Ozzy12

I know some might call me a hater, but let me preface this with the fact that usually I'm the first guy to always want to jump from one car to another. I usually average 12-18 mints per car, tire of things very quickly and always want the newest thing out. Heck, I actually bought a pre-production Camaro Pace Car just to be the first guy to have a new 5th gen, it was built two months before Hendricks vin 1 car. With that being said, I have serious reservations about the C7 and while I could certainly call up the owner of the local dealer and get my hands on one of the first, I'm just not sold yet. The new C7 took the wind right out of my impulsive sails.

First off, there is the back end. And I'm NOT talking about the tail lights. The lower half of the rear of the car is black plastic, and it looks horrible. Everyone who I've showed pictures to was just like "seriously, did they forget to paint that." I know this is a fairly easily rectifiable problem, but still I just can't figure out why GM quit on that. There is a reason GM used black wheels on the red car and grey on the other, because when you put shiny wheels on a bright color and turn that rear around, the plastic sticks out like a sore thumb.

Second reason, overall design. The C7 could have been revealed by any other oem as their car save the cross flags, and it could comfortably be the new sports car by any automaker from Chevy to Ferrari. It's a great design, but I really feels like it abandons a lot of the typical character traits of the Corvette brand. Again, this is not all about the tail lights, but I think that if they had done something a little more in line with history it would have been cooler. I'm not saying it needed to be retro, but I think rounded rear glass is a must and so is not having the quarter windows in the rear.

Third, the stingray name. I love it, but I look at it and it seems like more of a marketing ploy than anything. The original stingray name came into place not to note "great corvettes" as was mentioned in the announcement, but because of the design aesthetics of the 1963 coupe. Namely the split window. Also, people loved the transformers concept car as a corvette because it also had a split window. In today's world with back up cameras and sensors a split window would be perfectly doable. Those goofy c-pillars probably hurt day to day maneuverability way worse than a pillar going down the dead center, and yet all Camaros and CTS coupes also have them. Again, I love the name but it has no meaning without the design.

Finally, power. The C6 is 436hp with NPP, the C7 is 450. 14 hp is not anything to write home about and is a considerable disappointment. I knew we were not going to see 427 type hp numbers, but I also thought 475 was completely attainable. Also, while I would probably only buy a stick, the lack of dual clutch auto really makes the car sound less advanced than what it is and can be. In order to compete on the worlds stage and have a world class supercar you need that.

Ultimately, I will wind up buying a C7 but it probably won't be in the first year. I appreciate the GM effort on the project and love all of the advancements inside (Save the steering wheel airbag cover which looks out of place). The electronics on this car seem state of the art, and that is impressive. Overall, I think it's good, I just don't think it's great yet. I'm still going to go to Detroit this weekend and look it over and everything, but as a younger buyer who was looking for this car to be something truly amazing, I am a little underwhelmed. Again, I'm not a hater, I'm very excited for all of you guys who are going to go out and buy one right away, but for now, I really don't feel like the C7 brought anything to the table that justifies parting with my C6. And actually, after the reveal I was searching to see what 427 and Zr1 inventory was out there. In my head that was disappointing because I wanted to have seen something Sunday night that made me want to go pull every string I had to get a new one, but instead I felt the disappointing feeling of "I could take it or leave it."

Just my humble opinion guys and like I said to all the soon to be C7 owners, congrats. I truly hope that in my visit to NAIAS I'll be able to find what you've seen in the new car.

Thud

The most amazing thing is that other people are saying the C7 is too "retro." How can it be retro if it abandons a lot of the typical character traits?

Are you sure you guys are talking about the same car?


It looks too different! It doesn't look different enough! It needs to look totally unlike any corvette ever made! It needs to look exactly like every other corvette ever made!

It's faster than any other base model vette ever made! But it's too slow!

Larry/car

I love the new look and I appreciate your thoughts. One comment on the rear end about the plastic trim, the C6 has it too. When I saw the 1963 and the C7 in the same photo, I thought we have come a long way, I never want to go back. I figure that we will be ruffing it in the C6 until next spring (2014), take that long till the dust settles and dealer's get realistic. One thing to think about, we have only seen intro models. There will be some changes, I have not seen option packages yet. I don't think GM has the final list firmed up. Oh hello GM, I'm sure there is a team watching this forum.

BlueOx

As to the "black plastic"...it IS painted AND there is a body-color option...



Stingray name is certainly not needed and I can really live without the logo on the fenders, but I can appreciate the thought process behind it. They are taking big chances here just as the first Stingrays did and I do think there are styling cues that harken back to that body style.

As to the horsepower...I think it would be wise to wait and see what they say the final numbers are. I think, based on some info here and in other places, we will be closer to 500 than to 450. Would that be enough?

Double_j01

I think most of the complaints about the car come from comparisons versus Corvettes past (especially the rear). I would definitely say that this design is more of a revolution than an evolution though there is enough DNA in there to make it identifiable (even without Chevy forcing the Stingray association down our throats). Personally, I think the new design is interesting enough on an absolute basis to make people who have never thought about Corvettes before give it a bit of consideration (me included).

That said, interesting is a two way street. Since the design borders on busy, the car will have to carry some pretty significant performance figures to live up to the visual promises. If performance isn't there, I do think there's a high risk that the new design could be seen as cheap and gimmicky.

Speaking as someone who I imagine to be in the marketing crosshairs for this (mid/late 30's male, enough disposable income to afford a weekend toy, etc.), I will be considering the C7 this summer. I had made up my mind to get a 911 this year (I've wanted one since I was young), but the C7 is different and interesting enough to give me pause even though I've never been a Corvette guy before (always respected the marque but never considered ownership). Realistically, I'll probably end up getting a 911 for the next couple of years to give the new model time to mature and for the Z06 introduction, etc. but either way, I think Chevy did a good job with the C7.

1KULC7

I don't post much here simply because I think many here like to complain for the sake of complaining, and even some I doublt actually own Corvettes but just like to be heard.

I have owned 5 Corvettes over the years, all generations, less the C6 because I think it looked to similiar to the C5 and did not want to purchase the C6, but I will buy the C7, and I think GM did a great job, but my purpose of this post is to go over the same BS most seem to jump on the bandwagon....and provide maybe a little more insight...and balance, well common sense approach.

VALUE for the Dollar... Not one person yet has (that I have read here) has talked about the value for the dollar you get with this car. If this car performs as stated, this car would sell for a much higher price considering what you are getting.

RETRO/HERITAGE.. Desgin cues from past and to present are in soley the eye of the beholder. An office mate who bought and owned his last Corvette in 1961 (a 1962 model) handed me an article this morning of the new C7 and his comment was, from the side it has taken a lot of design of the 1962 Corvette. I am sick of hearing about STUPID round lights. Several model years the Corvette did NOT have round lights, so its not something that was carried from 1953 to present. The rear lights represent the CURRENT CHEVROLET LINE, its not just the Camaro, take a good look at some SUVs from Chevy they too have lights that are consistant with the C7 look and feel. C5s they back was too fat, C4, well the seems like some hate just the whole car, C3, look too curvy and lost the "Sting Ray" look, and it goes on and on. It is what the designer wanted, don't like it, buy a car with round lights or just buy an older Corvette with round lights, but please stop going on and on about the back end. I think it goes well with the rest of the car. What are TYPICAL TRAITS? To me its the CORVETTE LOGO or Crossed Flags, anything else goes with the times and designer and I think the C7 captured TODAY, while still keeping CORVETTE alive. For the record, about time the Stingray name has come back, heck people were calling my 1996 CE LT4 a STINGRAY.....if anything Stingray is more a train than the stupid round rear lights.

POWER - What the heck are you going to do with 450 HP anyhow, be real. MOST Corvette owners never push the car to extremes. You want horsepower, the buy or modify accordinaly, who CARES? The Corvette is a performance Sports Car, not a NASA Rocket. I have had my years of experience with modifying engines for more speed, and have achieved bulding cars with a lot of horsepower, to a point these cars were NOT fun to drive anymore. I buy Corvettes now for the FUN of driving, not the urge to have more HP than the next guy, I call it HORSEPOWER ENVY... I have seen so many go out and mod these cars to have hundrerds of HP over factory, BUT NEVER have SOME of these people push the car to HP capacity they could not handle driving the car, and how many NEVER change the Brakes or stopping power of an over HP car.... MODS are great, but for MOST people who buy Corvettes, the stock HP is more than enough. You want more HP well MOD IT...pay the extra to get it, and have you own fun, whether using it on the track, or just bragging about it during cruise night, but don't run the current C7 down because it lacks HP, get real 450 HP is a lot and LEGALLY you will never use it on the street or you should NOT be using it on the stree.

Buying a car first year, second year or last year comes down to a personal decision, and people should not be outted for what they decide. Heck I know people who are willing to wait in the cold in a line for 48 hours before a new Iphone release. That is THEIR THING, not mine, and it should be accepted, Some folks have the money to be able to buy a new C7 for above the MSRP, just to be the first, good for you. Its all a personal thing and really should not even be written about on this forum. Again WHO REALLY CARES.

Summerize this up, the C7 was not built for everybody, and opions everybody is going to have one, but nit picking, about 10 HP, on a car that has more HP then most cars on the road, give me a break. The C7 was build from the ground up, the General did listen to past Corvette owners, you have you new interior, and MANY other goodies that people have complained about for years. For some, you could put 800 HP in the car, and they would say its still not enought. Look, the C7 was built for the times, I look at it and still looks like a Corvette to me. Does not look like any other car but a Corvette, sure it is similar to some other world class sportscars, but they all are similar at that level, and the Corvette give you VALUE, DISTINCTION, PERFORMANCE, and LEADING TECHNOLOGY all for a price most can afford.

COMMON CORVETTE TRAIT, high end sports car, built for the masses, and priced at a point most people can afford. Rather have those attributes then round rear lights.

Just my humble opinion...

NeoZ06

C7's rear end design is a major disappointment...

The rest of the car looks good.

elegant

I thought that until I saw it in person. Lots of other folks at the Reveal didn't like the rear end before they saw it, only to quickly change their mind upon seeing it.

MSG C5

I really don't have a problem with this rear end with the body-color paint option. If anything, maybe paint the lower 1/4 section that wraps under the car black. I like that GM moved the ball forward. IMO, all it really needs is wider rubber on the wheels, so hopefully the Z06/Z07/ZR1 high performance model will correct this.

Wasn't it announced earlier that the C7 will have a split window option? I thought some high flying GM executive mentioned that. Perhaps it will be offered with the high performance version.

Larry/car

I can't resist; lets see, needs more power, needs wider tires = everyone has no idea except the engineers and test drivers. They spent hours and hours/miles and miles to tune this car to perfection. Horse power, relates to ? Tire technology has advanced, today tires have more capability than yesterday. More is not necessity better. Can not wait to drive it!!!!

drummer5679

Dear god quite the walls of text in this thread.

This paragraph makes me want to hit something. It doesn't even make logical sense "could be the new sports car by any automaker." When you look at the car, do you think "That's a corvette"? I know I sure as hell do, and comparing it to a ferrari as if it's some kind of negative is ludicrous.

The fact that you say "probably" here tells me you've actually never driven a 1963 corvette with the split window. It's terrible, even without the split, and it definitely doesn't have mass appeal except to enthusiasts because of practicality reasons. The name IS purely for marketing purposes, just like anything else. Z71, Z06, Z28, SS, the only reason those letters are stickered on the side of cars over and over and over is for marketing purposes.

450* estimated. It also has 450 torque which is a huge improvement over the LS3, and what it is you'll feel at low RPM. Torque is what glues your pants to the seat, not horsepower. Unless you plan on going 180 you'll probably never even use that extra 14 horsepower you're complaining about.

Don't buy a car you don't like just for the sake of it, that's a dumb idea. The car is extremely well engineered and designed, and if you can't see that then don't buy one.

Brock63

corvette is trying to move into the next era rather than remain stuck in the past and have dismal following.... I dont think the tail lights are a show stopper and truthfully, when compared side by side to a Camaro...I just dont see the resemblence any more than I do between any other car with lights that are ANY SHAPE other than perfectly round. Also, with all the whining on here about it...rest assured there will be a swap out available that will keep shape of assembly but put round LED lights for the rear. Problem solved....

Horsepower...yeah it only went up a "claimed" 20 horsepower and 26 torque (C6 430/424) if we are talking BASE to BASE setups. Add the nearly 140lbs of expected weight savings in this car...the better aerodynamics and airflow to reduce lift on front end and you get a car that if you put a base C7 vs base C6 and drivers being the same....the C7 will beat the C6. ...and 500hp is only a chip/reprogram away. Additionally, we already know manufactures UNDER estimate horsepower many times to get by EPA and insurance issues. Wifes 2007 BMW 335i was rated at 300/300....but was found to be very under reported in horsepower and explained why it rivaled the M3 in performance. I suspect the 450hp is the SAFE ESTIMATE at the moment.

without being a vette "diva, fanboy, etc"......they increased performance, increased mpg, increased suspension capability, increased performance (sub 4 second 0-60 in BASE CAR and beats GS on track race), made leaps and bounds with interior improvements with functional race and performance seat options........

It may end up being the most popular Vette since the C3 in my opinion. If they had the internet in 1968 when the C3 rolled off the floor...I bet the C2 guys were hating it....too long, bulbous fenders, no split window, no visibility, yada yada yada yada.

Medic Man

b4i4getit

GM will sell a lot of C7's in the first year because it is new and different. However in the next 2 years when they bring out the performance models the sales and profit margins will be crazy as those original buyers dump their year old car and those that waited place their orders. I am going to try and wait since my Z06 is enough car for me at this time. It will be difficult but I know they will make changes in the second year that I will want to have. Thats how the business works.