Now that the cat is out of the bag, many points of view are coming to the forefront. Some love the new car, and some hate it. Even Ed Welburn said it had the 'potential' to be polarizing. While the word potential might be an understatement, the car is our new C7 love it or hate it.
If anyone recalls my previous posts, I am not a fan of the car. I have had the opportunity to view and play with the car at some length and while I had hoped it would grow on me, it has not. In fact, the more I look at it the more things I dislike.
The Camaro tailights are the car's biggest glaring flaw. For those who do not see the resemblance, the only logic I can find is that you are lying to yourselves, out of brand loyalty, or disbelief perhaps, I'm not sure.
When you get past the Camaro tailights, the rear end is still greatly flawed. Some have noticed, there is a bump in the middle. It is almost a nose. Why? I suppose this is intented to be a nod to the 63' teardrop design that comes to a point in the rear? Whatever the reason, there should not be a nose in the middle of the rear bumber.
As far as things I'm ok with, the black vents and the quad exhaust. Those can stay. Though the Lexus LF-A does the venting much better.
I will not comment on the side and front much. Some have said they look like the new Viper. The Viper has always been a pretty car, the new one is exquisite, and an example of the proper way to update a car. I can see the resemblance to the Viper in the new Vette's front and sides, it is vague but there. Regardless, front and sides of the new Vette are more subtle than the Viper and are 'lacking' for a better word, boring.
The wheel presented thus far, not bad...but not great.
On to the interior. I applaud the similaries to the late C4 interior design. It is warm, inviting, and familiar. However, there are a few things that just don't make sense to me.
The six sided squarish thing in the middle of the steering wheel. Nothing to say about that other than, er?
Then we have the radio. It is retro style unit that looks as though it was pulled directly out of the Camaro. Are we not over with this retro styling trend? Can we get on with the future?
Last thing about the interior, carbon fiber. Why? It is the earmark of boy racers and high class exotics. No one wants to be associated with the former, so fail in that regard. And with regard to the latter, aren't we a little late to the party? Can't we do something original with corvette that the other guys didn't do? Oh wait, we did, we gave it a nose in the middle of its butt. Fail.
Ed Welburn should be ashamed of himself and so should any Corvette fan who buys one of these. You may love the car but be aware that due to how polarizing the car is, every time you show up to a car show someone will be there to ask why you bought the Corvette that looks like a Camaro, or Cormero, and I'll be among them because I just can't understand why anyone would want this car.
There are many great car designs on the market right now or on the horizon. The Sideswipe concept was good, the Lexus LF-A is good, the new Viper is good, the 2015 Mustang is even good, the Ferrari 458 Italia is genius. There are lots of great cars coming down the line, the new Corvette just isn't one of them. It may be great from an engineering perspective, but it doesn't matter because of the car's exterior. Unless they change the design of the rear, as far as I'm concerned the Corvette stops with the C6. I know some hope that people buy this car so that we can have a C8. No. I would rather this car kill Corvette and be exposed for the fraud it is, if we lose Corvette in the process, maybe GM will learn a lesson, because it doesn't seem like they've learned anything from their failures in 2008.
As far as the claim that this car is for a younger audience, I am in my early 30s. I have been going to car shows and been in Corvette clubs since I could drive. This car does not appeal to me. If I were to buy a new sports car on the market right now I would buy the new Viper. If I'm looking to spend a little less money I might buy a Z4 roadster, heck I might even buy a ZL-1 Camaro convertible. But I will not, and I think I speak for most whether you agree or not, buy a C7 that looks like what Welburn has given us.
If anyone recalls my previous posts, I am not a fan of the car. I have had the opportunity to view and play with the car at some length and while I had hoped it would grow on me, it has not. In fact, the more I look at it the more things I dislike.
The Camaro tailights are the car's biggest glaring flaw. For those who do not see the resemblance, the only logic I can find is that you are lying to yourselves, out of brand loyalty, or disbelief perhaps, I'm not sure.
When you get past the Camaro tailights, the rear end is still greatly flawed. Some have noticed, there is a bump in the middle. It is almost a nose. Why? I suppose this is intented to be a nod to the 63' teardrop design that comes to a point in the rear? Whatever the reason, there should not be a nose in the middle of the rear bumber.
As far as things I'm ok with, the black vents and the quad exhaust. Those can stay. Though the Lexus LF-A does the venting much better.
I will not comment on the side and front much. Some have said they look like the new Viper. The Viper has always been a pretty car, the new one is exquisite, and an example of the proper way to update a car. I can see the resemblance to the Viper in the new Vette's front and sides, it is vague but there. Regardless, front and sides of the new Vette are more subtle than the Viper and are 'lacking' for a better word, boring.
The wheel presented thus far, not bad...but not great.
On to the interior. I applaud the similaries to the late C4 interior design. It is warm, inviting, and familiar. However, there are a few things that just don't make sense to me.
The six sided squarish thing in the middle of the steering wheel. Nothing to say about that other than, er?
Then we have the radio. It is retro style unit that looks as though it was pulled directly out of the Camaro. Are we not over with this retro styling trend? Can we get on with the future?
Last thing about the interior, carbon fiber. Why? It is the earmark of boy racers and high class exotics. No one wants to be associated with the former, so fail in that regard. And with regard to the latter, aren't we a little late to the party? Can't we do something original with corvette that the other guys didn't do? Oh wait, we did, we gave it a nose in the middle of its butt. Fail.
Ed Welburn should be ashamed of himself and so should any Corvette fan who buys one of these. You may love the car but be aware that due to how polarizing the car is, every time you show up to a car show someone will be there to ask why you bought the Corvette that looks like a Camaro, or Cormero, and I'll be among them because I just can't understand why anyone would want this car.
There are many great car designs on the market right now or on the horizon. The Sideswipe concept was good, the Lexus LF-A is good, the new Viper is good, the 2015 Mustang is even good, the Ferrari 458 Italia is genius. There are lots of great cars coming down the line, the new Corvette just isn't one of them. It may be great from an engineering perspective, but it doesn't matter because of the car's exterior. Unless they change the design of the rear, as far as I'm concerned the Corvette stops with the C6. I know some hope that people buy this car so that we can have a C8. No. I would rather this car kill Corvette and be exposed for the fraud it is, if we lose Corvette in the process, maybe GM will learn a lesson, because it doesn't seem like they've learned anything from their failures in 2008.
As far as the claim that this car is for a younger audience, I am in my early 30s. I have been going to car shows and been in Corvette clubs since I could drive. This car does not appeal to me. If I were to buy a new sports car on the market right now I would buy the new Viper. If I'm looking to spend a little less money I might buy a Z4 roadster, heck I might even buy a ZL-1 Camaro convertible. But I will not, and I think I speak for most whether you agree or not, buy a C7 that looks like what Welburn has given us.