C6 Corvette Styling Changes over the Years


The C6 Corvette brought massive styling changes to Chevy's legendary sports car. But it also has plenty of retro appeal!

By Brett Foote - May 4, 2018

 

No one else wants to comment?
At the risk of offending many of my fellow Corvette enthusiasts I'll go ahead and say that I think the C6 base is the most beautiful Corvette ever.
I loved the C1 and C2's but lost interest when they got bigger and often more sluggish. The '63 split window is my all time favorite from this era.
I was never a fan of concealed headlights. When I saw my first C6 I had to do a double take and thought it might be european until I saw the taillights.
I was only vaguely aware of the design improvements in the C5 but when I saw the C6 it knocked my socks off! Shortened overhangs and an understated
design that was still held the essence of a powerful machine. Every line was pared down to the minimum with no extra scoops or chrome. The subtle incorporation
of historical touches like the side vents, fender creases and pointed nose say 'Corvette' but in a very sophisticated manner. I realize they had to add scoops
and other visual features to the more powerful models for marketing reasons but it's the purity of the base model that I like the most.
As far as the C7 [and beyond] I realize they had to come up with a new body style after 9 years but they lost me on the taillights and extra body contours.
Just my two cents worth.
Michael

 

If you're a C6 fan you may enjoy this YouTube video about its research, development and testing phase before bringing into production. Excerpts from this video were in the DVD that came with the documentation that was supplied with the car for the original owner. The C6 is my favorite as well having my first experience in a 454 powered 1972 C3 Corvette that a co-worker gave me a ride in during the muscle car era when my other co-workers were driving hemi chargers, Boss mustangs, Z-28 Camaros, and I drove a CJ 428 Cougar.

A friend had a C4 which was a nice car but I found it awkward to get in and out of. I never had any experience with a C5 but like the styling. After years of mundane family vehicles and economy commuter cars our C6 came along and everything changed. In all honesty I was quite envious of a cousin that purchased a Porsche 911 (997 actually) until the C6 came along and now I wouldn't trade it for a Porsche.

You can see from the video that the redesign to the C6 was intended to break into the European market and to be a competitor to the 911 having similar dimensions. Like you I'm also not impressed with the back end of a C7 although I like the side view and front. Being a bit of a traditionalist I prefer the analog instrument panel to the digital too but to each his own.

 

Thanks for the YouTube link - I hadn't run across it before.
I too thought I wanted a Porsche - in my case a late model air cooled 911 in plum color with 150K miles. My C6 has 28K miles and cost half as much plus I can take it to my local Chevy dealer for service. True it won't appreciate like the 911 but I also don't have to worry about racking up the miles and it has plenty of room for longer trips.

 

Thanks for pointing out this video. Really enjoyed the info. Much appreciated seeing how my first corvette came to be. The more I see vets, the better I like the C6. Just a slick, great looking car. Even non sports car folks seem to know it's a corvette.

 

How to explain it.

The C4 was boxy and straight lined, like other cars of the times, so it makes the car look dated like the other cars of those times.

C5 had pop up head light, but tail end of the car ended up making it look like it big butt instead.

C6 killed the pop up head light, made the car look low,wide, curvy, without the car looking like it had a big butt isntead. Hence very smooth rounded lines like a hand shaped sculpture.

C7 has a good looking shape to begin with, but someone grew up reading Cartoon mags too much, and went way over board with all the contrasting add on grills and vents to make it too goddy, boxy, camero'ish looking instead.

On the C8, lets hope that GM tries to follow Ferrari shaping, with smooth lines once again, and does not go over board with a bunch of grills and vents that look like they where second thought-add on's after the fact, like on the C7.

 

I looked long and hard, did immense amounts of research reading and viewing everything I could find on first the Mercedes AMG's, then the Porsche's. I never even considered a Corvette during that process of evaluation. The Mercedes absolutely rocked, but I wasn't impressed with the dealer at all. After having driven the Porsche Cayman/S and a 911, my wife asked about a Corvette. My last real exposure to them was in the 70's and after more research, I went to a local dealer and drove a C7 GS. Great car in every way but the styling is a major turn off. I drove a C6 GS they had and the love affair began. I went back and forth with the dealer about the GS and while getting my financing setup, they sold the car. This gave us the opportunity to step out on the net and look for the exact car we wanted, and we unbelievably found it 100 miles away in pristine condition, an Arctic White, 2011 GS 3LT with 14K miles. Basically a brand new car for well less than half of what we had been prepared to spend on the German cars.

After the C2, I think the C6's are the most beautiful Corvettes out there, and the GS is the best of the line. It really looks like an American Corvette, something the C7 doesn't. The lines are smooth and classic. We could have spent far more on a fun car, and were prepared to. What a fantastic surprise to be able to find an American made car of such great quality at the price we did.

In 2 weeks we are headed on a 10 day road trip to Dallas and then onto Galveston and back in our new toy. We can't wait!

 

I agree the c7 rear is a Camaro. Vette tail lights have to be round.

 

I love my base vert but the C6 was perfected in it's final year with the Arctic White 427 Vert.