Where are all those sharp young detroit designers fresh out of college? The ones with balls and an idea of how to design a REALLY horny looking car. They used to do a draw up of what they wanted the car to look like, then gave it to the engineers and said "It's going to look like this, make a chassis and power team to move it!" Now the engineers build the frame and power team, give it to the designers and say "Make something fit over it!" That is why the C5's generic body just looks like it's melted over top of a frame, motor and wheels. What a 'shoe in the nuts' to Shinoda!

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited 02-21-99).]

Your right Greg, The designers have taken the motto " Form Follows Function " to it's extremes and have just poured plastic over the framework and mechanics. What should the Corvette look like? I think Bill Mitchell had the right idea for the mid-years and the Mako Shark. I remember being 12 years old in 1963 and seeing my first 63 spilt window coupe. compared to the other boxy cars of the time it was like seeing a flying saucer. It had a classic shape which is still admired today. That era pretty much ended with C4 in 1984.... Hmmm...careful big brother may be watching!

Ha Ha! Maybe he should be watching us NEXEX because we ARE right! I remember doing the same thing as a kid- just drooling over a mid sixties Sting Ray and knowing "one day...".
They were like James Bond stuff back then, EVERYBODY liked them. And every kid recognized them and probably had a model of one in his bedroom right between the Boot Hill Express and the Monkee Mobile, Whoops, dating myself there! I guess you can't blame a kid today for not 'going ape' over the new Corvette, they haven't turned many heads since '84. But those C2's & C3's still get a big thumbs up at every traffic light! It's funny, most peoples perception of the image of Corvette is based in the C2/C3 era. A few years ago my wife was driving a '75 we purchased for $4500. A nice car. She gets to work one day and sees a fellow employee in the parking lot who has never seen the Corvette before, She says to my wife "Wow, you must be rich!" Meanwhile this woman is standing next to her new Caravan that had to be worth 3 times as much as the Corvette! Ha Ha! We later bought an '86 roadster but never got the same kind of feel from the car or response from other drivers. Never once got a thumbs-up from anybody with that car like we have with the C2's & C3's we've owned. The designers proved you CAN have good aerodynamics and good looks (C3). You don't have to have a round jelly bean. I would love to see Corvette come up with a radical design with a touch of retro in it, and lets get some STRAIGHT LINES back in there somewhere. Yes, it would be nice to see some kind of Sting Ray return, In fact most people would probably 'go ape' over it, BUT, GM would have to tread very carefully there. Remember the '74 GTO ? What a kick in the ****to every goat owner in America. Or more recently the Japanese "Nova" Barf! If resurrecting these great GM names means more embarrassments like those, maybe they had just better let the Sting Ray rest in peace, huh? Boy, did I get off on a rant there!

[This message has been edited by Greg (edited 02-21-99).]

Well, GM might have bean counters yanking them by the balls, but Dodge sure doesn't.
The new Charger R/T looks like a Charger R/T would in the 90's. The Viper looks like a 427 Cobra with a modernized flare. The Prowler looks like some 30's hot rod that you might see ZZ-top drive through town in.
Did you see Larry Shinoda's C5 Stingray design he drew just a few months before his death. DROOL!!!!
Now THAT, should be the new Stingray. It would be such a nice final honor to Larry Shinoda. And it looks like a C5 too, but with angles and a lot more sex appeal.

No MoMo,

I didn't see that last drawning of Larry's C5 I would love to see it. Do you know where I could find it. Thanks !!

Hey MoMo, I haven't seen Larry's design either. Can you find a picture of it anywhere? I'd love to see it!
Greg

The Corvette needs to go foward with its own roots, not Mazda's or Acura's (Honda). GM used to be a leader in styling and the Corvette lead the way. When I was a kid there was no mistaking a Corvette for anything but a Corvette. The Mako Shark was and is my favorite style of Corvette. I see a C5 and I think, its a nice car and I'm fully aware of its engineering and performance abilities, however its no dream machine for me. In fact, I'm already tired of the C5 thing. When I see a midyear or mako it still captures my attention and stirs the soul like no other car. This is what GM needs to do for Corvette today and in the future.

[This message has been edited by CJvette (edited 02-25-99).]

Larry Shinoda's C5 Stingray design, his last Vette design just before his death, is found in the July 1997 issue of Vette magazine.
Library will have back issues if you can't find it.
Really gorgeous and strong styling cues from the 63 split window, the early C3 shark, and some Mako Shark. Only one thing can be said about his design...
"Wow"!

Hey guys,
I was driving in to work this morning and I heard on the news that Chevrolet is going to start using their old "See the USA in your Chevrolet" jingle again! No kidding. They said it's because of "flagging sales" and they are looking to get back to their grass roots a bit! You don't suppose they could be reading this board, do you? Ha Ha!
Greg