When Ford unveiled its ‘Mustang’ Mach-E SUV last month, it deliberately picked the iconic name for the model despite the fact that it was a battery crossover vehicle only distantly reminiscent of the namesake muscle car. Now, sources are saying General Motors wants to follow suit soon, launching a standalone ‘Corvette’ car range.
Speaking in an interview, CEO Mary T. Barra admitted that this was a possibility. She probably took care to avoid making any kind of announcements this early on, though, maybe remembering the outburst of criticism the Mach-E caused because of its ‘Mustang’ moniker.
According to Adam Jonas, analyst at Morgan Stanley, such decision may open up a gold mine for GM. In his preliminary evaluation, the standalone Corvette sub-brand could be worth as much as 12 billion USD. Some experts also argue that the Corvette already *is* a brand name, given the sheer number of modifications ranging from the relatively affordable C8 Stingray ($60,000) to the ZR1 with its 755 hp (563 kW) under the hood and almost twice the above price.
To summarize, we just might be looking forward to a Corvette SUV, sedan, and/or EV. In the meantime, GM is closely monitoring the situation around the ‘Mustang imposter’, probably trying to assess the profits vs. reputational harm.