You proved my point with the F12.. its a euro car just like the C7.
The C5 was the last car that looked like an American icon. The Porsche looks like a Audi R8 . The Euro Sports cars are all cookie cutter sports cars taking queues from each other. Nothing else ever looked like a C1, C2, C3, the C4 took some knocks in design, the C5 came back stronger than anything else on the planet with a complete turn around from the previous models, but still was unmistakably American muscle. Active handling in a production car 15 years ago was unheard of... today there are still many cars that don't have this feature.. C5 , the first 200K benchmarked engine design. the LSX design stole the thunder from all the previous small block V8's. Its the engine of choice in many Hot rod builds. In the late 40 and fifties it was the flat head ford, Then the Chevy small block took over, and Now the LSX is put into more non- production builds than any other engine. IM not talking a go fast car.. IM talking someone building a project car from a 32 Ford five window coupe . to a Plastic retro kit car.

 

Well I am one of those 40 something people you are polling. I will say that I think one of the most beautiful Corvettes was/is the C3. The first time I saw that style car I was around 8. It's the first Corvette I look for at the shows.

Chevy lost me with the C4. Up close it was a nice car but from a distance it did nothing for me. I think they deviated too far from the C3. Too much of the wedge look for me.

The C5 brought me back. I thought it was a huge improvement and loved the stance. The C6 (what I now have)? Love it just as much as the C5 (still nothing beats a C3).

The C7? Welcome home Corvette. I love it and think it is an outstanding edition to the Corvette line. I haven't felt this way about a Corvette since I first saw the C3. I will be looking to buy one in 15 or 16.

 

Well Polling is just slang I used. I didn't intend to quote you.

Now your 70 Vette. That is what I am talking about! Beautiful and the side pipes! classic. I would have loved to have been able to get behind the wheel of one when they were new.

 

I never said anything about polling a specific age. C3?? here is a Picture of mine. Bought in the spring of 1970, took it off the carrier, took the plastic off the seats and opened the battery box behind the seat and found a half a ham sandwich and a devil dog in there. Added 15 coats of Sausalito Fire mist paint and some subtle body design changes. Got rid of the egg crate side vents and made my own Maco shark vents after all it was a Shark.
this photo is 40 years old



My C3 and My wife 40 years ago. 46 years of wedded bliss.

 

And your wife is just as lovely as the car and I'm certain she still is today. Thanks for sharing that. It has made my day!

 

Thank you for the kind words... IM happy it made your day.. actually I have about 80,000 photos on this computer, and pulling these two outand posting them made my day as well. Lots of great memories in those shots.

 

What's a Devil Dog?

 

Photos really help tell the story and I always enjoy hearing people tell me about their experiences. A lot of amazing folks in this world!

 

 

Awesome c3 and wow Mrs ET is a looker as well!! Haven't checked back in to this thread since I posted, crazy how things can go south so quick all cause of some trash talking close minded people... Smh

 

thanks for the nice words... Mrs Evil has been very evil for many years.. LOL. Its no real feat to easily go through life with such a wonderful woman.
The thread actually has not gone south, there has been good points on both sides of the fence.. all respectful except the one idiot with the BS flag. Other wise the thread has been good. No real disrespect for the C7. Its a nice car, but not what I would have designed. Glad IM no longer involved with GM. It was a wonderful Career with lots of great memories. WE always felt as though we were leading the pack. Now the focus is on " What are they doing "?
Not sure that anyone on the outside would really understand what I mean. We were Corvette guys, the people at BG are still Corvette guys, they have real passion for the Corvette and build what we design. WE were always bold enough to stand on the Only American Sports car Icon foundation. Now that foundation is slowly eroding to being a follow company instead of a leading company.

 

ET....I want to thank you for your contributions to the forum. I share most of your opinions about the C7. It has too many sharp edges and to me a first glance screams 240Z.

 

I agree with u completely!

 

That's an awesome looking Vette there LT. Dan.

 

When I first saw my first C7 I was about 100 yards away and knew precisely what it was! Perhaps that's because I have been anticipating seeing my first C7, so I knew/know what to look for. I was not disappointed at all. I am of the camp that the pictures do not do it justice. I saw my second C7 in the wild about a week later and had the same experience. Both C7s were fresh off the showroom floor; one Z51...the other base; and both stood out as I anticipated they would. Not Lamborghini Aventador stand-outish, but enough for me to make no mistake what I was seeing.

With all due respect to sfc rick...your car truly is stunning...but it certainly didn't roll off the showroom floor looking/performing like we see it now. Your car's current stance/performance is a testament to your serious commitment/investment to personalizing your C5.

As most all know, I truly love both the C5 and C7. The new images of the C7 Z06 only add to my excitement over the C7. It will be fun to see the results of various owners (such as sfc rick) that invest serious time/money into modifying/personalizing their C7.

My hope one day is to add a C7 to my C5.

I think it’s a very exciting time for the Corvette Legacy.

Just my 2 cents mind you.

 

here is another interesting observation. " both C7's just off the showroom floor".
When I saw my first C7 it was dirty and a dark color ( which I did not like) it had the same level of dirt on it as did the other dozen cars around it. The styling was hidden behind the aftermath of a few days of terrible weather.
The reason it is so significant is the fact that My car always looks like it just came off the showroom floor. No dirt anywhere, wheel are spotlessly shiny. Not a speck of dirt on the tires, wheels, calipers or rotors, no brake dust anywhere. Rotors are so shiny they look like they were chrome plated. This all adds to the mystic about my car. It look like a brand new car to the uneducated person I meet on the street. I get lots of very positive comments daily. My paint is actually better than when I first got it. It did not . have that hand rubbed Zaino shine that it has today.
The Moral to this is my car is often mistaken for a brand new car because it looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor.
My first C7 was dirty, like all the cars around it. my eye saw a bunch of dirty cars and the C7 being a dark color did not help. That's why it didn't jump out at me. after three or 4 seconds I recognized it to be a C7 and the next thing I notice was its stance. It sat high, ( lots of ground clearance )my car sits low to the ground and I could see completely under the C7 and could see part of the car that was in the lane next to the C7 to its right. I never saw the tail lights only a broad side shot as it passed in front of me and made a sharp left hand turn.
I think the reason the encounter was so uneventful was the C7 was dark in color, dirty, with a similar high stance to the cars around it.. I think also most C5 owners I see have lowered their car and they sit very much lower and wider looking than other cars.. People I know ( not corvette people always tell me they can spot my car as mile away because it is so low and wide, and of course the torch red helps as well. Incidentally my car is not slammed.. its as low as the stock bolts will allow.
This thread is bring out my own perceptions as well as many other contributors. The Corvette is slowly loosing its American styling designs, and as an American automotive designer. this bothers me. Its not that I don't like the look of a Lambo or Ferrari, or a Bugatti or a real Saleen or any exotic. They are just not American looking. And as a Corvette guy for over 60 years, its a bit disheartening. Thanks for all the participation in this thread. Its been fun for the most part. lots of twists and turns..
C5 relevant
A little OT
Some Corvette history
Some personal taste queues
Some C7 acceptance
Some non acceptance
Some good discussions both ways.
The formula for a good thread.

 

Calm down, it'll be ok. No reason to be so angry. I didn't think what he said was that bad. I guess I am not allowed to comment though since I work in an office and I am younger than you. My parents must be extremely ashamed of me.

 

Looking at this shot, the C7 looks like the tire to wheel well clearance is nice and tight, the front end looks like its a foot off the ground, the overall ground clearance is high, and the area after the rear wheel wells looks too short. Its a nice car to look at, but by comparison, the design is not to my taste. Its still a nice looking car. A bit too busy for me too, just like most of the sharp angled exotics. The Corvette always stood alone in the looks department. Now the C7 looks like everyone else's exotic wanna be. GM did a good job pulling that off.
I don't think too many C7 owners will be listening to beach boys, or Jan and Dean music.
Bill aka ET

 

You are liar and a bull $hit artist!
How's that feel ?
No reason to be angry?
If I was your father I would be ashamed of you. How disrespectful you are, recognizing that I'm much older than you, have contributed so much to the design of the Corvette over the years and a fellow office worker calls me a liar and you are ok with that? It just goes to show that anyone can come here and tell me what I should or should not say or how I should feel when someone insults me..
IM glad what he said to me did not bother you too much but then he didn't call you a B.S. artist or a liar. Both are synonymous.
BTW I have nothing against office workers, just ones that compare their pedigree to mine in a condescending way, just like you did.
No reason to be angry indeed.

 

I had a mint condition , fully restored 69 Camaro convertible right before buying my 2001 Corvette and the 69 Camaro didn't even come close to the Corvette in every way.