2014 C7 Corvette from Car and Driver

[Tuna]

If they hadn't rendered it in "RED", it wouldn't look so much like a Ferrari. Then again, why not look like a Ferrari a little.

 

[Dadman1950]

To me, the biggest thing about this car is technical: all-carbon fiber body is major and they also say that the frame will be aluminum. It makes me wonder how they will do any further lightening in the future. Poly-carbonate windows is a possibility, and I personally am hoping for ditching some of the convenience and comfort equipment that people have become so dependent on. I'm not holding my breath on that.

As for the styling, let's face it, there are only so many original ideas for styling a 4 wheeled vehicle. I like Porsches, but if they had never been invented and somebody were to come out with a 911 today, people would hate it.

I have been ambivalent on Corvette styling for some time. Fortunately for me, styling is the least important aspect of vehicle design, and with the thousands of cars already on the road, differentiating an individual car by style is getting harder and harder.

The thing that surprises me a little is where are the comments on electric steering? I had assumed that the reason for the switch from hydraulic was weight and complexity but reading up on the subject shows that the primary reason is fuel economy with that change being worth 1 mpg by eliminating the power steering pump. The thing about the electric powered rack, I can't remember a single car test raving about the change, and usually the opposite. Steering feel is probably the single most important item in the driving experience, so I hope they got it right.

I appreciate your comment on the steering. Since none of us has had the chance to test drive the new car we simply do not know what it will be like but you are spot on with the comment about steering feel being one of the most important aspects of the driving experience.


That single feature could significantly impact the car more than any single body design feature. I could probably get past Camaro tail lights but there is no way i could own a car without the proper steering feel. This is one reason that I prefer my C5 FRC as a driver!

 

[jimxo]

I'm waiting until I see it in person.

 

[i10fwy]

To me, the biggest thing about this car is technical: all-carbon fiber body is major and they also say that the frame will be aluminum. It makes me wonder how they will do any further lightening in the future. Poly-carbonate windows is a possibility, and I personally am hoping for ditching some of the convenience and comfort equipment that people have become so dependent on. I'm not holding my breath on that.

As for the styling, let's face it, there are only so many original ideas for styling a 4 wheeled vehicle. I like Porsches, but if they had never been invented and somebody were to come out with a 911 today, people would hate it.

I have been ambivalent on Corvette styling for some time. Fortunately for me, styling is the least important aspect of vehicle design, and with the thousands of cars already on the road, differentiating an individual car by style is getting harder and harder.

The thing that surprises me a little is where are the comments on electric steering? I had assumed that the reason for the switch from hydraulic was weight and complexity but reading up on the subject shows that the primary reason is fuel economy with that change being worth 1 mpg by eliminating the power steering pump. The thing about the electric powered rack, I can't remember a single car test raving about the change, and usually the opposite. Steering feel is probably the single most important item in the driving experience, so I hope they got it right.

Weight = MPG

 

[1analguy]

Everyone has their own perspective and taste, however questionable, but how can you leave out the C5 Corvette which IMHO is the most beautiful Corvettes of all time! Have you forgotten that the 1999 C5 was chosen as the Best Engineered Car of the 20th Century? In addition to the "engineering" the lines of the C5 are clean and flowing. Is there any car more pleasing to the eye than the C5 Z06? I'm not just saying this because I own a C5 because I also own a C6 and C4. I too have some concerns over the renderings but I beieve when we see the car most of us will love it. Does anyone remember all the negativity about the C6 when it came out and also about the C5. I am confident that after the C7 is out for a while most of the negative comments will go away except from those that are habitually adverse to change or just like to complain.

Each of us is probably hard-wired as to what is visually appealing to us in a mate, a car, etc. You love the looks of your C5 Z. Personally, I rate the looks of the C5 hard top well below the looks of the '74-'77 C3s. I only mention these C3s because, until the C5 hard tops came out, I thought that the '74-'77s were were the absolute worst looking Corvettes of all time. I was so put off by the C5s when they debuted that I immediately conducted a nation-wide search for my C4 GS. That's why I "left out" the C5. But that's just me. I understand that others feel differently, and that they aren't wrong...they just feel differently than I do. And, the currently-offered renderings of the C7 are leaving me nearly as cold as the C5 did. I know that, just as the C5 was, the C7 will probably be a technical leap forward. But as I get older, I'm finding that my car's aesthetics really do matter to me. In view of the appearance of the C7, I've been casting about for other possible replacements for my GS. I briefly looked at a CTS-V coupe, since I know that the current Cadillacs are great cars, but their styling has an inelegant brutality that is unappealing to me in the same way as the C7. While I'd never be caught dead in a 911, the new 981 Boxster/Cayman has some appeal if I ignore the real-world cost of ownership. Since I can't afford to do that, I really don't know what I'm going to end up with. I do know it won't be a C7...

 

[Low drag - High speed]

Interesting thread to say the least.

What I take away from this discussion are three things;

1. I dare not customize my pristine '84. Even though they are as common as mustaches, most are basket cases or far from stock. Even though bought it to drop in a 427 and then trick out the body and machinery, I can't in good conscience destroy such a well-preserved time capsule of a first-year C4. And, yes, I believe like 1analguy that it's pure engineering that luckily turned out beautiful, unlike other Vette bodies. C5? I like them a lot with the Tigershark kits and they were indeed game-changers in their day.

2. Electric steering may be a leap in technology, but will be a dangerous flaw when malfunctions occur as the chassis age.

and 3. I'd rather resemble a Ferrari than a Camaro.

 

[1analguy]

A truly original-condition '84 is indeed a wondrous thing to behold...every bit the "time machine" that a crisp C2 is. It was a world-class marvel when new, and perfect examples will be sought after, if they aren't already. My '96 is also in showroom condition, so I don't dare mess with it, either. After 16+ years, I'm getting the itch for something different so I'll be parting with the GS and moving on...

 

[Low drag - High speed]

You'll always miss your '96 if you get rid of it.

Try to keep it even when you get your next Corvette. It's like gold in a safety deposit box, too.

I'll get my wrenching fix from our '95, which is awaiting a 4L60E transplant and a new rear main seal. I have a GMC to drive, so I can take my time and do a precise job on it.

The '84 geta frequent detailing to keep it crisp.