formulaWA

Perhaps I missed this discussion on the forum but do we know if the C7 body panels will still be a composite fiberglass like material? Or is GM going to a conventional stamped steel panel?

BlueOx

CF is what we have heard.

JoesC5

toxin440

I find it a bit hard to believe that a 50-60K base car is going to come with a full (or even 1/2) carbon fiber body.

I realize the cost of the stuff is falling every day - but it's not THAT cheap yet. My vote is on regular ole fiberglass.

OnPoint

That has been some of more juicy "reconn" mentioned to date, IMO.

Jinx

I'm half-expecting a new material that we haven't seen before in mass production, something that splits the difference between the C6 composite and traditional carbon fiber.

John T

I am more concerned about the final finish of the material they choose. It took too long to finally come up with the good paint finish on the C6 and carbon fiber has notoriously been tough to achieve a high level finish. I thought I was looking at a wrecked car when I first saw a McLaren Mercedes up close. My Prius finish is 'show car quality' in comparison to that particular 'CF' car.

The paint finish on the C4 and 5's use to really **** me off when the Saturn composite body had a beautiful finish.

Z_Rocks

GM will be setting up mass production of CF, not only for Corvette, but for many other cars as well. I believe that was part of the $30M for upgrading the production facility.

AmmoVet

According to this article here on CF from Car and Driver: https://www.corvetteforum.com/article...&utm_campaign=.

Plasan Carbon Composites might be making the body panals, they have a joint venture with with SGL Carbon SE in Moses Lake and are using technolgy from Globe Machine Manufacturing Co. of Tacoma.

Here is more on them.
: http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...n-fiber-niche#.

meadowz06

Carbon Fiber!

texel

Prob Carbon Fiber ...http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/11315