Amen to this...

At some point gm realized that the young surfer stud's (like the c2 was marketed for) werent who was buying the car.

The best example occurred in 94, when they started installing the 'fat mans chairs' with wider cushions vs. the 84 thru 93 fighter jet seats.

Gm knew a wider/ less healthy rear end was going into that seat.

Or look at a civic. A new civic is the size of an accord.

The bottomline: people are getting fatter and gm is adjusting their product for that

 

The Corvette was originally designed to fill a void that was created when soldiers from WWII returned from Europe. Many of these young men were enthralled wit hthe little Euro roadsters of those days, and there was really nothing in America like it. So the Corvette was born, and it was an almost immediate success, after Duntov decided it needed a V8.

From the C2 moving forward, the Corvette became the baby boomers car. If you follow the development and evolution of the Corvette from then until now, you will find that it's design and engineering were right along side the wants and needs of this generation. As the baby boomers moved forward in their careers, thus having deeper pockets, the demand for cutting edge technology and stronger competition, led to greater advancement and of course higher prices for the car. Leading to the ground breaking C4 generation. By this time, handling and torque were all the rage, as well as neccesity of better MPG and cleaner cars. By this time, these boomers were managers, execs, and so forth, but young enough that the sleek cockpit styling of the C4 was exactly what they wanted.

Now, after 12 years, they were getting a little older. Not to mention that the Euro boys were starting to, once again, outcorner the Vette. So came the C5. With a larger cockpits and of course larger seats, for easier ingress and egress, and of course more cutting edge tech.

The C6 pretty much just carried this philosphy a little further, and with great success. However, GM knows all too well, that the boomers were quickly getting to that point where the Corvette was no longer going to be their car of choice. One gets to an age where small and powerful and expensive are just no longer possible, as is happening with these boomers.

The C7 is that Corvette that is now reaching out to a new generation of enthusiast. With sleeker, more agressive design ques. A return to a snug, driver centric interior, equipped with all the latest gadgetry. Perhaps still a little too pricey for the 20-somethings and most of the 30-somethings, but looking good for the 40-somethings that are looking to replace that old Porsche or BMW or Audi.

But GM has wisely kept the one formula that has driven this car for over 60 years. This is the bang for the buck. Really, at an entry price in the low to mid $50K's anyone with a relatively good job, and decent credit, depending, of course on lifestyle needs, can purchase one of these cars. So you don't have to wait until you're the bosses boss to get one of these cars. It is, as it really always has, achievable for a younger buyer, only now, they are betting, more desirable to the younger buyer. They are attempting to create that next generation of loyal fans. I know that the minute my finances and the price of a decent used one collide, I will be driving one of these cars, I have no doubt in my mind.

 

This is mostly true, but not always.. If you compared an 82 c3 (or 84 c4) to a 69 c3, technology moved backwards not forwards.

 

I have never been a C4 fan. But these show it in a new light. It looks mighty good next to the ugly C7. I have never disliked the C4 I just am a fan of the C3 style it replaced. Everyone has their own opinion. I think the C5 is the best looking Vette. I know most C4 owners don't like the big butt. At the end of the day they are all Corvettes so they are all good. I think the C7 will not hold it's value though. It will look dated in just a few years. Too over the top.

 

I like the looks of the C7. A dry sumped C7 will probably end up in my fleet.

Mike

 

The problem with that to me is that successful 30-40's something have a lot of choices that have some kind of a backseat for the kids.

GT500 owners don't care that they will get beat on a road course. They only care that the GT500 is quicker in a acceleration contest and still has a back seat to keep momma and kids happy. Same thing with the new SRT8 Challenger with the supercharged "hellcat" engine rated at 640hp coming in 2015

BMW M5 and the list goes on.
I bought the Corvette because I specifically did not want a back seat. So no grand kids could be trashing it out lol

 

True about the back seat and those starting or in the middle of raising kids. I was just elaborating on the development of the Corvette follow one certain generation in a broad sense. The point being that GM will need a new following before too long, and the C7 is somewhat of an introduction to that. Just my opinion by the way.

 

We have 3 cars and are no where near wealthy. The Vette is a toy like boat or the like.. It's not a form of transportation. It's a hobby.

 

Late Night Talk Show King and Legend Johnny Carson once said he would never buy another Corvette. Carson, if you don't know owned a white 93 C4 ( non-tinted windows ) he drove every day from his Point Dume home in Malibu to Burbank Studios. I think he sold his white C4 around 2000 before he died. But he never owned another Vette. And rumor has it he said driving his C4 to Burbank was like sitting in his bathtub, with a steering wheel and gas pedal.

 

You are correct. I have 8 cars and trucks. Also wife and 3 kids. I have the money to but a C7 but what's the point it's a 2 seater. Just a toy. I have to put 3 kids through university starting in 10 years. I will stick with the paid for C4 I have and not risk my kids future on a new vette. I wouldn't get the use out of it anyway with all the kids sports and other after school activities. GM is better off selling the camaro. Does the new one have a back seat?

 

Yep it's like a motorcycle except it will keep you drier when it's raining

 

And safe if you get into trouble.

 

Best looking modern Corvette from 3/4 rear view is the C4 coupe, hands down.

Best looking modern (post C3) Corvette overall is the C5 coupe, hands down.

C7: not even in the running.

Performance-wise, just reverse the above.

 

And you won't mind passing that cattle truck in the rain...

 

I just dropped off my '84 at the local dealers' body shop to have some touch-up done on the paint job they did last year and did a walk around of a new c7 they were prepping for a customer. It was the first one I'd seen in person and I'd have to agree with the original poster. Like some movie stars, it looks better in photos than up close in person. Too many sharp angles and embellishments like it's trying too hard to look fast and bad-assed while the c4 styling is smooth, aerodynamic, and subtle, with nothing to prove. Of course I still think the XKE is the best styled car I've ever seen, but then that's just aesthetic b.s., I'm sure the c7 can out-perform the Jag or my '84 in just about every category and would certainly be a more comfortable ride. So If I had a spare 60k$ I didn't know what to do with I'd be driving one tomorrow, despite the styling miscues.

 

It pains me to say this...but I feel that it looks like something Pontaic would have produced. All the angles, the black molded plastic vents all over it...too "busy" for my tastes. Typically, it seems in styling that you start w/a clean design and add "flare" as time goes on, to keep it interesting.
Countach
2nd and 3rd gen F-bods,
etc.

When you start w/the C7, where do you go from there? Awesome car, no doubt. A numbers producing machine!

 

The back seat in the 5th gen Camaro, isn't any different than any Camaro since 1967.
It has one, but it is almost useless to anyone over the age of 15.

Our grand kids ride back there just fine (12 & 8), but an adult sure wouldn't have much fun back there.

 

Oh, do you mean like this?
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/31/h...-am-sema-2012/



FWIW, I'm not much of a corvette guy.. but I'd take a new c7 z51 or zr1, yellow in color, in a heartbeat. Soooo nasty. Beautiful cars.

 

In a way.

I'm thinking more like this (I hope this isn't taken the wrong way):

...due to lots of vents and plastic.



But in philosophy, the later 70's/early 80's Trans Am's were another thing that came to mind. I remember when the '82 Trans Am was released, I read somewhere in a review/road test about how the '81 TA was a 'flapped and winged war bird", and the new '82 was clean design that was beautiful w/o excessive add-ons. Though, later in the car's life, it still got "add-on's" to try to keep it relevant/exciting...

 

i think the 90-92 birds are the best looking of the third gen pontiacs, extra vents and all now the camaros, on the other hand, looked best 85-90 and the 91 and 92 looked like some boy racer ricer wing crap!