I keep thinking about this presentation I went to a few years ago, which involved a well-respected expert from a big intelligence firm pointing out that by 2028 we should be seeing a huge explosion in the total number of available models because of the switch from ICE to EV powertrains. I remember thinking at the time how unlikely it all seemed. Instead, we’re entering a model glut as automakers dramatically pulled back on EV products.
This isn’t to say the expert was wrong. Automakers really did plan to continue to support existing ICE powertrains as it transitioned to new electric ones. It’s just those plans didn’t work out. Today’s Morning Dump is a good reminder of how this is going to play out going forward, with Volkswagen delaying its electrified Golf and GM potentially axing its Corvette sub-brand altogether.
New products will come, though, and the one that has the juice right now is a big ol’ SUV from Mitsubishi, which I sort of hope will be exported to the United States (or built here). I’m not holding out any hope for Chinese exports, though Chinese exports are the one bright spot for that country’s automakers this year.
Wither The Electrified Corvette Brand?
The images above are from a post I enjoyed from The Bishop, premised on the rumors that Corvette would spin off a sub-brand that featured a crossover and a sedan in a late attempt to mimic what Porsche had done so successfully. Instead of designing a modern one, Bishop created a C4-era crossover with just a little Geo Storm. I love it.
Way back in 2022, Motor Trend was using an AI image generator (before people got really mad about doing that) to guess what the “2025 Corvette ZUV” might look like. The assumption of an expanded Corvette lineup was built around the idea that GM would be spending all this money on electric platforms that everyone would buy, and that it would then be straightforward to produce an SUV, a sedan, and maybe even an electric Corvette (hilariously, MT still has a placeholder review of a Corvette EV that doesn’t exist on their website… I wish I’d have thought of that).
While there have been plenty of rumors, I haven’t seen any firm commitment from the brand, and the slowing of EV adoption probably means it’s no longer a popular idea within the company. According to a report from GM Authority, any dream of a larger Corvette Cinematic Universe is dead:
GM Authority has now learned from sources within General Motors that the automaker has shelved efforts to develop the expanded Corvette lineup, and with it, the individual model variants mentioned earlier. While we don’t know exactly why GM make the decision, we do imagine that the sub-par sales performance of The General’s EVs had a lot to do with it.
But all this does not necessarily mean that GM may not resurrect its Corvette expansion plans. In fact, from what we understand, the idea of an electric two-door Corvette is still very much alive inside GM, despite there not being an active vehicle program associated with it. For now, however, consider an expanded Corvette lineup shelved.
I am down with both a Corvette four-door and a Corvette SUV. It’s a strong brand, and Porsche didn’t suffer from an expansion. Given that I have a Cadillac CT5 Blackwing this week and it’s the best thing I’ve driven in a long time, I’m certain the company could pull off a gas-powered sedan. The idea of a Taycan competitor is a little harder to comprehend at the moment given that even Porsche isn’t that enthused about the Taycan’s sales
]\.
Just to be sure, I reached out to GM so I could get them to tell me that they don’t comment on future product (in this case, couldn’t comment on speculation about canceling a program no one even proved they were ever going to actually do).
‘We Simply Can’t Afford’ To Make An E-Golf Right Now
Since the turn of this decade, there’s been a long wait for an electric Golf. Other than the Beetle, no car better represents the brand’s history than the Golf. For a modern VW fan, it is the car. Volkswagen has also been happy to offer up concepts that look close to production.
The last couple of years, though, it’s felt like that’s been a sketchier proposition, as Volkswagen has run short of cash. It was rumored last year that VW didn’t have the money to make an electrified Golf. Now it’s not a rumor.
“I know what the Golf means for Volkswagen and for Wolfsburg. That’s why this decision was really not an easy one for us,” said Thomas Schaefer, CEO of the German group’s volume brands, in a memo seen by Reuters on Friday.
“We simply can’t afford this work right now,” he added.
I think this means that the current generation Golf will continue to be built into an unforeseeable future.
Can You Name The Mitsubishi With Four Wheel Drive That Smells Like A Steak And Seats 35?
Sometimes we nail it with a headline, at least partially, as we did with “The New Mitsubishi Pajero Could Be A Perfect Land Cruiser Rival For America, Except For One Big Problem.” The problem, of course, is that it’s currently only available with a turbodiesel engine. That’s a fixable issue, though. Just toss in a turbo V6 and call it the Montero.
So far the Pajero is snagging a ton of customers from Toyota’s Land Cruiser in Japan, thanks to its competitive pricing and new look, as Automotive News reports:
The reborn Mitsubishi Pajero is bringing new blood into the beleaguered brand, pulling 80 percent of its customers in Japan from competitors as it moves up market with a $39,000 base price to challenge the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Mitsubishi unveiled domestic pricing and specifications for the flagship body-on-frame truck on Oct. 29, saying it already had received 5,500 orders in Japan for the Thailand-built off-roader.
That exceeds President Keisuke Kishiura’s expectations for 4,000 sales at home and puts the seven-seat Pajero on its way to reaching the company’s global goal of 10,000 sales through March.
I hope there’s room in those frame rails.
BYD Sales Rise Again Thanks To Exports
The Chinese car market, while still the biggest in the world, is not growing at a rate to support even its own automakers, let alone all the other car companies trying to shill EVs there. What’s an automaker to do? Export! In places where Chinese carmakers are allowed to sell cars, export-focused Chinese automakers are doing alright as Bloomberg points out:
BYD’s October passenger vehicles sales climbed 11% as exports doubled and local deliveries fell, according to a statement on Sunday. Chery Automobile Co., the nation’s biggest exporter, reported sales increased 5%, with exports climbing by 60%.
Shares of BYD and Chery rose in Hong Kong trading on Monday as the continued strength of overseas demand for Chinese cars helped ease concerns about the prolonged downturn in their home market. Still, export growth hasn’t necessarily impressed investors as BYD last week reported earnings and revenue that missed analyst estimates.
Ok, it’s still tough out there, even if it’s tougher in there.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
I happened to hear a bunch of songs with the word “karma” either in the title or in the lyrics in a very short period of time last week, and figured a theme week of songs with the word karma in it could be fun. I’m starting off with the most automotive of them all: “Karma Police” from Radiohead, which features a 1976 Chrysler New Yorker.
The Big Question
What should Corvette’s second car be?
Top photo: The Bishop
There’s no electric Golf? I haven’t been following, but I always just assumed that was the ID.3.
The 2nd Corvette should be a front-engine V8 manual.
Make it Miata-sized for the lolz.
I get that they can’t make an E-Golf right now, but can’t they just make an iD.Golf?
Corvette should re-think the first car, and make that a C8 with a manual transmission.
Their second car should be a C8 with an automatic transmission.
If they really need a third car, make a front-engined 2+2, maybe call it the Camaro or GTO or Firebird or Chevello or something along those lines. I know it’s a huge risk, General Motors just doesn’t have a history of making front-engined, V8 4-seaters, so this would be a first for them.
Maybe they should hire that promising DeLorean fella, I bet he’ll come up with something.
The second corvette should be a shooting break and they should call it the Morevette.
‘We Simply Can’t Afford’ To Make An E-Golf Right Now:”
Well maybe they should make an E-Gol instead. It should be 25% cheaper to do, right? RIGHT?
Being a child of the 80s, I would Run Away from a Flock of E-Gols.
https://youtu.be/iIpfWORQWhU?list=RDEMkQjT4wr-vT1_dn70aYCAfw
The equivalent of Porsche building an SUV would be Chevy building a sports car, and, oh, wait – they already do.
Them branding more vehicles as “Corvette” is more akin to what GM did with Corvair back in the day, and that not only killed the car models but also the truck and van.
So, odds are, yes, this is eventually going to happen. GM gonna GM. (They could probably use this in a Geico commercial: “It’s what they do”.)
TBQ: Betcha that 2.7L I4 GM loves would be great for a cheaper mid-engine sports car!
Name it…. Fiero?
A 718 sized small 2 seater priced more like Corvette’s former positioning, the C8 has moved far enough upmarket that there’s now room to slot a smaller, affordable sports car/commuter car underneath it. For example, the C3 cost the equivalent of 45,000 of our devalued 2026 dollars when it came out, or about half of a new C8. The design brief would be somewhat upmarket from a Miata, but not as pricey as a C8, big meaty gap there to take a bite out of
The Corvette Sportster.
Corvette Aviso?
Corvette Monza
Corvettette.
The trucklette that would likely come out first could be the Corve, and they should term it an SSuv.
“Introducing the 2028 Corvette Camaro”
Call that the reverse Celica Supra.
I don’t care about the Pajero/Montero. I want a Delica or a new sliding door RVR!
Corvanyonero
I have yet to understand Mitsubishi’s marketing position in the US for the last 15+ years. New cars for the credit-challenged? Rental car companies love us? If you think Kia dealers are predatory, wait until you visit one of our stores? Whatever it is, they need to take a position, lest they become (more) irrlelvant.
And I was looking forward to driving my kids to soccer practice in a mid-engine SUV.
TBQ;I thought that the only answer is SUV?
WILTWWTMD; Can’t wait for some Boy George or George Harrison. Karma songs by George.
Keep Corvette as a 2 door 2 seater sports car. It’s going to be ev eventually. That’s fine people will mainly understand because performance. Ev muscle cars could be a tougher sell but I time, and buyer change. When they are ready to produce it a buyer that will accept it will likey exist. Maybe they can do a less boat like version of the charger then reach into the archives for a an appropriate name for the 4 door and whatever cuv they make.
I think VW realized with the idpolo it’s hard to compete even when they make the car they should have made. The egolf would have been too expensive. It couldn’t compete against HKG and really can’t against the Chinese. CUV buying is in full force everywhere. Egolf will come back at some point it has to.
GM is doing the right thing here and they continue to look like the only American manufacturer that has any semblance of a plan beyond selling you a gas guzzler today. The Mach E almost seems like a fast fashion situation in retrospect. It generated a lot of clicks and buzz and was one of the first affordable EVs with any sort of aspirations of sporty driving…but it kind of came and went.
That’s not to say it’s a bad car-it isn’t, and I know the people that own them love them, but that car isn’t good because it’s a “Mustang”, it’s good because it’s a comfy and efficient commuter with plenty of space. For what it’s worth the S650 is not selling well, either. Is that due to Ford diluting the Mustang brand? Probably not, but it’s worth asking.
Corvette has always meant one thing-attainable sports car that will keep up with the Europeans at the track and it approachable enough that you can daily it. GM has, somehow, kept it that way for 70 years. There’s no need to mess with that.
That being said it’s time for them to give us an attainable sports sedan. The CT5V BW is amazing but it’s a six figure car. The CT4V BW is on the edge of attainable but is a pretty compromised package. Since GM has long since developed the Alpha platform, powertrains, handling and engagement excellence, etc. it’s time for it to trickle down. The Camaro name/brand is right there and since it’s been an on again/off again car production wise I’m not as worried about diluting the name with a sedan.
And apparently GM agrees! It’s an open secret that Camaro and Buick sports sedans are apparently coming, but I’d like to, you know…see actual evidence of this before I plunk down a deposit.
GM will continue to GM.
Which means if they’re on the right track, that they’ll pull the rug out from under themselves and they’ll be worse off.
Remains to be seen if the cancellation was a bad decision or if there’s an incoming bad decision.
I see what you’re saying about GM and what they’re selling with Cadillac EVs. I’d also give GM credit for bringing the Bolt back if we didn’t know it’s going out to pasture in under a year and they’re doing ZERO advertising for it. But Chevy isn’t doing much better than Ford is on the sales side and
Ford sells a lot of affordable mavericks that get great fuel economy and they’re doubling down on the formula with the Fathom for the affordable EV space.
Ford does want to keep selling large trucks and highly profitable SUVs. But doesn’t seem to have totally lost the plot on planning for the future.
I would be pretty enthusiastic about a Camaro/Buick sports sedan, GM has a variety of decent engines that are reliable enough, and in the right package would be pretty compelling. I don’t need a track monster, just something fun to daily… Imagine if they delivered something in wagon form without f#@!*^% plastic cladding, i know it won’t happen but let me dream.
TOUR X 2 ON THE ALPHA PLATFORM!!!! GM PLS!!!!
Don’t you give me hope!
VW short on cash and can’t make a better e-Golf, so they make the id-buzz?
Company is run by people that don’t know what’s going on.
Oh, look at that. A Chinese kei car. So Japan isn’t that difficult to sell to, after all. Just lame excuses from Detroit. And yeah, the Racco has been quite successful over there.
Mitsubishi is stupid not selling the Montero over here. They still make a Montero Sport for other markets, which they idiotically don’t sell over here despite still being a hot segment.
The second Corvette should not be branded a Corvette at all, but should be the Cadillac on the same platform. The hybrid AWD powertrains should be Cadillac exclusives, and Corvette should be kept gas only and affordable. A $250,000 Corvette is awesome, but doesn’t make sense with the history of the model. That car should be a Cadillac.
sure, as long as you can actually get tail lights for it LOL
The only place you can get XLR tail lights is Ali Express 😛
That is a shameful blight on GM.
There should be better parts availability on everything, but it’s especially inexcusable on the XLR. The XLR-V was the most expensive vehicle you could buy from GM for a couple of years; their ostensible flagship! That’s the sort of thing you want to encourage people to keep on the road, or should anyways.
I agree with “give me a Polo based affordable EV, Stat!!”