South Korea May Not Allow the Corvette Stingray Because it's Too Damn Loud

Finally a world-class high-performance car, Chevrolet very much wants to see the C7 Stingray in showrooms across the globe, granting there’s local demand. Already turning heads across Europe, the C7 may not end up doing the same in South Korea. Although there are some Koreans anxious to buy one, it’s the government that may ultimately prevent the car from going on sale. The reason? It’s too loud.

According to Chevrolet Korea CEO Sergio Rocha, "The launch of the seventh-generation Corvette is being delayed indefinitely due to Korea’s regulation on automobile noise. Although such regulatory stance may benefit the industry in the short run, I wonder if that’s something that should be in place for a long time." Whether or not the government will change its stance is one thing, but Chevy is also pondering this fact: according to Rocha, just 12 Corvettes are imported to Korea a year on average. Despite the local interest and enthusiasm for the C7 Stingray, that alone may not translate into solid sales, thus making the business case even weaker.