Quote:
Originally Posted by tooslow
I respectfully disagree. I think GM has already done it's homework and knows how many of these cars they can sell on an annual basis based on brand-loyalty alone. Let's face it, even if the updated GT500 outperforms the ZL1, there are still a ton of people who would never buy one based simply on the fact that it is produced by Ford. IMO, GM is counting on those people to buy this car, not your average unbiased consumer. And if the price is too high for "a Camaro", they will likely lean to staying in the GM family and go for a Corvette (performance) or CTS-V (luxury/performance).
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It would be interesting to see GM's actual marketing information and surveys with respect to the ZL1. I think that GM is trying to expand its customer base with the ZL1 and is not just relying on current Chevy loyalists to purchase the ZL1.
I'm not so sure there are a large number of potential ZL1 customers that GM can count on based solely on brand loyalty, especially at likely ZL1 prices. I think there is a relatively limited market for a Camaro with an MSRP over $50K, and with each $1K price increment over $50K, the pool of potential Camaro buyers shrinks. I think that there are many potential ZL1 buyers who are Chevy loyalists who will be stretching to make the purchase with a price in the the low to mid $50K's, and if it's priced much beyond that, those buyers will be forced to purchase a different vehicle.
There are the potential ZL1 buyers who can afford the vehicle at whatever price, but are wiling to (or who have a boss that will let them) pay only so much for a Camaro (remember the difficulty there was in selling the 9560 COPOs). Of those buyers, those who want a 2+2 vehicle will not purchase a Corvette. Some may purchase a CTS-V, but some will likely purchase a GT500, and I think that many will opt for a Porsche, BMW, or Mercedes.
There are some Chevy enthusiasts who won't buy a Ford, and vice-versa, but I think those individuals make up a very small percentage of the automobile buying public. One may tend to get a skewed view of those loyalist percentages if one tends to frequent enthusiast sites.