C7 Corvette

More competiton:

Lotus Evora and other related models Porsche Boxster now with a more slanted windshield and S model available

Longer wheelbase = straightline stability for lane wanderers like moi.

The front three-quarter view is not too bad except that the rear fender from that view looks oddly simple.

But other views, and particularly the side view, have the fast-back roof accentuating length. And somehow this is suppose to make the car look like a Stingray. Compare to an Audi R8 that seems, in general, to accentuate width.

Also, I would check the angle of the front windshield as the fast-back roof tires to create the impression of a low roof by tailing off all the way to the rear of the car.

really? that's disgusting. but then again, what is the median age of the vette buyer? 60? the only possible excuse of g.m. is that it's technology age/buyer age appropriate.

somewhat like the new NSX and only including a classic Chevrolet cheap-looking rear-end. Then other views look more like the bemoaned 240Z C7 sneak-peeks. Certainly, smooth bodywork is gone but the much promised bolder-Corvette is a yawn. Two-thumbs-down.

Being able to wring that kind of power/mileage/value out of this ancient design really is impressive technology to me. Because of Chevy's success with these pushrod engines, people really can ask how much benefit one gets from OHC and 4 valve engines.

Of course, this is the only thing that GM deserves praise for in the last couple of decades.

Lots. Bmw managed to do what audi did by cylinder deactivation by merely adjusting the valve timings with all the pots running all the time.

But, then, some folks would only buy american anyway. And there is some elegance in achieving better mileage with the least amounts of bells and whistles.

That's exactly my point.

More on the C7 Corvette styling:

I can see the Stingray styling element in a high rear view. The roof lines converge to a narrower width as the rear of the car is reached.

But dropping a design element on top of a Corvette for the purpose of making a marketing strategy is not what the Corvette buyer is looking for. I mean it's like we're back to adding tail fins on 1959 Chevrolets.

Then the front three-quarter view looks like a Corvette but the rear three-quarter view looks like a Japanese coupe. It's a mixed-up car.

I would think the Corvette buyer would be looking for something that looks like an Italian supercar instead of something that looks like a Japanese sports coupe.

There's not an electronic clutch transmission available.

It could be a lot worse but I'll just tally it:

Separate frame and fiberglass bodywork, two-thumbs-up

Longer wheelbase, one-thumb-down

Wider track, one-thumb-up

Pushrod engine, very popular LS but not as much HP-per-liter as a Mustang, no-thumbs =============================================================

Another way of looking at it: the Ford has 50% more hp.... holy shit.... and

Corvette forums are complaining about the C7 not having round tailights and not having an electronic clutch transmission.

The LS engine is popular and no-one is complaining about the pushrod engine . However, the cylinder de-activation is an indicator of how inefficient th e pushrod engine is. In other words, the engine makes a lot of power by bei ng big but being big is not good for fuel mileage.

Then the manual transmission rev-matching system is a cheaper system than a n offering of an electronic clutch transmission.

Only real post-unveiling news I could find on the web... yeah I know aol but I really did look

I know that GM probably focus grouped the shit out of the styling of everything, but really, I was hoping for a little more German and a little less Japanese flavor for the instrument panel. Or even a little more C3 would be fine. I prefer simple, clean, clear, elegant. I am clearly not the person to whom this car is being marketed.

That said, and I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere, I thought I saw at one point in the video clip the gauge panel changing its configuration as if it were not using actual fixed gauges but was more of a "computer screen" kind of design - that's actually pretty f'ing cool if I'm right, and would explain why in early parts of the clip it looked kind of S2000-esque (yuck) and in others later on it looked more traditional and fairly acceptable. Assuming, of course, that it doesn't wash out in the sun etc.

Jeremy Clarkson will no doubt make fun of it. I'm assuming that it is likely not going to deviate from the traditional transverse leaf spring which has become something of a trademark by now. He'll probably mock that as well, although if it's a single composite leaf design I'm really not sure what is so fundamentally objectionable about it.

nate

now that I caught that in the video I was able to find this:

I was wrong, that is pretty cool. I still think the "race mode" is inelegant however. But having it reconfigurable is fairly awesome.

nate

I thought the camaro had corvette look roots. Now the corvette has camaro look roots. I like it.

Greg

I think the "new"camaro" is fugly and the Corvette has been getting less and less appealing in the looks department for quite a few years now. Not criticizing your like for them but I really think Chevy is going in the wrong direction. Guess the market says otherwise...for now.

Just looked at those, showed more then I'd seen before. All I can say is UGH, GROSS. What a travesty - they turned their signature distinctive car into another cheap looking piece of plastic with roots from the "new" Camaro, another car I find under whelming as far as styling. Looks like a bunch of cheap plastic from tail lights to IP.

You have to remember WHO is in the design chair and then take into account that reviews like the one here

are what they think is correct. Personally I think the last good looking 'Vette was the third generation. Now if they could take todays drive-train and body materials and use the

3rd gen molds and then leave out all the toys it might make me want one.

Keep in mind that time is really the test.

BMW in particular always has the effect on me that I think each new model is less attractive than the one it replaces, yet oddly, 5-10 years down the road, they start to look rather attractive (I'm excepting of course the Z3 and any of the Xx "SAV"s...)

Now whether that will happen to the new vette or not who knows. I do have to say that I loved the C6 at least on the exterior from the second I saw it and thought it was a step in the right direction; I don't get that from the C7.

nate

Yeah but they were once absolutely beautiful: