martinfan5 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Sorry to beat a dead horse, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Kourouklis Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 ...For those who think the surface details are too busy and should be removed, you are in luck! You can pick up a used C5 (the blandest Corvette in modern history) for 1/5th (or less) the price of a new C7. (The C5 was probably the best Corvette made before they went and screwed it up… Right?) Oh, did you nail the be-jabbers out of that or what? Dave Hill was rightly proud of the new standard in performance and structural dynamics created with that car, the blueprint of which carries through the C7. He was also rightly defensive about the styling, which was pure RX-7 pablum with a basket handle and a billboard butt, and not nearly as pretty as any of its antecedents. Thing I appreciated best about about the C6 is that I thought it had the styling and dimensions the C5 should have had all along. Of course, the C5 wasn't the first time a 'Vette had been derivative. The '56 gained a lot of presence over the '53-'55 by adopting Italianesque side coves and the hood ribs and forward-thrusting headlights from the Mercedes SL. The C4 may still hold the standard for pure, uncluttered beauty, and it had the Ferrari 308 horizontal break line. The Corvettes that were most purely their own cars were the C2 (the ultimate for me) and the C3 (for a more, ahem, debatable effect). For the C7 to have actively copped the F12 would have been quite the hat trick, seeing as how Jalopnik was leaking the basically locked C7 form months before the F12 broke cover - and even absent that, to suppose that GM could have ripped off styling cues and applied them to a model less than a year off debut is to betray an incomplete understanding of the time frames involved in vehicle development. As for reaction to the C7, count me among the yay-sayers, most especially the taillights. The assumption that all those vents were tacked on for styling cues is patently mistaken; each one has a function, derived from the C6 racing program. The way this new one amps up the precision, the passion, and the drama is all winner-winner-filet-dinner for me; it's got eye-yanking presence in the photos, so I can only imagine its magnetism in the actual carbon and SMC. The fact that it's a little off-putting at first only portends the best for its boldness and impact, far as I'm concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 The fact that it's a little off-putting at first only portends the best for its boldness and impact, far as I'm concerned. It's definitely more eye-catching than what it replaces. For better or worse. I like it, more or less. I'd like it more if it had a little less, styling-wise. But in general I think it looks pretty cool. Except for the back end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 The more I look at it, it's kinda growing on me a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robiwon Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Market share? I think GM will sell a couple more of these than Ferrari, Lambo, and Viper combined. Pretty good market share to me. Each new generation of Vette is met with rampant love or hate. This model is no different. Some love it, some hate it, some are "meh" about it. It's all good. Those that want one will buy one. Those are the ones GM is after. I think they will get them. The Vette will never be in direct competition with Ferrari's, Lambo's, Aston's, etc. Those are exotics that cost 4 times as much or more. When those companies come out with a $55,000 vehicle then the Vette can compete directly. That fact that people still compare the Vette to those brands is a + mark for GM! And people complain about scoops and vents? Lets go count how many are on an Aventador and a 458! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Smith Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Maybe Harry (or somebody with some PS skills) could do some clean up and see if the "too many vents" thing helps. I have already said I like the overall design. But I was also in the crowd feeling it could be better. So, lets see some improvements! Ill give it a go with my extremely limited skills and Gimp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Maybe Harry (or somebody with some PS skills) could do some clean up and see if the "too many vents" thing helps. I have already said I like the overall design. But I was also in the crowd feeling it could be better. So, lets see some improvements! Ill give it a go with my extremely limited skills and Gimp. I'll give it a shot when I get the time. Within the next few days for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbox55 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 For those who keep pointing out all the cues that GM "stole" from Ferrari, Nissan, and Viper, here's the original prototype from '09. Seems the others did their fair share of "design theft" themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadillacPat Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 The Corvette is THE American SportsCar. Always has been. For that reason alone many who have never even sat in one will say they hate it. It's just like so-called organized sports, I think they are all a joke but people still fill the stadiums. Owning a Corvette allows you to view the rest of the world in the rear view mirror, even if it's sitting still. CadillacPat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 If GM had put the prototype styling directly into production, as shown, I'd be selling every car I own (except the truck) and replacing them with that. Even though it's not entirely all-of-a-piece, stylistically, its heritage is so completely, obviously Corvette, that, knowing the performance of the recent cars as I do, I frankly couldn't imagine having anything cooler. It's in-your-face fast looking, agressive and again UNMISTAKABLY Corvette with no copycat anything. Bad-to-the-bone, and ORIGINAL. Anything 'derivative' is derived ftom some iteration of the Corvette, and it couldn't be anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalCarCulture Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Bill - interesting that you brought up the Stingray concept, here's some pics I took of it in 2009... 101509 OC Auto Show 166 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 167 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 170 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 172 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 183 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 185 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 186 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 190 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 205 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr 101509 OC Auto Show 212 by SoCalCarCulture, on Flickr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Market share? I think GM will sell a couple more of these than Ferrari, Lambo, and Viper combined. No kidding!, you do know that Ferrari and Lambo dont have the high production numbers runs that GM does right?, so thats an easy one right there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) Dave's photos are great. A bit like the robo NFL character on Fox games, almost a transformer. But dynamic without over-worked surfaces. And the backside works, the '13's doesn't. This hood has no jazzy stuff in it. Probably close to what Harry wants to do. They should have gone with this one and done the engineering homework to get the Fed bumpers to pass. Edited January 16, 2013 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM485 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Now the Stingray concept is exactly what they should have put out to begin with. It seems like it takes a lot of styling ideas from the previous vettes, and overall just has an awesome look to it. When I first saw pictures of this car I thought it was one of the coolest things I had ever seen, and in my opinion should have been the C7 design. If this was actualy produced, I would love to own one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) Yes boys and girls, THAT is a Corvette. Maybe not perfect, but plenty close enough for me. The only thing I don't like at all (I'm a picky SOB) is the flattening of the rear fascia between the taillights. I think the small angles are jarring and could have beeh handled more gracefully. Still, I wouldn't kick it out of the garage. Edited January 16, 2013 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Personally hate the concept. Glad it got left on the drawing board. If I had the money? Dang right I'd have a c7. And I *love* the taillights! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Whoah! Now that is cool! Never saw that concept before, but me likey that view! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Kourouklis Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 (edited) I don't hate the concept at all, woulda been plenty happy with a productionized version, actually. But it is un. de. NIABLY retro. And the C7 crew said they were very purposefully against that. Prob'ly why they didn't go with it in the end. Edited January 16, 2013 by Chuck Kourouklis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinfan5 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 The rear end of the Sting Ray concept is butt arse ugly, I threw up a little bit when I seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I don't hate the concept at all, would been plenty happy with a productionized version, actually. But it is un. de. NIABLY retro. Must be why me likey! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longbox55 Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Dave's photos are great. A bit like the robo NFL character on Fox games, almost a transformer. You're not too far off. The Stingray Concept was featured as Sideswipe in the last 2 Transformers movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 I get the Transformers reference, but to me the production version looks more like a transformer/video game car than the concept does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MachinistMark Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Time for A stronger prescription for your readers harry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 Time for A stronger prescription for your readers harry Don't have any, no need (thank God!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted January 16, 2013 Share Posted January 16, 2013 If GM had put the prototype styling directly into production, as shown, I'd be selling every car I own (except the truck) and replacing them with that. Even though it's not entirely all-of-a-piece, stylistically, its heritage is so completely, obviously Corvette, that, knowing the performance of the recent cars as I do, I frankly couldn't imagine having anything cooler. It's in-your-face fast looking, agressive and again UNMISTAKABLY Corvette with no copycat anything. Bad-to-the-bone, and ORIGINAL. Anything 'derivative' is derived ftom some iteration of the Corvette, and it couldn't be anything else. Exactly! If they could have made the car look more like the Stingray Concept/Sideswipe, I would probably be leaving drool stains on it at the Auto Show next month. The production car just leaves a lot to be desired in the roof from the A Pillars back and in the rear bumper cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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