're going to build something that stupid looking - why stop there? :crazy:

 

[Wolverine]

At the Tampa International Auto Show, GM/Chevy had the "The SS" car concept. Maybe it's a tie in, because Benz has their CLS class and Maserati with the Quattroporte.

Very nice 4-door. I the perfect name for it would be..................Camaro SS4:surprised

 

[kraemer007]

They already have one, its called the "M5"......