Car & Driver Readers Respond To C7 Article

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,

And my .02 here.

And everyone is forgetting the immense increase in quality through out the entire GM product line.

Having served GM and its customers since 1997, I can personally attest to it. Lower warranty repairs across the board, and much less for me to repair.

Nevermind the fact that Corvette quality has been getting better and better since the C6 inception in 2005.

And its interesting why people talk Volt, because MUCH of the electronics architecture that is in Volt, will be IN C7.

Allthebest, Paul

 

[Red Vette]

Interesting thread. I am reserving my judgement until I actuall get to see a C7 up close and personal, sit in it, etc to make my evaluation. Many thought the rear of the C6 was a departure from the C5 Corvette, and I thought so at first. Grown to love my C6 convertible along with my 2 C5s, so there is no issue as far as I am concerned. I'll bet that the new Stingray will a very popular Corvette, albeit that the price will be more than the C6s. GM has not released pricing as yet, but there will be great bargins on 2012 and 2013 Corvettes from the dealers. GM continues to release info on the C7 and we become entralled with the technology that went into the Corvette. In the C7 convertible, one can lower and raise the soft top while the car is moving 30 mph or less. No more stopping, putting the tranny in neutral, emergency brake on, then raising the top in the rain. Great advance for the C7. I also agree with Paul, the quality in the Corvette keeps getting better and better. When I think of all the repairs I had to do with my C2s and C4s, the C5s and C6s are a dream come true for those of us who just want to drive the Corvette and not have it in the repair shop. I have had Corvette fever since they were born and I am still and enthausiast after 50+ years of being in a Corvette. There is no other vehicle that I would want to drive or own over the Corvette.
Barrett

 

[1analguy]

I need to correct an error in the OP. I just finished carefully rereading the April C&D, before passing it on to my buddy. I originally posted that C&D had printed four C7-negative letters. I was mistaken...they actually printed five C7-negative letters. Sorry for the mistake...

 

[1analguy]

When you step back from the issue.and look rationally at the development of the C7, you have to know GM knew there would be a huge issue with some existing Vette customers over the direction of the new model. To me, that means that it's more important than we may know to develop a revised and enlarged customer base. There is no way the brand will survive with production numbers we have seen for the last 3 or 4 years...

If GM was trying to sell the C7 in the same economic conditions that the C6 was dealing with, the C7 wouldn't sell any better than the C6 did...no matter how thrilled the "thumb-talkers" are with it...

...GM is not a boutique car builder, and relies on economies of scale. GM no longer has the huge sales and Capitol reserves to pay for the substantial Corvette investment in engineering and facilities. The Vette will have to pay its' own way. So I see the C7 as the last opportunity get enough new customers to bring production back to respectable number. If I was the Chairman or a Board member at GM, the Chevy team would be on notice that continued Vette production is not a given.

We may be looking at things from the backside here. Traditionally, the Corvette has had the added value of being the platform where the latest/newest technologies were introduced for production. They then "trickled-down" to the rest of Chevy's lineup...often, notably, the Camaro. With this launch, however, it seems that some of the technology flow has been "uphill" instead...

 

[ltmax]

I need to correct an error in the OP. I just finished carefully rereading the April C&D, before passing it on to my buddy. I originally posted that C&D had printed four C7-negative letters. I was mistaken...they actually printed five C7-negative letters. Sorry for the mistake...

I had to tag on your reply since I can't see how one adds an input to a thread individually. Anyway -

I agree on the small Vette production numbers, but that's a direct result of the destroyed, fraud-ridden U.S. economy, not the desirability of the Vette. If things were right, the victorious C6's would be everywhere.

As for the C7, when you have to have the chief of design make a video to the auto media in defence of the design soon after the car's intro, you got a problem! I think the big problem with the tail light treatment is the use of the long, rectangular insert that houses both lights and the vent - that they do not have their own recesses in the fascia like the C6, etc. That insert just looks cheap and highlighting it in black against the body color only makes it worse. It will be a big help when they make the insert in body color.
The fenders are completely overdone and the frownface has to go!
I'd buy the C6 for the clean body style despite the interior and buy the C7 for the great interior despite the overdone body style. Maybe Callaway can help!

 

[67vet]

I'll bet Callaway designers are already working on their own design changes.

 

[1analguy]

JMO, but in the past, the further from stock that Callaway's designs got, the whackier they looked...

 

[xfirez51]

JMO, but in the past, the further from stock that Callaway's designs got, the whackier they looked...

I tend to agree. I thought the C 12 was a whale.

 

[navy2kcoupe]

Although I'm not a fan of the C7, I will say that round lights just wouldn't go with the rest of
the cars angular lines. It would be like putting C7 tail lights on a C5 or C4.........it just wouldn't work
with the rest of the car..........
Andy

 

[catbert]

If GM was trying to sell the C7 in the same economic conditions that the C6 was dealing with, the C7 wouldn't sell any better than the C6 did...no matter how thrilled the "thumb-talkers" are with it..

In the same economic conditions Porsche had their best year in their history, even with a totally depressed European market. The 911 outsold the C6 by 2 to 1.


[/QUOTE]We may be looking at things from the backside here. Traditionally, the Corvette has had the added value of being the platform where the latest/newest technologies were introduced for production. They then "trickled-down" to the rest of Chevy's lineup...often, notably, the Camaro. With this launch, however, it seems that some of the technology flow has been "uphill" instead...[/QUOTE]

What technology trickled up? The heart of the Camaro, the drive train, is Corvette and Cadillac based. Are you are saying that unround tail lights is technology? If it's the linear styling, maybe the 2003 CTS is the C7s daddy.

 

[ltmax]

I tend to agree. I thought the C 12 was a whale.

Boy, you guys were right about the Callaway dept. This 'object' based on the C7 is FKN WEIRD. Instead of coming to the rescue, they go off the bizzaro deep end. I remember the wagon kits from the '70's - better looking than this.

 

[1analguy]

In the same economic conditions Porsche had their best year in their history, even with a totally depressed European market. The 911 outsold the C6 by 2 to 1...

Porsche was selling a full-range lineup to a less-downturn-sensitive clientele than was GM with the C6. The 981s and 991s are also all new (though, amazingly, they manage to look very much like the cars that they replaced), with pent-up demand for those new models. I understand that this will also be somewhat true for the C7 vs C6...

What technology trickled up? The heart of the Camaro, the drive train, is Corvette and Cadillac based. Are you are saying that unround tail lights is technology? If it's the linear styling, maybe the 2003 CTS is the C7s daddy.

I had in mind primarily the Camaro's more modern electronics/infotainment, etc., but after writing that, I realized that the two models are always "leap-frogging" each other's development cycles...and so now it will be the Corvette's turn to have the latest stuff.

Boy, you guys were right about the Callaway dept. This 'object' based on the C7 is FKN WEIRD. Instead of coming to the rescue, they go off the bizzaro deep end. I remember the wagon kits from the '70's - better looking than this.

Callaway's engineering has always been top notch, but their styling...well, they should've bit the bullet a long time ago and hired a real-deal, top-tier designer. I have no problem with a C7 SB, as a general concept, but they were way too timid with this one...as though they were afraid they might go to far. The trailing edge of the roof line needs to be both pulled up and moved back by a few more inches, in order for the exercise to be at all worthwhile. The way it is, they've accomplished nothing other than making the car look different. There can't be enough additional interior room to make it worthwhile...though again, at least the quarter windows may now be properly referred to as "windows".

 

[catbert]

Porsche was selling a full-range lineup to a less-downturn-sensitive clientele than was GM with the C6. The 981s and 991s are also all new (though, amazingly, they manage to look very much like the cars that they replaced), with pent-up demand for those new models. I understand that this will also be somewhat true for the C7 vs C6...




I had in mind primarily the Camaro's more modern electronics/infotainment, etc., but after writing that, I realized that the two models are always "leap-frogging" each other's development cycles...and so now it will be the Corvette's turn to have the latest stuff.

I'll give you the infotainment system. The C6 system was outmoded before it came out, and Chevy kept it in until the last unit was built. Other than that, the Camaro has nothing on the Vette.

Porsche has a broad line, and they all outsold the Vette. The 911 series, no matter what the model designation, outsold the Vette 2 to 1 in 2013. That has never happened before. I never thought I'd ever see the 911 series outsell the Corvette. It should be pointed out that most of Europe, even Germany, has economic conditions worse than we have. Porsche is doing this even though the European car sales are generally in the dumpster. I'm hoping this is the reason GM has broadened the appeal of the C7. It would be nice to sell the Vette in those countries that have the left drive standard, although GM hasn't before shown they are capable of doing that.

 

[ltmax]

I'll give you the infotainment system. The C6 system was outmoded before it came out, and Chevy kept it in until the last unit was built. Other than that, the Camaro has nothing on the Vette.

Porsche has a broad line, and they all outsold the Vette. The 911 series, no matter what the model designation, outsold the Vette 2 to 1 in 2013. That has never happened before. I never thought I'd ever see the 911 series outsell the Corvette. It should be pointed out that most of Europe, even Germany, has economic conditions worse than we have. Porsche is doing this even though the European car sales are generally in the dumpster. I'm hoping this is the reason GM has broadened the appeal of the C7. It would be nice to sell the Vette in those countries that have the left drive standard, although GM hasn't before shown they are capable of doing that.

I think that's mainly because the 911 went from 997 to 991, big update, while the C6 remained the same (despite the ragtop 427). We'll see how it goes with the C7. The part that galls me is how Porsche gouges their customers for cars that the Vette smokes, model for model. $95grand for a 400 hp Carrara S?! Yeah, nice interior, but next to a Grand Sport - $40grand worth of interior?! Different customers? Fine. Just don't get frisky next to a Z - Vette. You'll get SMOKED!

 

[1analguy]

I think that's mainly because the 911 went from 997 to 991, big update, while the C6 remained the same (despite the ragtop 427). We'll see how it goes with the C7. The part that galls me is how Porsche gouges their customers for cars that the Vette smokes, model for model. $95grand for a 400 hp Carrara S?! Yeah, nice interior, but next to a Grand Sport - $40grand worth of interior?! Different customers? Fine. Just don't get frisky next to a Z - Vette. You'll get SMOKED!

This cost vs performance point is completely true, but only in the U.S. GM wants to get serious about selling Corvettes in Europe...where the Corvette's cost advantage is little or nothing. There, the Corvette will have to compete head to head with the 991/911 on performance and refinement. The performance won't be a problem, but the refinement...well, as I said, Porsche has been refining the 911 for decades. The C7 had better be one hell of a nice car if it's to have any hope of shattering its "junk yard dog" stereotype over there...