General Motors reportedly had big plans to turn Corvette into a standalone performance brand and cash in on the nameplate's considerable brand equity. However, a fresh report suggests that vision is now falling apart. The automaker has apparently pulled the plug on an ambitious expansion that would've taken America's long-running sports car well beyond its traditional two-door format, scrapping several new models along the way.
The idea had been floating around since at least 2022, when reports first emerged about an electric Corvette SUV and a battery-powered sports car. Rather than limit the nameplate to traditional two-door performance cars, GM reportedly wanted to expand into several segments that would go far beyond the gas-powered sports car formula.
According to GM Authority, the proposed expansion included at least two additional vehicles beyond the existing C8-generation Corvette. The most controversial of the bunch was an electric SUV, internally known as V224. A second project, carrying the V284 code, envisioned an electric two-door sports car.
There may also have been a third model in development, reportedly assigned the internal code V285. Had it been given the green light, it would've been a four-door sedan with a swoopy, fastback-esque silhouette.
All three vehicles were expected to ride on GM's BEV Prime platform, an architecture developed to underpin upscale purely electric cars with more power, torque, and range. However, sources familiar with the matter now claim GM has shelved the entire expansion effort.
Perhaps GM ultimately decided that Corvette doesn't need to become an entire family of vehicles to remain successful.
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