New Black C6 from a Euro site ...

[vette warehouse]

Final C6 design

Hi everyone.
Avid Vette fan here - Would marry one if the law would permit
I think that this time around the Next vette (lets call it the C5.5) will be disappointing in the design department. So far all the spy pictures do not look that promising since the side (or better yet - the entire profile) of the car looks exteremly similar to the C5. In other words if it looks like one, - smells like one,.....it is probably... Since there are minors on this web site (such as Ross -just kidding - youre great man I can't use any foul language and complete the sentence
It seems at this point that The next Vette will go through what the 3000GT went at the time they have redone the rear and headlights. As much as the front and rear will be touched up - the design of the car is way too reminiscent of the current model -which is too noticeable to the eye.
However, I do believe that the guys at GM will make it up to us in the power department and we, Vette drivers, will rip everyone out there on the road until the Z06 will appear - and by than we shall rip and cremate everyone out there (even the Ford GT)
Don't you think so Ross?
PS - If there will be a surprise and the car will look like nothing we have imagined - I will take back my words about its looks.
David

 

[ROCKETBLOCK]

C6 may not be dissapointing if you are driving a C5 that you like. I'll just keep on truckin with the C5 and save money!

 

[Brett]

I think you are all jumping the gun.

It is clear there is a significant amount of camo on the car. Wait until the finished product.

I also think people are having the wrong expectations. It has been said from the beginning it will be evolutionary instead of revolutionary. And based on the success and capability of the C5, I don't think that is that bad of a thing.....




Brett

 

[UB2 SLOW]

Check out the Brake rotors. There Crossed drilled. Thats an outstanding addition if its coming stock! I like the shape of the rims too.

 

[LongTimer]

Notice how the cover dips and shows the headlight outline? Why is there no clear "lens cover" making the opening undecernable? Maybe they chose not to make headlight covers for these pilot cars because the fender is BOGUS!!??!!

 

[CFour]

No the fender is the real thing. They do have overlays over them in certain places. These Beta-plus cars have most of the finished pieces attached for proper real world testing. The fact is ALL the body panels are new from the C5 they just look very much the same in style...go figure.

 

[vette warehouse]

C6 Shape

Hey Ross
There is something that I don't get about GM.
In this day and age - when the competition is fierce - and nearly every car goes through a major change (cosmetic) very often, GM should have made the new Corvette look different from the C5. MY only assumption for not doing so is:-- budget cuts (or not enough money to put into a new design). I'm sure that the new corvette will have a nice presence (I hope it will - and if it will be fast I'll get it) - just a major disappointment as I hoped for a major change (in appearance). My only fear is that the Vette will end up looking funny with the new fascia and rear end.
David

 

[Chris Kennedy]

I am a big Corvette fan, like all of us, so I think it looks especially bad when many of us are expressing such disappointment in these various spy shots of the C6. While the engineers have done an outstanding job on the mechanical aspects of the car, the C4 and C5 stylists were criticized for comming up with somewhat disappointing designs. Whether you liked them or not, the C2 and C3 styling was pretty dramatic. In these C6 shots, what I see is lots of confusion----what are they trying to do? Improve a C5? Give the C6 "styling cues" from the C2 or C3? I opened the Wall Street Journal this morning and saw a full page add for the new Acura TL, and was struck by the fact that while it is hardly my type of car, it's a striking, modern, interesting and crisp design. In the last several years there have actually been a number of very attractive, innovative and, well, slick designs from both Asia and Europe. Yet, I look at these C6 shots, and like many of you see sort of mushed-over C5, which had its own problems to begin with. As I said, I am a big Corvette fan, and apologize if I have offended anyone, but these C6 shots are NOT getting any better even as more of the cladding comes off.

--Chris Kennedy

 

[LongTimer]

We haven't seen the C6 yet, so I'm not defending or attacking any design or anyone's opinion; however, I would like to share some design observations I've made over the years:

Some of the most successful (def = sales) models find a design and stay with the theme while refining or evolving the design throughout the years. Examples(not saying I like these cars but market success is indisputable): Mustang, VW Beetle, & Porsche are three examples.

We frequently see radical new designs that attempt to charm us. Each may appeal emotionally to some, but most people are completely turned off. The vast majority of these radical designs die a tortuous, costly death in the marketplace. Examples: Subaru SVX, Subaru XT, Aztek (I think one guy in Pokipsey liked it), Merkur, Gremlin, Pacer, many Citroens, and many, other forgettables. A few other radical new designs are very successful like the C2 Sting Ray, PT Cruiser, Mustang, Porsche, Beetle, etc.

Occasionally we see a very successful, unique design introduced that is followed by a new generation that is just as radical, but is quite unsuccessful. Example: Taurus - #1 selling in its Gen Ia & Gen Ib, then the Gen IIa & Gen IIb were so bad that the Gen III will probably get a name change.

Engineering and retooling costs even for high volume cars is very, very high. Back to the Taurus. Despite being the #1 selling car, the Gen Ia was only slightly restyled as a Gen Ib. Please note here that the vette sells a small fraction of the cars the Taurus was selling back then, but the C5 / C6 styling changes will likely be more significant than that of the Taurus Ia / Ib.

OK, what's this all got to do with the C6? Choosing a mission statement for the design of the next generation, limited volume, high profile, much loved (worshipped?) Corvette is risky business indeed. Radical changes could result in another C2 Sting Ray, or a Pacer. Moderate changes get criticized as too conservative. Bottom line; being responsible for the results is much more difficult than poking holes perceived weaknesses. Let's wait and see what January brings us.

 

[budweisert]

I already posted this on a seperate thread, but. . . ah what the hell, here ya' go...

 

[CFour]

Re: C6 Shape

Hey Ross
There is something that I don't get about GM.
In this day and age - when the competition is fierce - and nearly every car goes through a major change (cosmetic) very often, GM should have made the new Corvette look different from the C5. MY only assumption for not doing so is:-- budget cuts (or not enough money to put into a new design). I'm sure that the new corvette will have a nice presence (I hope it will - and if it will be fast I'll get it) - just a major disappointment as I hoped for a major change (in appearance). My only fear is that the Vette will end up looking funny with the new fascia and rear end.
David

This is the whole reason for my Dem or Republican thread. GM is just to darn stogy in its thinking. Only GM could make an "all new" car look like the one its going to replace. Dont get me wrong radical isn't what im looking for either. But **OH WOW** striking would make me happy. C6 will be a handsome car but I feel it wont have the "reach" it will need to keep it still looking fresh 3 years from now. I think GM has got a one track mind all of a sudden with Corvette and its a Horsepower one. This is fine but the car also needs to be striking and beautiful for me to buy it. I dont think they did there homework this time. It needs to be a "total package" to keep its demand high. We can only wait and see what happens to sales the second model year. I dont think its going to be the BRISK seller C5 was at all.

 

[JBsC5]

I already posted this on a seperate thread, but. . . ah what the hell, here ya' go...

Nice work! I think this can be said to be much closer in C6 design.

I appreciate the effort and in the end...the c5 has been such a sales success...GM would be crazy to go tooo far from its current model...

IMprove...all the areas that present customers mention in testing and marketing polls..etc...

I think GM did the right thing for us C5 owners as well.. the depreciation hit will be much less than expected ..IMHO...because of the similiarity between the two cars..

I like this artwork. I can begin to see where the appeal is going to be..and make this C6 quite a hottie..

 

[Zektor]

Rear too sharp?

Budweisert,
I'm not so sure about the way you've cut the rear of the car off on your picture. I think the rear of the car (as viewed from the side) is shaped exactly as you see the camo'd car. Two reasons...

1. Crash Protection. The new Ford GT40 has had to have bumpers fitted to the rear because of the angle of cut on the rear panel. I believe the Corvette would fall foul of the same problem and therefore must keep a "fatter" bumper.

2. The gas door, look at the rear edge of the gas door, I believe there is a design clue there as to the shape of the rear of the car. I wouldn't be suprised if the shape of the rear edge of the gas door matches the shape of the rear of the car... as a design similarity. If so, then the rear of the car is correct, padded or not, I believe the shape is correct in the "unaltered photos".

Cheers
Dazza

 

[Brett]

Here is my personal view of the bigger picture:

The C5 is one of the, if not the, most successful Corvette generations of all time. It brought Corvette back from the brink, and now it is more popular than ever. If GM wanted to, they could have milked the C5 design for many, many more years. Compared to the C3 and C4 generations, the C5 run has been incredibly short. In fact, the C5 still seems "new" to me. And it is expensive to have to design and build new parts. From a purely financial standpoint, it would be cheaper to stick with the already there-and-ready C5 design, which had many more money making years ahead of it. This leads me to believe there were technical advancements that GM felt they HAD to incorporate, and they couldn't simply improve the already existing C5 design and still call it the C5. They had to go to a new generation. So regardless of how similar it looks, I think it is a step in the right direction. Perhaps they realized with the newfound popularity of musclecars that they better get in on it now instead of later. To be a leader instead of play catch-up. Because while the Z06 is impressive, 500 hp in a sub-3000 pound car for less than 50 grand is a MONSTER. A monster that would put Corvette at the center of attention.

However, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there is a different reason for cutting the C5 so early/C6 release.



Brett

 

[KANE]

Most people would consider this trivial- but why not move back to say an 18X9.5 wheel on all four ends?

Personally, I am not much for big and littles on a car that is purposed for other than drag racing. I don't think it looks cool - even if it has functionality. I think it makes the car look unbalanced.

I think the C3 got away with its fender lines because it had a mid-line crease across its body. You know- the line where the two tone paint would start. This helped break up the shape where the fenders sat higher than the cowl. This feature tied the creases into the body lines nicely.

The C6 posted here doens't have that styling cue. Therefore, it looks bent in the middle.

 

[KANE]

HOWEVER-

I think its apparant that the design engineers wanted to make the C6 a retro throwback. With the popularity of the LS1 in C2/3s... I can see where they would want to just build one!

 

[CFour]

The ONLY reason C5 was changed a little early was because of the Cadillac. The C5 platform was to restrictive for cadillac to get there folding roof and N. Star motor into. This was OK with Chevrolet because Cadillac paid for 1/2 of the Vettes redesign more or less. I do have a feeling the C6 was RUSHED along because of the XLR and Cadillacs demands, IMO it (Cadillac) has tampered with Corvette's natural evelution.

 

[Vettelt193]

A huge thing to think about as well... IMO, GM/Chevy has learned that it makes more marketing sense to make a new generation instead of a minor update. It has been said the C6 is going to be evolutionary... ie, it will be an updated C5. Instead of giving the C5 a facelift, like the C4 had in 1991, we are getting a C6.

Imagine in the C4 years if Chevy held out on the LT1, the updated body, and the new dash/interior all for a single model year change..... I think the C6 will be a bit more of a change, but not too much more.

If you look at the C4 Vs. C5 overall, there have not been that many changes at all in the C5 years compared to the C4 years.... The C4 had many updates, both major and minor.

In the first 8 years of the C4 we saw a change from crossfire to TPI, 4+3 to 6 speed, an entirely new dash, and a facelift... In the 8 years of C5 I have only seen minor changes... as a matter of fact, the only thing that really sets a 1997 apart from a 2004 is the wheels... nothing major has changed at all.

To make a long story short, I think chevy has just been holding out on many changes to make a new generation, where in earlier years they made more changes on a yearly basis.

 

[ROCKETBLOCK]

The ONLY reason C5 was changed a little early was because of the Cadillac. The C5 platform was to restrictive for cadillac to get there folding roof and N. Star motor into. This was OK with Chevrolet because Cadillac paid for 1/2 of the Vettes redesign more or less. I do have a feeling the C6 was RUSHED along because of the XLR and Cadillacs demands, IMO it (Cadillac) has tampered with Corvette's natural evelution.

I have to agree with this! Not that it is a bad thing.

 

[JBsC5]

The ONLY reason C5 was changed a little early was because of the Cadillac. The C5 platform was to restrictive for cadillac to get there folding roof and N. Star motor into. This was OK with Chevrolet because Cadillac paid for 1/2 of the Vettes redesign more or less. I do have a feeling the C6 was RUSHED along because of the XLR and Cadillacs demands, IMO it (Cadillac) has tampered with Corvette's natural evelution.

ditto..

Good call.