A lot of interesting takes on the design. For my part - whatever the C7 looks like there's a few design considerations that need to be taken into account - I've numbered them so you can add, subtract, or call me an idiot ...

1- it's a street vehicle, you have to see out of it, huge humps on the hood will limit visibility
2 - you need a space in the front end for driving/fog lamps (possible to build them into the headlamp cluster - but fogs are fogs because they're low on the body)
3 - As far as I know - Vettes have 4 lights in the rear - it's been touted as "tradition" (traditions die ...)
4 - Side pipes? GMs had them before - will they go back to it? probably not
4a - and the "retro thing"? probably not. GM hasn't gone that way with any of the other gens. They keep some from the earlier gen, and add new. I haven't seen them re-introduce design elements from earlier gens (but I'm not a vette historian)
5 - it's a production vehicle - so the design has to be produce-able at a cost the market will bear (and Vettes will never be $200K cars - at least not in 2011 dollars)
6 - Mid-engine? Sorta violates the big V8 / RWD tradition (see caveat on #3 above)
7 - the demographic will want to pack at least 2 golf bags into it somehow.
8 - It needs to be 'different' enough from the C1-C6 to entice current owners into buying another generation of Vettes.
9 - It has to look like a Vette - not a Porshe, Aston or Prius :ack:

Looking at all the concepts here - the one that comes closest to these seems to be this one - although even here, there are some design elements (rear deck/window) on it that hearken back to earlier gens.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...0006_large.jpg

I'm not saying I like it best - it's just my $.02 and worth every penny

This proto still looks like a pokemon

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/j...ttePokemon.jpg

Pokemon! :lol::lol::rock: ugly! you may like it if your DD is a Gran Marquis.

works for me

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._4743107_n.jpg

this is one take

http://www.stingraysstudios.com/imag...ngray_p6ul.jpg

Yeah :thumbs:

But I gotta be honest I do like that Stingray.

You're right about 1-9, but this picture depicts a car that has retro (early C3) styling on the back and a seriously bad blind spot for checking if there's cars in the lane you'd be merging into.

The old-school stingray styling must go. As much as I loved those, I do not like retro. If I want a generation of Corvette (or any other car for that matter), I'll go buy that generation. Progress forward; the past will be loved, but not lived.

Other than that, I don't see anything wrong with that design. I doubt that's what it's going to look like. I think GM is going to surprise us this time. I'm sure they didn't like the idea that many of us felt the C6 wasn't different enough. But lets look at history for a moment:

C1 to C2 = Revolution
C2 to C3 = Evolution
C3 to C4 = Revolution
C4 to C5 = Revolution
C5 to C6 = Evolution

The C7 has to be a Revolution. They've got new technology for it. New science behind aerodynamics. A lot more feedback (thanks to the internet). And they can't mess around right now (financially). If they're too safe with the design, it's not going to sell nearly as well as they'll NEED it to sell considering the amount of money invested into R&D for this new motor. Many didn't buy C6s because they either felt the C5 was more than adequate and that the "upgrade" was unnecessary, or they liked the looks of the C5 more. Personally, I kept buying C5s for the looks and feel. But if the C7 is completely revised, it gives both C5 and C6 owners more reason to buy new.

Playing it safe with the design is not in the books right now.

Looks good but I doubt the lower door sill would stick out that much because getting in and out of the car would be much more difficult ( ask C4 owners) then any C5 or C6 Corvettes. remove that protruding door sill and the design looks too much like a C6. The front view in your lower post looks good as well, but it seems the door sill does not stick out as much.

Back end looks like the new Camaro. Don't like it.

Crappy Photoshop, but that front end looks sick. :thumbs:

Same here!

integrated headlights next to the turn signal

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p...ncept2copy.jpg

:iagree:

I just ran across this link

http://www.zimbio.com/2009+Corvette+...vette+Stingray

Wow... worst one I have seen yet.. :lol:

Toque

Damn, that:ack: is ugly

Just give use the Stingray above with that modified front end :thumbs:

Thank you all for your inputs. After viewing, seems my C5 will be here for quite awhile. :flag:

WTF thats not a corvette! :rofl: