The legacy of the muscle car is truly deep in America. Cars with huge V8 engines with a body and chassis designed to have devastating speed in a straight line but not be able to go around a corner. This has always been fine in the US but has not proved to be a success in Europe.
One of the most famous names in the muscle car legacy in the US is the ‘Stingray’. Chevrolet has the new 2014 C7 Corvette Stingray and they are looking to Europe for sales.
Corvette hope that with this new incarnation of the classic marque, they will be able to compete in the exotic sports car market in Europe. This is however a very tough market as there are very tough competitors in the field, with the likes of Ferrai and Porsche to name just two.
In a press release, VP of Global design for the Stingray Ed Welburn, said that the new Corvette was a break from tradition but still instantly regonisiable as the legendary Stringray. When he says that the new car breaks with tradition, does he mean that the new Corvette will actually go around corners?
There are a lot of changes that need to be made on a car that is, made for America, to be able to pass the stringent laws for the same car to be sold in Europe. These laws include the use of certain technology, safety features and emissions. There are also some unwritten laws related to taste, build quality and the fact that a car must go round a corner to be able to sell a car in Europe.
