reactor2

The Corvette was designed to be more "international" but is it?

1.) The gripe a lot of people had is that the car was plastic. The car is still mostly plastic. In fact, places seem to use even more plastic (the rear hatch).

2.) Every "real" sports car uses 4-valve/cylinder engines with overhead cams. The Corvette, is STILL using pushrods with only 2 valves....for a 2014 model. If Porsche had a 6.2 liter you can bet it would be putting out A LOT more than 450 hp.

3.) In some shots it looks like a budget attempt at a super car. It seems to have borrowed looks from multiple different sports cars. It has a little bit of an identity crisis. It's a very busy design and I don't think anyone would argue with that. It also looks like the car got a bit longer. Looks a little awkward in some pics.

4) I don't think the hood vent was designed for down force. I think it is a semi gimmick perhaps. I know the radiator is positioned to be cooled this way but I don't think it will really provide any substantial downforce.

5.) It still uses leaf springs. How much would a proper suspension setup really cost?

It doesn't seem to have addressed the major concerns Europeans had. It looks like GM was trying to do too much with too little. It's a nice car sure, but I don't know if it will be all that well received by Europeans. Any Europeans want to chime in?

mcandrew67

They are only going to laugh at the people crying over the tail lights LIke I am

gtrguy

i think topgear will be favorable. impossible not to at least respect it. the engineering is just too good to laugh at. just hope the seats are as good as they look.

jsmbluecar

Europe already laughs. Very few people in europe were fans of Corvette in whatever incarnation.

Kappa

If Porsche made a 6.2, it wouldn't fit in anything but a Cayenne/Panamera. It would probably cost $40K for a long block too.

What do you think that hood vent is for then? The ZL1 produces downforce with a similar and probably worse performing setup.

If you can find a DOHC engine that can fit under the Corvette's hood with the same, weight, price, and power, please tell me.

JoesC5

I remember that the C6 was also designed to sell to more Europeans, but it didn't work out that way.

Of course, I also remember just a few months back when certain persons were swearing that the C7 would be much smaller(69" wide) and shorter so that it would fit better in the tight cities in Europe. I guess that didn't work out so well either as the C7 is 1.3" wider then the base C6's 72.6" width and 2.4" longer then the C6. Maybe Europe is getting larger. You think?

You_Vette_Your_Ass

1. Many supercars use plastic as body materials such as the MP4-12C.

2. The Corvette is a real sports car, that has set real records, won real races, and slapped about other "real" sports cars.

3. The Corvette isn't a budget supercar; it is a supercar. The other supercars obviously cost more than they are worth if the Corvette destroys them at half or less the price, from a performance standpoint at least. Clearly the extra money is just buying badges and frou-frou things.

4. I agree, the hood vent is sketchy... I would need to see some quantified performance data to back up the downforce claim.

5. Leaf springs out-handle more expensive, more complex suspension setups. That begs the question: is more expensive and more complex better?

Lastly, I know I don't give a sh** what the euros think and I don't see whay anyone else would either. The Corvette could destroy most of their overpriced offerings and yet they would still complain simply because it is an American car.

America > EU

snowman0920

The laughing may cease when they go up against it on the track.

Z06Norway

Not completely true, Europeans has grown to respect the Corvette.
But interior and build quality (gap and lineup of body parts) has been up for discussion.

Hope was high, better build quality, new interior, more high tech engine and a proper DCT.
Weight was also a discussion, and for a while rumours had us all believe around 3000 pounds.

I think GM failed, unless GM releases news on a track package with less weight, DCT and TT 5.5

Look of the car is
interior is

Rune

Runs11s

I don't care. The Corvette is America's sports car that can be bought overseas.

Screw what the euros think. Or anyone who worries about what hey think.

This is a Made in the USA car! Made for Americans BY Americans.

aks801

The force is strong with this one.

427Z0SX

#1: What do you want used instead? I think the body panels of Corvette are SMC, flexible to withstand light impact without damage, that's a plus in my book.

#2: "Real" sports cars? you mean those that got their asses handed to them by the Corvette? Reasons for OHV are many: simplicity, weight, packaging, blah blah. Remember the best solution to any engineering problem is the simplest one. There's elegance in simplicity.

#3: Looks are subjective. I happen to think the Enzo looks like a Hoover vacuum cleaner with that snout.

#4: I think Autoweek has a spread detailing the functional reason for the vents.

#5: What do you mean by "proper"? Are the leaf springs not capable of attaining the results the engineers were looking for? Performance and handling of the car speak for itself. If by "proper" you mean coilovers, then it's probably totally unnecessary for 99% of the market.

JoesC5

The Z51 is the track package and it increases the weight of the car over the base model.

Stingray23

I laugh at the prices they ask for cars that perform worse then their competition.

rcallen484

Ohhhhhhh the Germans.......

Z06Norway

And you dont care about US economy ?
what a stupid remark
IF GM succeeds with a car that sell 10-15.000 in Europe, GM makes more money, when GM makes more money, US makes more money, so do care, US is important, but there is a big world out there ?

Porsche delivered 109.000 cars in 2012, only 15% was delivered in Germany

jkcam6017

I use to own a BMW Z4. It was a very nice vehicle in the classic sports car sense. It is very easy to spend $80-85K on one of the new Z4's.

If the owner of a $80K Z4 is laughing.....it is a nervous laugh.

JoesC5

And I believe, in it's best year, Corvette didn't sell 1,000 Corvettes overseas(that also covers the mid east and the pacific, not just Europe).

The C5 averaged about 35,000 annual sales, and the C6 averaged slightly more annually(before the meltdown). No way GM will ever sell 10,000 to 15,000 Corvettes in Europe. Right now they will be lucky to sell 15,000 2014 C7s in total.

I think his point is(and I agree) is that GM would be stupid top alienate it's American customer base to satisfy the few Europeans it sells Corvettes to.

reactor2

1.) I'd prefer carbon fiber for the entire vehicle.

2.) You can get a lot more horsepower out of an engine with dual overhead cams and 4 valves/Cylinder. You can rev much higher. I think they are aiming too low if the best solution is the OHV.

4.) I'm concerned after looking at the pics under the hood it doesn't look like it could produce much downforce thereby making it a semi-gimmick as it is still functional but not really in the sense people expect it to be.

5.) Probably coil-overs yes. Something everyone would truly respect.

JeffInDFW

In my opinion, the DOHC engine design is inferior. Why?

1. The cam in block design is SMALLER in overall size. Much smaller. This allows much better packaging, lower hood lines.

2. The cam in block design is LIGHTER WEIGHT.

3. The cam in block design is more robust. I just finished changing the timing chains on my 2007 Xterra. WHAT A MISERABLE PAIN IN THE ***. All those damn guides, tentioners, all made from plastic that fail. My LT1 Camaro has 190,000 miles on ITS timing chain. DOHC designs have too much to fail.

4. The cam in block engine is a FRACTION of the cost of the DOHC engine.

5. The cam in block engine makes shitloads of power, shitloads of torque, and still turns great MPG.

Due to government restrictions on displacement sizes in Europe and Japan, they were forced to find ways to make power with tiny engines. They did not go to DOHC because they WANTED a bigger, heavier, more expensive, more complex way to make the same power as a larger cam in block engine. The bigger, heavier, more complex, more expensive way is NOT the best way IMO. Here in America where we kick ***, land people on the moon, have 13 aircraft carrier strike groups, and invented Rock and Roll, we are allowed to design OUR engines however we want. DOHC engines suck, so the Viper and Vette use the BETTER engine architecture. "I make similar power with a smaller size" doesn't mean crap to me. I know the BETTER cam in block design has OWNED the Nurburgring for the last 5-6 years thanks to the Corvette and Viper. Both, with their cam in block design.