If Mustang and Corvette Were Separate Brands

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
08/12/2016 at 08:20 • Filed to: What If

If the SRT spinoff proved successful (as in not harming all of Dodge’s marketing and profit), I think a lot of other brands would have done the same, namely AMG. But what if Chevy spun off the Corvette Brand? Perhaps Ford would spin off the Mustang into its own brand. Let’s enter some alternate universe in which regular brands can survive without their poster performance arms and maybe end up with lineups that look like these:

Brand Name: Mustang , Model Name: GT### (FR 2+2 coupe and convertible).

Lineup: Mustang GT230 (360 hp, 2.3L Ecoboost), Mustang GT350 (400 hp, 3.5L Ecoboost), and Mustang GT500 (450 hp, 5.0L Coyote).

Starting Prices: $32,000, $37,000, $41,000

***

Brand Name: Mustang , Model Name: Shelby (FMR 2 seat coupe and convertible).

Lineup: Mustang Shelby (540hp, 3.5L Ecoboost), Mustang Shelby Cobra (600hp, 3.5L Ecoboost), Mustang Shelby Cobra Jet (730hp, 5.0L Supercharged).

Starting Prices: $57,000, $72,000, $88,000

***

Performance Subbrand: “ R ”

Lineup: Mustang GT350 R (480hp, 3.5L Ecoboost), Mustang GT500 R (530hp, 5.2L Voodoo), Mustang Shelby Cobra R (670hp, 5.2L twin-turbo)

Starting Prices: $49,000, $60,000, $79,000

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Brand Name: Corvette , Model Name: Stingray (FMR 2 seat coupe and convertible).

Lineup: Corvette Stingray (460 hp, 6.2L LT1), Corvette Stingray Grand Sport (475 hp, 6.2L LT1).

Starting Prices: $60,000, $67,000

***

Brand Name: Corvette , Model Name: Zora (RMR 2 seat coupe and spider).

Lineup: Corvette Zora (650 hp, 6.2L Supercharged LT4)

Starting Price: $99,000

***

Performance Subbrand: “ Z ”

Lineup: Corvette Stingray Z51 (520 hp V8), Corvette Stingray Z06 (650 hp, 6.2L Supercharged LT4), Corvette Zora Z06 (710 hp, Twin-Turbo V8), Corvette Zora ZR1 (780 hp, Twin-Turbo V8).

Starting Prices: $71,000, $83,000, $132,000, $164,000

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Brand Name: SRT , Model Name: Viper (FMR 2 seat coupe and roadster).

Lineup: SRT Viper (640 hp, 8.4L V10), SRT Viper GTC (650 hp, 8.4L V10), SRT Viper GTS (666 hp, 8.4L V10), SRT Viper ACR (666 hp, 8.4L V10).

Starting Prices: $88,000, $94,000, $107,000, $124,000

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Well, this came out a lot more...plausible than I was expecting. Hopefully you feel the same way!

DISCUSSION (16)

random001 > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 08:28

And the Corvette proceeds to murder and devour all other sub-brands out of sheer force of will. Because Corvette. And Racecar.

Nick Has an Exocet > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 08:31

It’s still just 3 cars with different performance variants. You need more doors, more configurations, and more options. For example:

Corvette Stingray: Base (V6), Manta (V8), ZR1, Z06

Corvette SS: Base (4 Door)

Wobbles the Mind > Nick Has an Exocet
08/12/2016 at 08:37

I’m not sure they’d have sedans and CUVs done this soon though. I wanted to keep it simple and just cover the lineups this year to 2020. I couldn’t figure out what an SRT Barracuda (below Viper) would be like off the top of my head since it may be a Dodge if SRT were spun off.

Steve in Manhattan > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 08:40

Will not happen. High end or sports cars reflect on the brand and generate showroom traffic.

jimz > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 08:40

Mustang kind of is its own brand already. It has its own marketing team, product planning, etc.

Wobbles the Mind > jimz
08/12/2016 at 08:44

Isn’t the same true about Camaro and Corvette? I thought both had completely separate, specialized teams and product targets.

Wobbles the Mind > Steve in Manhattan
08/12/2016 at 08:48

True, that’s why SRT folded but it was awesome to see someone take the risk since every performance brand in the industry was thinking it. Now instead, Dodge will have SRT, Jeep will have Trackhawk, Chrysler and Ram will have nothing. Harumph.

Wobbles the Mind > random001
08/12/2016 at 08:51

Porsche killer. Would be exciting to see since Porsche is the prestige value compared to Ferrari, McLaren, and Lamborghini. Porsche needs a rival that isn’t the last generation versions of the cars they release.

random001 > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 09:07

That is a fine idea!

FalconHoon > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 09:08

Kinja'd!!!

Mustang Saloon......

jvirgs drives a Subaru > FalconHoon
08/12/2016 at 09:12

IF only Ford would realize the at the Falcon is much better than the Fusion in terms of styling.....

Jayhawk Jake > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 09:23

I think both could work.

I’ve mentioned this before, but the S550 almost makes you forget it’s a ford. The only truly visible Ford logo is at the top center of the windshield. The only other places you actually see a Ford logo on the car are on individual parts. The only place I’ve seen an actual blue oval is on the ‘manufactured at Flat Rock’ sticker in the driver’s side quarter window, and that’s just a sticker.

Everywhere else is Mustang. Steering wheel logo is a Mustang, when you start it Sync displays a Mustang, external badging is just Mustang, even the key has a Mustang logo, not a Ford logo.

SpecedOut > jvirgs drives a Subaru
08/12/2016 at 09:47

I agree, though I’m not sure if it’d replace the Fusion or the Taurus. Technically it’s a full size like the Taurus, though it’s in between the two in size. I think it looks better than both, though.

bhtooefr > Wobbles the Mind
08/12/2016 at 12:26

I thought, in Europe, Corvette was for a few years its own brand with one model - or maybe being under a “GM” brand, because “Chevrolet” was European for Daewoo (basically, their model line was the Spark, Sonic, Cruze, Trax, and maybe one or two other GMDAT models), but they couldn’t get away with rolling the Corvette into Opel/Vauxhall either.

I distinctly recall Radio Le Mans commentators referring to the Corvettes as “GM Chevy Corvette”, probably to cover all bases, for a while...

Seems that with the demise of Chevrolet (as in GMDAT Europe) in Europe, the Corvette and Camaro are now sold under the Chevrolet brand.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > Nick Has an Exocet
08/12/2016 at 14:06

What about the Corvette minivan?

RT > Wobbles the Mind
08/15/2016 at 14:52

Well the reason these cars exist is to promote the brand.

This is why something as expensive as a Corvette is a Chevy and not a Caddy etc.

Making them as their own brand would neither promote Ford/Chevy/Dodge etc as a brand nor generate profit on a big market (unless you’re happy with a Mustang minivan). It is a fun idea though, and it’s always nice to have more options with these cars - be it in their own brand or not.