SanDiegoBert

Rock36

I agree in principle, but unless there is a corvette that goes on sale for under $40K, you will never have a sizeable crowd of young people buying the car simply due to the financial means of the vast majority of 20 somethings, or even 30 somethings who also have to help support a family for that matter.

Now I think you can make a Corvette that young people aspire to own and are interested in, who then buy one when they have they eventually have the financial means. I suppose you could bring the age demographic down somewhat as well. But I maintain that unless the corvette becomes significantly cheaper, younger people might be interested, but they still won't/can't buy one.

While I too bought my vette in my late 20s, and now I'm in my early 30s, I have no illusions that most people my age could do the same. Especially those with a wife and two kids like I have.

Corvette just needs to attract new buyers and future buyers, and that does mean making younger people interested. However, the median age of corvette buyers could be 40 years old forever for all I care, just as long as the guy who is 25 today is buying that new C8 corvette in 2027. To be fair I think the average age of a corvette buyer is in their 50s, and even bringing it to the low 40s would be a signficant step in making the population younger compared to competitors.

I want to emphasize that I agree that GM needs "450+ hp iphones" on the road, and I'm pretty sure that is what we will have or something like it. I also think we will see Corvette sales rise back up to the typical 30-40K Corvettes sold per year once the C7 is released.

BlueOx

Screw it...let's just go the video game route and have GM make the whole dash a programmable video screen and everyone can buy the program that shows/operates their 'special' Corvette generation.

jb_va2001

Some people would like to select what gauges or information appears on the dash (helpful for track or in a world of info overload) and what "look" the dash has, modern-classic-digital-analog-etc.

BlueOx

Yeah, I guess we can add all those displays to the already overtaxed electrical system without any concern.

I can just imagine the threads now...

jb_va2001

BlueOx, What makes you think a display today would take more power than a display designed a decade ago? Or that Corvette engineers would under-scope the electrical needs of adding a new/larger multifunction display, or any new electronic device?

Electronics get smaller, cheaper, more reliable and more power efficient all the time. Look at laptops, smart phones, iPads... compared to what we had 10 years ago.

BlueOx

Electronics 10 years ago were plenty efficient and reliable but somehow the battery/charging system couldn't deal with the electrical system of the C6.

Evidently, Corvette engineers under-scoped the electrical needs a decade ago. What makes you so sure they will do better this time if they make the dash like a video game display?

SCM_Crash

As someone who works in the technical field (especially with computer technology) and someone who deals with electronics, I can tell you that the analog gauges require more power than a small computer powering even a TFT screen. However, most of the video-screens used in clusters are either a type of OLED or vacuum florescent display. Both of which hardly use that much energy. OLED screens are the most power efficient display and today the AMOLEDs also carry super high resolution, brightness and contrast. An example of this type of screen is the Galaxy Nexus (the pic below). I know for a fact that you can run the gauge cluster on approximately 12v and 1-1.5 amps (12-18 watts). That's computer AND screen. You cannot do that with the analog cluster found in C5s and C6s.



I was thinking of building digital gauge clusters out of TFT screens and "Raspberry Pi" computers (which are $35 computers that are powered by approximately 12v @ 0.5 amps... 6 watts.) Your average computer monitor uses approximately 25-30 watts to give you an idea of power usage.

SanDiegoBert

Interesting post. Thanks.

Problem is, GM seems chronically behind the times regarding electronics. I hope they design the dash to allow for new technology to be installed on the production line without major refitting.

BlueOx

OK, you win, I just don't want the C7 to have any of the C6's electrical issues.

SanDiegoBert

Rumor has it that GM is reaching out to Lucas in the UK for electrical advice.

djpatrick35

And how!

eurostyle

Lucas.....what a great company.

SCM_Crash

In theory, if they used a screen throughout the entire cluster, then any changes should be extremely easy to do. It's cheaper to redesign software than hardware (by a LONG shot). No new molds to design, and no fitting differences. Just aesthetic changes to the software itself. Sensors and data run through a single CAN BUS signal like C5s and C6s already use. Nothing new to add hardware wise.

Not only is using a screen cheaper for production changes, but it's cheaper than fitting in actual analog gauges. The kit I was putting together would cost (using retail prices on parts) around $150. GM (if they were doing the same thing as I was planning) could probably do it for about $15.

It wouldn't be electrical issues you'd have to worry about. It would be software issues. There's FAR less electronics in using an in-dash screen vs. analog gauges with mechanical parts, sensors, stepper-motors and of course the lights behind everything that eventually get dim and/or burn out.

Software, on the other hand, can go bad easily. If the embedded storage on the computer goes bad or gets corrupted, you can lose 100% functionality of your gauge cluster. Or if there's simply a bug in the software, it could cause issues that only turning off and on the car would fix.

Lots of unknowns in this field, I'm sure. But on the other hand, there are LOTS of cars using this technology already. The Ford Focus, Lamborghini LP670 and Aventador, I believe a couple of BMWs, the new Cadillacs with CUE, Lexus LFA, and lots of other cars.

Tesla uses in-dash screens including now an in-dash center console with a 17" touch screen display. They find that integrating everything into a single computer to handle navigation, radio, AC controls, and some of the car's power functions saves energy and adds a lot of customization options. And these are cars that are already trying to save as much power as possible since they're electric. Here's an image of the Tesla Model S interior:

jackhall99

We are DOOMED!

jackhall99

And this distraction is exactly what the NHTSA is asking to be outlawed.

I am an old fart and prefer to reach over to the radio's volume **** and adjust it without diverting my attention from the road. The young crowd loves all the latest technology (I use it too, when it's safe to do so), but these systems are distracting while driving a car.

We'll see how it all plays out, but I don't want it in my high-performance car.

Jinx

That's why I like CUE. Common controls you can navigate and operate by touch.

And I bet you can still adjust the audio system volume with buttons on the steering wheel.

SCM_Crash

Yeah, actually, even though I'm young I really don't like touch screens in cars. I have a dash mount for my Android phone and I honestly hate trying to control it while driving. I ended up setting the whole thing up to work on voice commands because I don't want to look at the screen at all when I'm telling it to do something (like change the track of a song or navigate to another location).

Just like you, I prefer to have physical controls that I can simply memorize and never look at. I have the bone stock radio in my C5 and I know all the controls 100% by memory. I think about what I want to do and the right hand does it. If it were a touch screen, it would be a serious pain in the ***.

However, as far as distractions, as long as you're not operating any of the controls on the Tesla's center stack, it shouldn't be anymore a distraction than a normal center stack. Especially since everything is voice command just like in newer cars. My mom's 2007 Infiniti M35 does everything in voice command too. I can say "Set driver's side temperature to 72" and it will do exactly that. It understands me perfectly, although it doesn't seem to understand anyone with any sort of accent that well.

To be honest, I would prefer not having a display in the center stack at all other than the time. (Just like the C5 has now.) My navigation is through my phone which runs through the stock speakers (I have a bluetooth setup going through the AUX on the stock stereo) so I don't even look at my phone. The navigation speaks where and when to do something and I do it. Google navigation is actually quite outstanding.



Exactly why I like CUE. While there is a still a touch screen for more advanced stuff you wouldn't do while driving anyway, there's physical controls with a "vibration" feedback to use while driving so you don't have to look at the controls. But as long as there is voice command, I'm good to go. I don't want any physical controls other than a volume **** (or slider as there is in CUE).

CRABBYJ

This may be a clue (not CUE?) from the 2014 Chevy Impala to be tailored to the C7 with a different looking interior layout. And it still has steering wheel and dash controls too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnFO9...e_gdata_player

SCM_Crash

The Impala seems to lack physical controls. That would be AWFUL for any car, let alone a performance car. More importantly, did you see how the driver had to look at the screen. GM should have seen this and thought, "This isn't a good idea."