John T

The 370 Z has a interesting B pillar / quarter window arrangement and it seems to work

I saw where keeks mentioned the C7 quarter window and they stay in place. I hope they are not completely blocked by the " halo bar ".

JoesC5

Measuring the photo, the distance over the rear tires is the same for the Z06 and the C7 rendering. Of course, no one outside of GM knows what the measurement across the rear tires will be on the C7. Before I can offer my opinion as to whether the C7 is a "wide" body" I would have to know what measurement, off an actual C7, was used in order to properly size/scale the two photos when they were melded into one photo.


Does your friend have any actual, factual measurements of a C7 to base his comparison on? Assumptions on his part, or yours, is not enough to compare the sizes of the two cars.

NSC5

In my opinion, if anybody wants to invest the time in this type of measurement you are MUCH better working from "spy" photos such as those from Car and Driver rather than a rendering. If you can find a known item to measure (i.e. lug nut cross section) then you can use that to scale the part of the photo that lies in that plane and perhaps work from there.

Personally, I can wait until the real thing is released and I don't get trying to extrapolate measurements using a computer generated model based upon a previous rendering based upon a recollection based upon a .... etc.

Jinx

The C6 is still being seen at a different angle than the C7. I'd want to see the two cars from the same perspective, e.g. standing between them not directly behind one or the other; or two separate shots, directly behind each. And a straight-up overhead shot would be much more informative about overall width.

But ultimately you're looking at a guesstimated rendering of C7, not something based on the real C7's dimensions, and trying to calculate whether there are a couple of inches this way or that. "Measure" away, but I wouldn't put much stock in the results.

I'll guesstimate with a completely different approach. We believe GM wants to reduce apparent width, and probably apparent size overall. Also, frontal area significantly impacts highway fuel economy and top speed. The widebody look is appealing to existing Corvette fans, but they can accomplish that to some degree with styling as opposed to adding inches. And between weight reduction and possible improvements in tire technology, they can achieve better handling without GS/Z06 tire widths, which can also benefit rolling resistance thus fuel economy.

I bet the car is about the same width as the base C6, but manages to look like the wheels are set wider like the GS/Z06.

.Jinx

John T

Well if one is not too busy, this stuff can be fun.

John T

I hope you are right Jinx

I know I might catch some heat for this but my ZO6 always felt like too much car for the back roads , kinda taking the fun out of some spirited driving. I would love the C7 to be more nimble.

BlueOx

He's not my friend, I just sent him as message as can you. Everything you, me or anyone talks about here on C7 Forum is assumption, yet comparisons are the daily occurance.

Jinx

Close inspection of the C7 model has produced good things so far. I think the closer we look at it and the more tweaking Trinity does the more real-looking it gets. And I bet the more like the real thing, too, assuming the basic elements are right. So by all means, poke and prod and measure away; accurate or not, it's interesting.

BlueOx

My question wasn't about measurements. It was 'is it a wide body or not'? If there is only one C7 body, wide-body is a very subjective idea that will be judged by comparing it to a C6 wide body. Based on what I've see so far, it looks quite wide bodied to me.

Jinx

What does "wide body" really mean though?

Racer X

perhaps our screens display differently or we took different points as the edge. I measured the C6 roof at 1 3/8 versus 1 5/8s on a ruler that measured to 32nd of an inch. I get a difference between 18 and 19% hence my 6-8 inches. Doing scale work off a screen is difficult at best.

BlueOx the reason this matters to if it is a widebody or not is that if you took 6" out od the middle of the rendering, it would not look any where near as wide as it does somared to the C6 GS shown.

so yes getting the two cars in exactly the same scale is really important to being able to tell if it is a "widebody" what ever that really means.

Paulchristian

I think the car will appear wider than the pictures above indicate. While I have no proof, I suspect that the posts on both sides of the rear window will come to move of a "V" shape rather than straight back as the picture indicates. This, i believe, will make the car appear even wider while also making the rear view seem less camaroish. The jalopnik renderings seem to suggest this "V" shape.

Nitrous Oxide

The predictive power of this thread ranks right up there with astrology.

Jinx

You have a lot of good things to say about a current issue that's been brewing within your social circle, and the people around you are going to be more receptive to hearing them than they might have been in the past. Disagreements or differences of opinions are not going to get anyone too hot under the collar right now, so it's the perfect time to tackle a touchy subject and put it to rest, once and for all. Resolutions are coming and this is the start of a very peaceful time.

.Jinx
that's a real horoscope for today, honest

Frankie2blue

I would suspect the C7 will be about the same width as the C6, as they are trying more to play to a world market, cafe etc. I think they have just incorporated the width of the C6 flares protruding from its body into the entire body of the C7 falling to about the same measurements edge to edge. So in ways the body will be somewhat wider while still falling within the same width footprint of the C6. I'll bet that overall length of the body is shorter though, whie having a longer wheelbase.
Putting the two side by side though is really starting to show hs the C7 is going to quickly make the C6 outdated. And despite what many seem to think, I feel the new taillights destroy the oversize boring round lights of the C6 by a mile. I'm still going tour pedict that most are going to respond positively to this car when released. I'll be surprised if they don't

BlueOx

That is exactly what I am asking everyone...do they see this as a wide body or not? I have my opinion and was just curious what others think.

Paulchristian

Here is my logic:

C7 Base (as we have seen it): Yes, wide body, unless they come out with a mid year cycle refreash that appears wider. I doubt it.
C6 GS/ZO6/ZR1: Yes, wide bodies
C6 Base model: No, not a wide body because when compared to the GS/ZO6/ZR1, they appear narrower.
C5 Not sure how to judge the C5, but I would say they all appear wide to me. Can't get that booty out of my head when I think of the C5.

You cannot cross shop the C7 with different corvette generations to determine if it (the C7) is a wide body or not. You have the compare the model line up within it's own generation. Talk to me in 5 years or so and I can then tell you if the base C7 is a widebody

BlueOx

I'm fine with you guys wanting to measure it, I'm not making any specific claims as to comparative size.

It is all about perception. I mean, is it really absolutely necessary for the C7 to be wider than the GS to look like a widebody? To me the apparently lower roof and wider hips with no fender flares just gives that widebody perception.

I guess if 6" were taken out of it, it would appear completely different. That is why talking to Jalopnik or Trinity about apparent size would tell you more.

JoesC5

It appears our screens do show a little difference. I re-measured(I was a little off on my first post) and measured 1-15/16" on the Z06 and 2-3/16" on the C7 or 13% which would be 6". I measured at the point that the rear of the roof panel intersects with the "b" piller, on both cars, and then measured my real Z06 at that same point and got 46". It makes no sense for the roof to be 6" wider on the C7 vs the C6(unless GM is compromising between a 2 seater and a 2+2, for OX's benefit and is going to have a 3 seat bench configuration, side by side, like the 55-57 Thunderbirds). If the C7 does have a targa roof, then it would be larger and heavier. GM originally spec'd the targa top on the C6 to be made of more expensive polycarbonate to reduce weight vs using SMC(of course, because of the bonding problems with the polycarbonate to the subframe, the roof panels ended up being made of SMC on the C6). GM was will to spend the extra $$$ to save 3-4 pounds on the C6, so it makes no sense to add even more weight to the C7's roof. Also the windshield would be larger and heavier, the rear hatch would be larger, that's the opposite direction then GM wants to go. They are trying to reduce weight, not increase it. Spend a bunch of money making the chassis from aluminum and then throw it away by making the passenger compartment larger then it needs to be dosen't make sense.

I don't see any reason why they would widen the roof panel that much so I'm chalking it up to the rendering being off vs the Z06's photo. Since the person that made the C7 rendering has absolutely no actual measurement of the C7 to use as a baseline, the photo of the two cars side by side is meaningless, thus it is impossible to draw any conclusion as to whether the C7 is a "wide body" or not. It's like looking at the moon in a photograph with a 747 flying in front of it and then trying to calculate the diameter of the moon based on the known dimension of the 747.

BlueOx

I don't know how you can say that. Supposedly, the Jalopnik guys were with the cars for 7 hours. That is a lot of time to take measurements or to at least take detailed photos with some sort of scale in them. It would have been very easy to measure wheelbase & track width, etc., etc.