The movers and shakers behind the new 2014 Corvette - AUTOWEEK
 

Thanks, I hadn't seen that one. Fun to see Maximum Bob in there.

Spin, Spin, Spin.....
The car is now more european, and therefore avant-garde .
Becuase we all know that europeans like it avant-garde not vanilla american old school.

Whateverrrr...

Bob says it's more international now... Bob knows cars.

Here is an issue and I think it is the issue that has me a little on the fence with the new design. Bob Lutz said "it is a much more international in design, and I think that is a good thing" next "it is still very much American in proportion and detail" finally he says, "but it is not so overtly American that it would offend people that prefer European design".

Why are we so worried that it looks European and that it does not offend anyone that like the European designs over American design. I have owned at least one of every generation except the C1 and the Corvette has always been known as an American Icon. Does this now mean that is not the case any longer, that for some reason we now have to be more of a European style.

Sorry, but that is one of the reason I am on the fence, it has nothing to do with the tail lights, or the Stingray on the side, or the black vents and the amount of black on the diffuser, it is the European flare that the Corvette now carries. A side view especially say Ferrari F12. I would have much preferred a new design that still said American and we can still kick your butt.
:hide:

I think this car says we can kick your butt a lot aggressively than the original C6 did.

Let's not forget that the C6 was supposed to more Euro than the C5 because of its more angular looks and small dimensions.

In the end, it still looks like a Corvette IMO.

Bob was also the mover and shaker behind the Solstice and the Sky. I wonder how many of them were sold last year in Europe? or in the US?

My point exactly, it was still the all American icon.

You have to wonder what the car would have been if GM was flush with cash during its gestation period.:(

And the "original" C6 was effectively replaced by the larger more aggressive looking GS, Z06, ZR1 and the 427 Convertible.

You think the 2014 C7 will kick the Z06's or the ZR1's or the 427 Convertible's butt. It will be lucky to run even with the "old fashion" C6 GS or the "original" C6 with the Z51 option.

Maybe the new C7's aggressive exhaust will win the "sonic" race over the "original" C6. LOL

Well except there are only a few cars out there right now that the C7 will be competitive with of the European cars such as the Cayman and the Boxster, base 911, Audi TTR, and maybe a few others. Until such time as they produce the next high performance model (s) where they can be compared to the Viper, Ferrari 458, F12, Porsche Turbo, Lamborghini it is not going to do well in the automotive publications.

I realize that the Cars I mentioned that the C7 is not ready to take on cost a lot more more then the Stingray, but the Corvette is always judged by how it stacks up against those cars, and after all GM made that statement that they want to have the European flare.

It is so fun to read some of these posts. It seems like everyone just thinks this euro influence is so new. It isn't and it goes back to why the Corvette came to be just as surely as the Corvette is the reason why the Cobra (made directly from an AC) came to be.

European sports cars were the entire influence. NOT American...and that is why it was so special at the time, to appeal (in part) to the U.S. Forces who were now home who had been around sports cars in Europe. It needed the V8 to really take off but the two-seat sports car form is NOT American.

Believe it or not, it isn't the 1950's anymore and just selling to Americans isn't enough. GM has to be a global company and it has to have a bit more european styling to appeal to those audiences.

I thing the majority of Corvette owner/drivers realize how the Corvette came to be. However what I and I am not trying to say what anyone else thinks, but I was trying to make the point that event though the idea of the Corvette came about as you say, it has evolved in to a truly American sport car, not a European knock off. It always said Made i n the U.S.A. As we are all aware it is also known as an American Icon.

What I was trying to make a point of was the reference that this design was much more European and should not offend those that like the European designs better than the American.

:iagree:

The European sport cars never sold in America as well as the Corvette either.

It's funny, but the Japanese learned very quickly that the American had different taste then the Japanese home market and if they wanted to go head to head with the American car companies they were going to have to design versions of their cars for the American market. They did, and they whipped the American car companies on their own turf.

I'll take a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire hardtop any day over a 1955 BMW sedan or a 1955 Datsun or a 1955 Fiat sedan, or(punch my eyes out)---- a 1955 Citroen.

Well, I was a little surprised by Bob's point. 'Offend' was certainly the wrong word for him to use and I'm betting he would probably take that one back if he could.

:iagree: We also need to understand, when it comes to styling, aerodynamics play a huge part of design. So it's no small coincidence that the best aerodynamically designed cars will have some resemblance to one another.

Most of them didn't have V8's in them!:thumbs:

Well, for one, I'm thankful my .34 Cd Z06 doesn't look like the .26 Cd 2005 Prius.

well, it is more european now. It doesnt have the wide fenders anymore that dont fit into the much more crowded europe landscape. It looks miles sleeker.

no way. I like that it looks more european, and slicker. It looks so much better. It looks 21st century now.