Image via Complex Original
This feature is a part of Complex's Corvette Week.
As the world’s longest-running continuously produced sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette is America’s flagship ride. For 60 years, and through seven generations, it has embodied the finest in American automotive engineering and technology—from fiberglass in 1953 to carbon fiber in 2013. When the first Vette was introduced, legendary GM styling director Harley Earl insisted that an American car could compete in the European-dominated sports car market. That couldn’t be more true today.
The second-generation Corvette, launched in 1963, was modeled on—and named after—a concept race car, the Sting Ray (Stingray became one word in 1968). The ’63 Vette is revered as one of the most beautiful designs in automotive history. “One of the reasons I’m in the business is the ’63 Sting Ray,” says Tom Peters, Corvette’s director of exterior design. “There is magic about it. It’s timeless.”The spirit of the ’63, with its radical split rear window, is in the DNA of the new Vette, the C7, which was revealed at the North American International Auto Show on January 13, 2013. It’s the first Corvette to take the Stingray name since 1978. The C7 follows the tradition of pushing boundaries while maintaining aesthetic continuity with its forebears. For his groundbreaking creation, Peters recalled the automobile that sparked his imagination as a third grader: “There’s music in that car. There’s race cars, and there’s fighter jets. You combine them in a new way and you get the C7."
Like the ’63 Vette that inaugurated the Stingray name, the C7—thanks in part to the all-new LT1 engine—truly advances the legendary franchise. Peters notes that fighter jets were his most consistent performance vehicle design influence. That idea is apparent in the interior, too, where the aim was simple. “We wanted a cockpit feel,” says Helen Emsely, director of interior design, “so that when you sit in the car, the interior wraps around you.” The final interior is a result of a unique collaboration between the Corvette team and the factory workers who will actually produce the car at GM’s Bowling Green, KY plant—insurance that the initial idea is carried out to perfection.
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will hit dealers in early fall. Drivers, you’re cleared for takeoff.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL CURREN$Y / CORVETTE COVER STORY.
Many Nods to History
The C7 isn't just a from-scratch, new car, it's a legacy car that carries the expectations, history, and presence of 60 years of Corvettes on its shoulders. Knowing this, the design is full of homages to Corvettes past.
- The C7's forward-facing grille is reminiscent of the one on the C1.
- The geometry of the C2 Stingray's rear hatch made a triumphant return; if only there was a split window special edition available.
- The exaggerated arches of the front fenders hearken back to the "Coke bottle" C3 'vette.
- The sleek roofline is borrowed from the C4.
- The side panels and vents resemble the C5.
- The C6's tall buttocks remains for the C7 generation, giving the car a very aggressive stance.
Inspiration
The quintessential inspiration of the Corvette is aircraft. With the C7, its explicitly the YF-22 fighter jet. Why? Because fighter aircraft are function-first and pave the way for where things are going in transportation. The C7 captures that in the automotive sense. Like the fighter jet, the Corvette C7 is a symbol of the times. Design Director Tom Peters also wanted to give the Corvette brand a step forward while celebrating the essence of the car and keeping a human element-the surface is designed by talented sculptors and gives the machine an artistic quality. The magic of Corvette balances human passion and the latest technical advances.
A Global Design
The Corvette is a global car. All 10 General Motors design studios were involved in the initial sketch biz. The idea was to tap into the passion of all employees to submit ideas toward the exterior design goals-including a new bolder front, new upper graphic, and new back end. When all was said and done, more than 300 sketches were submitted in less than two weeks. Not bad, considering all the work was done during employees' free time.
Fresh Badging
Each generation of Corvette has its own distinct version of the signature crossed flags logo. The original was created in 1953 by Chevrolet interior designer Robert Bartholomew. Since then, it has mutated but retained an essential character. For the C7 the classic flags get new gesture and speed to the emblem, embodying what people have come to expect about what Corvette is all about. Of course, there is also the all-new Stingray badge on the front fender too. Who is behind the new look? The talented Dennis Finos, a Senior GM Designer, who handled all the graphics for the C7. The only surprising thing is that we don't get a special edition anniversary call-out for 60 years as we did at the quarter century and four decade marks.
New Proportions
The C7 is aggressive, yet beautiful. The look, in Tom Peters' words is "hungry." He says the Porsche 911 is the Corvette's favorite snack. To achieve this look, the new generation Corvette was given a wider track and stretched wheelbase. The roofline was optimized to lower the overall height half an inch while maintaining interior height. The center of the windshield was also lowered, contributing to a compressed, sleek silhouette. In all, the new proportions contribute to a machine with a distinct personality.
Brand New Tail Lamps
There are certain design elements Corvette lovers hold dear, and when it comes to rear tail lights, a configuration of four round or oval fascias is privileged. The C2, C3, C5, C6 share this quality, stamping a signature flourish on the Corvette legacy. For the C7, Chevrolet's gone for a new nighttime signature. Peters rationalized the decision by noting that round lamps were no longer unique to Corvette (hello, Ferrari) ... so, that's that.
An All New, World Class Interior
As automotive journalists, whenever we get some time in a car, we find something to complain about, even if it is trivial. In previous generations of Corvettes it hasn't been trivial, and the complaint has almost always been the interior. The Corvette even earned the nickname, "plastic fantastic" due to the fact that the interior finishes looked so similar to the Power Wheels Corvette. Not so with the C7. Not only did the designers of the new Stingray eschew predictable and conservative design in favor of a bold new asymmetrical design, but they also upped the level of quality by making sure every surface was treated with proper care. The Corvette finally looks like a $50k car, inside and out.
