New Renderings - Dec 6th

[DRM87]

Originally Posted by stinger430

Glad you like it DRM87. That's 1 confirmed sale for G.M. But please don't try to belittle the men and women who've made the Corvettes existence possible for so many years. If it weren't for them, you'd have no Fixed Roof Coupe to enjoy.

Just poking fun... Those that live in glass houses I suppose...

Perhaps we shouldn't belittle those men and women who've worked so hard to make the C7 a possibility at all, who continue the Corvette tradition for my generation and those to follow.

[alexandro777]

Originally Posted by Chris Draper

Not sure where these came from, but they were just posted on another forum.

I really don't understand why every one is bitching about the new ass. The corvette never had a sexy ass in it's life.

[iowa61]

[quote=alexandro777;2000963]

Originally Posted by Chris Draper

Not sure where these came from, but they were just posted on another forum.

I really don't understand why every one is bitching about the new ass. The corvette never had a sexy ass in it's life.

That C3 rear end is drop dead gorgeous, period, end of story. The C4 boring but not offensive. The C7 chaotic (though this rendering tones it down).

[dreamcars99]

In truth I never got much "old mans car", 90% of young people loved the 'vette. The exception was those Japanese car guys, who really only like Japanese cars and possibly a handful of European selections. But they are aggressive and arrogant towards just about anything, except, I suppose, a tuned up STi or a GT-R.

Alot of younger people admire modern Vettes. They know about the good mileage, that you can take it to a strip, or to a track.

What the Vette lacks in my experience is street cred not among young people, but among the "image is everything" crowd, the crowd that would respect a 328i but scoff at a CTS-V, or love an R8 but scoff at a ZR1. The Vette's didn't get much love from that crowd in my experience.

[dreamcars99]

Ill go ahead and say that I'd be willing to bet a large bar tab that the C7's rear will have those features, the teardrops, the weird-o taillights, and everything else that we've been shown, but that it won't look that discordant.

It will look 3x better in real life (which still wouldn't necessarily be good), just for not looking so jumbled and discordant. And as I don't have to often look at the back of my own car, I'll probably get over it. I already sold my C6 Z06 earlier this year, which was my last C6, and I wouldn't like to go a whole summer without a Vette.

[alexandro777]

[quote=iowa61;2000965]

Originally Posted by alexandro777

That C3 rear end is drop dead gorgeous, period, end of story. The C4 boring but not offensive. The C7 chaotic (though this rendering tones it down).

The only good looking ass in a corvette

[spd98]

The back end of the c7 renders just look busy.... and doesn't flow well with the rest of the car to me. I could understand the vents if they serve a purpose. But why all the lines and angles on a car thats mostly curves?

[Andonis]

Originally Posted by Longtimer

There has been no confirmation as yet, that Santa will be placing large amounts of k-nine excrement in each of their stockings.

[Andonis]

Originally Posted by Longtimer

Thanks for chiming in. I guess I have single handedly beat this to death, but my goal, assuming the majority of us feel the same way, has been to make GM KNOW how unhappy we are and they should make themselves prepared if sales do drop off faster and deeper than they did with the C6.

If this happens, they might decide that an early life design update is required - 3-5 years into the gen.

I really have no idea if the sales will drop off faster than the C6, I just know there are a LOT of us who are unhappy and at least some of us who won't be spending $60k for a C7 with that rear end ... and side.

maybe you heard that the malibu will be redesigned tooo soon.
you know why i said this, dont you

[Fly03Z06]

Originally Posted by dreamcars99

Ill go ahead and say that I'd be willing to bet a large bar tab that the C7's rear will have those features, the teardrops, the weird-o taillights, and everything else that we've been shown, but that it won't look that discordant.

It will look 3x better in real life (which still wouldn't necessarily be good), just for not looking so jumbled and discordant. And as I don't have to often look at the back of my own car, I'll probably get over it. I already sold my C6 Z06 earlier this year, which was my last C6, and I wouldn't like to go a whole summer without a Vette.

We have all seen pictures with the "Camo" covering.
Hopefully, the Camo covering will also be provided as a low cost factory installed option and not only offered as dealer installed.

[dobrenyr]

This looks more tolerable...OMG ! Maybe we are getting used to it, or getting over the shock factor. It does give us an idea how subtle changes to that original hideous design can be smoothed out to seem much more accepable... but i hope it doesn't look like a cheap hatchback... or subaru BRZ or 370Z or GTR or.... or... or... or anything but a corvette.

[Dan85Vette]

Originally Posted by alexandro777

+1 for split windows

[iowa61]

Originally Posted by DRM87

As a current Corvette enthusiast (have owned 3) and a young person (Age 25), I think they hit it spot on.

If they are trying to appeal to the younger demographic, they did just that! The more I see of this car the more I absolutely love it! I for one, cannot wait to get out there and buy one. Its a shame I just bought my most recent vette in July. It may be short lived if it looks this good.

I'm tired of people calling my car a grandpa car (I don't think gramps would be driving a '99 FRC 441LSX, but thats beside the point). All I can say is, move over ya old farts, this isn't Grandpa's Vette anymore. 1/13/13 can't come fast enough!

Well, your post provokes a lot of questions about both what it takes, design-wise, to appeal to a younger buyer and how the economics of that strategy work out.

I doubt GM can generate sufficient revenue on the Vette product by designing to a narrow demographic. Passing tastes and an aging population work against that.

There is also no doubt that truly timeless design has broad appeal, across generations and other demographic metrics. That's a demonstrable fact.

As an aside, I have to note that in monitoring all the forums, there is little enthusiasm for the looks of this car so far. It's early yet, but even the few defenders out there are hardly calling this a breakthrough, instant classic...

To the contrary, the most enthusiastic (other than you) are saying "...you'll get used to it..."

[dreamcars99]

Originally Posted by iowa61

Well, your post provokes a lot of questions about both what it takes, design-wise, to appeal to a younger buyer and how the economics of that strategy work out.

I doubt GM can generate sufficient revenue on the Vette product by designing to a narrow demographic. Passing tastes and an aging population work against that.

There is also no doubt that truly timeless design has broad appeal, across generations and other demographic metrics. That's a demonstrable fact.

As an aside, I have to note that in monitoring all the forums, there is little enthusiasm for the looks of this car so far. It's early yet, but even the few defenders out there are hardly calling this a breakthrough, instant classic...

To the contrary, the most enthusiastic (other than you) are saying "...you'll get used to it..."

That was a great post. Here's the thing, I live in a pretty nice neighborhood, my nieghbor makes six figures and works for Eli Lily, several of my neighbors own businesses and are doing well, they are all in their 30's, some early 40's, maybe a few late 20s.

None have nor can afford a Corvette. Its not a cheap car, even if its a very cheap car for what it does when compared to its peers, it is by far a luxury to have a Vette, especially a new one.

These people have mortgages, and kids that'll need college, and more. So they have no $4 figure 'vette payment, or the $50-60k it would take of savings ot pay cash for one, or if they do, that savings is for another purpose.

The Vette is probably much less an old mans car than a Ferrari, simply because you probably have to be rich or nearly rich to buy a Ferrari. Very few young kids have Ferrari money, and the number of them that do are irrelevant to Corvette sales. Selling some 'Vettes to rock stars or athletes or wall street all stars is not relevant to the total sales figures, its eminently relevant to Ferrari sales figures. No I would guess most Ferrari owners are not in their 20's at all.

The C7 will of course sell mostly to "old men", because they are the men with all the coin. I'm sure GM knows this, I can only assume that their intention to appeal to young people stems from a desire to prime the pump for future Vette sales.

To that end, the failure to include a proper paddle shifted manual (one of the crowning advances in cars in the last 15 years) would be a very bad blow to that goal. The failure to not continue the C5/C6 path of beating the pants off of various European exotics would also be a bad blow. AND IT WON'T HELP KEEPING THE LEAF SPRINGS, WHICH ARE THE SUBJECT OF MUCH MOCKERY. EVEN IF THEY AREN'T ANY WORSE THAN COILS, EVEN IF THEY WERE BETTER (I DON'T BUY THAT), THE MOCKERY THEY RECEIVE ALONE MAKES THE VETTE SEEM LIKE A FOSSIL. That won't help the C7 achieve its goal of attracting young buyers.

I didn't truly love the looks of the C6, but I absolutely think that the widebody C6 is one of the very best looking cars ever made. I spent more time staring at the looks of my C6 Z06 than any other car I ever owned. And thats a true statement, even though it wasn't by any stretch the most expensive of those cars.

The design of the Vette really wasn't broke. I do think that those "teardrop, mime clown eye" highlights we see in these renders will in real life look better because they will be vents, probably releasing air from the rear wheelwells. And they will be less ridiculous looking and more swoopy, leaving kind of floating tail lights. I don't think the C7 will be a disaster, but ...

I do admit I'm shy about grabbing a ticket to Detroit for the 13th out of fear that I'd wind up throwing up in my mouth at the unveiling, and being miserable for the rest of the trip. lol

[Longtimer]

Then yuk ...