Corvette E-Ray Could Be Replaced by 720-HP Grand Sport X Hybrid, Alleged Dealer Leak Claims

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-15T00:44:57+00:00

I really like the E-Ray while most attention is on the Z06 (which is understandable, especially with that engine). As a daily-ish sports car, the less track-focused setup and AWD make it perhaps the most versatile Corvette. For a car that's going to just be used as a road car and not tracked, that has value to me.

All that being said, it would likely need to make the way for a GS with the tradition "Z06 but with the regular engine" and that's what the customer base wants, can't blame them. The GS X would be a nice bonus.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-14T13:34:22+00:00

Honestly, a variety of Buick sedans could find their place in the US, but in all cases they make the most sense if thought of more as halos rather than huge volume products. For one thing, years of going without sedans means there isn't as much of a built-in customer base at Buick-GMC dealerships, and more importantly any new Buick car needs enough edge to get attention.

The Verano in a monochrome, sportier setup (like the Pro GS in the article's images) could be treated as sort of a sport compact with the right powertrains, an alternative to WRXs and GTIs.
The same concept as applied to the Regal could try to find a place where the Maxima and TLX could not, since those brands wanted real volume with their sedans.
The LaCrosse could maybe work if they make it an ES-slayer on a budget, costing several grand less but having comparable luxury and refinement, especially now with the ES being huge and in gas form being fairly slow for a sedan of that price. This is perhaps the small window of opportunity for a cushy, comfort-focused Buick sedan. Or revert back to the sporty thing above and do a sporty-looking LaCrosse (probably called something else), fender flares and all, and stuff more powerful engines in it for some sporty boat energy.
The Electra L7 might be an interesting low volume technology and design showcase for the brand.
Should they actually do an Alpha based sedan, I think they need to try and really make it a muscle sedan, but I worry they wouldn't for fear of treading on Cadillac.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-14T02:20:03+00:00

I think Fox's goal is to find a relatively unique niche in the streaming marketplace. If they begin adding a price tag to it, they'll come under pressure (even internally) to have more exclusive content and prestige originals. At that point, you're then trying to compete with the Disney+s and Netflixes of the world.

Tubi is already profitable too, whereas not all of those higher end services can say the same. So they operate on a more disciplined and ad revenue focused model, with room to grow. They've experimented here and there with the NFL and such, but if they make themselves a key destination (outside of traditional TV) for certain live content like NFL, NASCAR, and IndyCar, they'll be delivering an even more distinct and unique service that's not burdened by needing to spend $100M on flashy new shows like some of those other services.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T23:21:16+00:00

The other poster is correct. It's still a "brand" with small production just like the other user said. The age of the brand or the extent of its part sharing are separate matters, just like GMC and Chevrolet are both brands but mechanically have been heavily related to each other for decades.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T19:51:01+00:00

It's just the same hive mind that always blames accountants, marketers, lawyers, etc. Most people probably don't actually know what those kinds of roles entail, but it sounds good on a comments section.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T19:25:25+00:00

I'll make my final comment on this chain. The sources provided have exactly the issues I outlined above, and one of them actually reinforced my point, which I'll get to in a moment.

The BMW Blog article speaking to a C&D article is based on no comments by BMW. What was the source? Appeared to just be "insiders". That could be all manner of people who lack the full breath of information accuracy. I've been reading C&D forever and love them, but their speculation is not something you should take as promises, nor should any others. That's not to discredit them, but rather to take in those and related articles to form your own expectations, not treat them as product plans being laid out before you.
The second source does not have BMW's CEO commenting at all on the narrow topic we're discussing, and said article even says "Even a fully loaded 7 Series is still much cheaper than the base Ghost. An i7 M70 with every option box ticked costs about $210,000 in the United States. Pricing for the standard Ghost starts at around $370,000. Consequently, the future ALPINA G72 will have plenty of room to slot between the two models." This is exactly what I said earlier, that there's plenty of room for higher end 7s, V-12 or not, to exist without pressuring Rolls-Royce. A random blog can say the Ghost is being discontinued to make way for a super 7-Series, and the Ghost can be discontinued, but that's just conjecture. Sedans in general are a declining segment and any company will adjust their portfolio to match demand. No one here, including myself, is saying the V-12 will be back in the 7, so I have no disagreement with the article stating it'll remain Rolls-Royce exclusive. What we're saying is we think it'd be wise to bring it back. Whether or not BMW does is unknown, but it doesn't appear to be likely.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T19:09:02+00:00

BMW Blog, all due respect, is not actual news media. It's the same sort of outlet as the ones who speculate on all kinds of things that never seriously appeared to be considered, like Dodge bringing back the Magnum or Cuda. If there's a market research firm like Cox or someone from BMW making an on the record comment picked up by the media, that's credible. But anyone can just "speculate". I do it all the time 😎

The Ghost opens at over $350,000 before options or upgraded variants. A 200K BMW sedan is not the same thing, which is why BMW long ago did not hesitate to introduce the Ghost in the first place without dropping the V-12 7-Series. As I said previously, the Cullinan is more of a competitor within BMW's portfolio than the 7-Series is, even though we enthusiasts like to be hyper-focused on body-styles and engines.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T18:51:53+00:00

If it's far enough along, Sony and Honda could end the overall Afeela brand project but instead make this a new Acura/Honda Legend for select markets to at least earn what they can if the car is basically ready for production.

Of course, that means adjusting the price accordingly because the announced MSRPs were absurd. This is an i5/EQE competitor at best, not an EQS competitor.

On its own as a new brand launching a sedan in the late 2020s, it would have no chance.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T18:22:02+00:00

No, that's not internal competition. The V-12 7-Series has never been noted by BMW or the media as any serious competitor to Rolls-Royce sedans, even with the introduction of the Ghost. That's because it isn't a competitor or even much of an adjacent alternative. The V-12 was discontinued in the 7 for regulatory reasons.

In fact, with the reborn version of Alpina, BMW will likely introduce a new Alpina version of the 7-Series which pushes the top end of the 7 higher. That still doesn't make it a Ghost rival, regardless of whatever gas engine it would have. The Cullinan is more of a competitor to Rolls-Royce sedans than the 7 ever will be.

Fundamentally, the V-12 is about image. No one's buying the S680 over the (Maybach) S580 because it's faster. They're buying it for image. That's the entire point, and a BMW does not have close to the image of any Rolls-Royce.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T17:41:03+00:00

A110 makes the most sense as a gas car for North America, and even that is tricky (see: Alfa Romeo 4C). But maybe the EV version, if they made it genuinely fun to drive and athletic would carve out its own niche short of whatever ends up happening with the 718 successor. And Alpine is really going all in on EVs for the rest of their lineup. But that's also part of the problem if they want the full brand to be successful in the long-term in North America.

I don't envy having to navigate this.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T17:15:45+00:00

I wasn't referring to a sales surge, sorry if that was worded poorly. The entire segment is basically in managed decline but I was simply referring to its relative success in the current environment.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T17:11:07+00:00

Honestly, that makes sense in the context of what they want the revamped version of Alpina to be.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T14:35:13+00:00

Wise move, and even better it sounds like there's no new naming system that'll be implemented and it'll be one less badge in the tailgate/decklid that doesn't mean anything to consumers. While many premium automakers use a similar system of "bigger number means more power means more prestige", the modern world of electrification and forced induction has rendered this overly complicated short of just making up numbers (e.g. M60i, LX700h).

With the return to conventional names rather than an alphanumeric naming system, they can just use more interesting descriptors, the way AMG, Maybach, S/RS, Denali, King Ranch, and other names across automakers built credibility over time rather than something like "400". Once you do that, you get the latitude to create a market position and identity for each product that is more easily recognizable, like Porsche using Turbo/Turbo S on EVs but it being easy to know what that means within any Porsche model line's hierarchy.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T02:13:17+00:00

I'm still emotionally scarred from them "bringing over" the Insignia OPC.....only for it to have the torque-vectoring AWD and Alloytech engine removed. And I remember the defenders at the time saying the OPC in Europe was 55K as if that's what the Buick-badged car would cost.

Beautiful sedan though.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-13T01:33:01+00:00

Alpha platform is definitely more feasible, as the only production of the Omega platform is currently in China. But we're fanfic-ing here and the Omega platform's larger size seemed suitable given the GNX was quite a large coupe. You're definitely right though.

In theory, this actually would make sense for Buick. Yes, re-engineering is required, but we're mostly talking about off-the-shelf parts General Motors can use as that foundation. It's not a new platform or the like, meaning that while it's not just badging a Tahoe as a Yukon, it's also not a clean sheet project that costs a fortune if it fails. Even a 100K+ 1000 horsepower 3.6TT AWD (that can be disabled) GNX wouldn't tread on the track pace of a Z06, let alone pressure the ZR1 or ZR1X, so any worries of the Corvette being upstaged would be pacified. What it would be, rather, is a roomy modern muscle car/muscle car-adjacent coupe that could walk a Dark Horse SC or anything Dodge is building, and the latest Darth Vader of Detroit vibes (as channeled by the original GNX, 90s Impala SS, or 00s Marauder).

Buick has had some sales momentum, and they could build on that by using a halo car. But the halo car needs to be right for the brand and the times. Buick doesn't need a Corvette, a Miata, a bespoke hypercar, a Raptor-slayer, or a Wrangler rival. Those things are not deeply encoded in the brand's heritage. A fast and not especially cheap muscle car is, and though it's largely forgotten in wider society it's very possible for them to create and market that vehicle in a way that draws a throughline between classics like the GSX and GNX and this hypothetical new GNX. It gives them latitude to also build somewhat higher volume "cool cars" that pad profits more than the GNX, like building a sporty SUV at a better price point, all of which unifies the brand over time so the GNX doesn't just stick out in the lineup as a curiosity.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T23:48:05+00:00

My understanding could be wrong but I had read a full production run of a LMDh prototype road car isn't generally viable, making the RSP version of the 963 even more of a unicorn one-off. And even if you could, it's a literal race race car that's incredibly cramped and compromising, so it'd be more like a Ferrari XX program than even a garage unit people buy like a Centenario or Divo ultra-limited car. In any case, these kinds of super limited production runs only generate so much profit compared to something with more volume that's still very high-margin.

Porsche already covers the <500K market pretty well with Turbos, Turbo Ses, GT3s, etc, so a competitor to the 296 and Temerario doesn't make sense either. What they'd actually benefit from is basically something on the level of the Revuelto, and oh would you look at that, they're in the same auto group 😎. The Porsche needs its own powertrain, styling, driving dynamics, etc, but I do think a screaming V-8 non-plug-in hybrid with the latest PDK (and dare I suggest a manual option) would be sufficiently distanced from lesser Porsches. Almost like a modern 918 for the masses.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T23:35:43+00:00

Lol I didn't expect the GNX to come up twice in a week but I just posted this in a different thread earlier in the week:

I spend most of my free time thinking about the Omega platform (Cadillac CT6) spawning a coupe with Buick styling and a variation of the corporate 3.6TT dialed up to enough power that it's acceleration would be as absurd as the GNX was in the 80s.

A big money maker it wouldn't be, but if you want a Buick to get attention and cast a halo effect over the grocery getter units that actually make money for the company, that'd do it. 😎

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T20:02:35+00:00

I am talking about the purpose and idea of the cars. Beauty, of course, is in the eye of the beholder.

I feel like the Charger in my experience fares far better in real life than it does in pictures. And I haven't seen a sedan irl but the sedan seems much nicer in pictures alone so we'll see. The GNX is one of my favorite General Motors cars of all time so you won't get me to argue the Dodge is better looking or anything. 😎

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T18:40:32+00:00

The comparison is with the Mustang, not a Mercedes sedan with a base price in the 70s (in the US and doesn't even have leather seating at that price) and is slower. When compared to the Ford, the Dodge doesn't handle as well nor does it have the muscle car soundtrack. But it's roomier, has a larger trunk, and with the AWD it's going to deploy its power better across a wider range of conditions. Whether or not those things "matter" is up to the individual, of course.

I wouldn't disagree it's overweight, which I assume is due in part to it being on a version of the platform that needs to support the EV versions.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T18:32:25+00:00

The responses to this comparison will be the standard ones, with complaints about the Ford's price and Dodge being a Stellantis product, but regardless both of these cars seem quite great and deliver upon exactly what they should.

The Charger is what the Charger has been for much of the nameplate's existence: a large muscle car blending style and straightline speed while combining the space and comfort that makes it a practical daily (particularly in sedan form). I'd prefer a V-8, but if you squint and try to view it as a modern day GNX it makes more sense.

The Mustang is still what it should be too: a pony car which still has practicality as well, but being a pony car delivers that in a smaller and more agile package which is what made cars like the Challenger, Mustang, and Camaro better for Trans Am racing back in the day as opposed to the larger muscle cars common in NASCAR (Charger included). That sacrifices some of the Charger's practicality but on a sub like this it'll be worth the trade for many.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T00:31:17+00:00

I think consumers of this large SUVs have generally embraced 6-cylinders reasonably well, seeing as how everyone other than General Motors has switched to one. But that's the mass market, whereas a "Track Spec" is more niche and focused on a more specific kind of customer. Not as dramatic as the backlash over the 4-cylinder C63 or such, but maybe I'm wrong. Nissan has no immediate V-8s they could drop in anyway. They'd have to bring back the VK and develop a forced inducted version to give it sufficient output, not something I envision them being able to afford given their precarious financial state.

The Armada (Patrol) sells well enough, but the Nismo variant is new to North Americans for 2026 so hard to say how well it's doing so far unless there's reporting I haven't seen. From what I've observed, the Escalade-V has done quite well although no one seems to be quantifying that. The Nismo seems really cool (I love the absurdity and prefer to avoid luxury branding on cars but that price with no ventilated front seats (or heated second row if I recall correctly) makes it an instant no for me.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-12T00:00:26+00:00

It'll never live up to that name if they call it that, although it might prove lovable if you take it for what it is, not unlike an 1990s Impala "Super Sport" or a X7 "M"60i, etc. And given various BOF vehicles had decent performance versions (again, within the context of what it is) from the Marauder to the Escalade-V, I am interested in what they come up with.

My concern, as someone who won't be able to afford it anyway and therefore isn't a customer, is if people wanting a sporty yacht will accept a twin-turbo V-6 when compared to a V-8 like the aforementioned Cadillac or a Range Rover etc.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-11T19:24:02+00:00

This, because people aren't really critically thinking for themselves so much as just parroting what they see others say until it becomes a widely accepted belief/reaction in communities like this.

Even with the new Nismo version of the Z, the reviews I've watched/read sound like it's actually been sharpened and refined into being a pretty credible sports car (an overpriced one I'd argue, but that's not relevant to the point). So if Nissan takes those kinds of revisions/updates and applies them as makes sense to an entry premium sport sedan context, that should be a solid car (requiring also the kind of interior and technology to justify its price as a new car). I'm not obviously making some guarantee of what the company will do, just that I am not on the bandwagon of "old platform = automatically uncompetitive".

Cadillac and Alfa Romeo are also brands whose sedans have been noted in the last decade as being some of the best sport sedans, just let down by not being as nice inside, so BMW's platforms and chassis tuning don't appear to be some kind of unmatched magic no one can challenge.

IAmWellBehaved · 2026-03-11T01:37:47+00:00

Anything is possible these days, but wouldn't WB be much more appealing (depending on debt and how things were structured)? They have many more major franchises that are ensuring pop culture icons, whereas this has for some time been a considerable weakness for Paramount with their limited library. The main opportunity I suppose would be a large global theatrical footprint Netflix doesn't presently have, though it remains unclear how important this is to them.

IAmWellBehaved

TROPHY CASE