rhumb

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/08/r...rst-time-look/

Good idea? Bad idea? Something in between?

I think its a good idea overall, though from wherever the design comes from, it ought to have a distinctly American character. Currently, the Vette is pretty much a big fish in a, well, good sized pond but a pond nonetheless.

Making it more appealing, globally, will, I think, force GM to up its game with the Vette, particularly in various areas where its been a bit lackadaisical (interior mostly, a bit ponderous feeling, lacking detail refinement).

Currently the Vette offers world class (beating) performance but in an otherwise American class car -- albeit at a great price. GM, with some of its latest offerings has shown it can do the full package quite well while still keeping at a price point, so perhaps aspiring to full world-class status will make the Vette that much better.

It'll be interesting, too, to see what interpretations off shore eyes scribe for the Vette.

BoogieNights

You know if they are out of ideas on the design for the Vette then why dont they go back to old school and redesign it to the early years?

Evil_Capri

I sure hope they don't go back to the early years. It is refreshing (in my opinion) to see a design evolve.

BoogieNights

Now I wasnt saying to go back to the first years. I love the look of these and I think that if they were to just modernize this body style it would look good and sell.

houtex

That was MY idea, Dirk! Man, I hate gettin' beat to the line like that...

Love the ascii art sig, btw.

I think that's exactly what GM should do with the 'Vette... although not by default that particular model. Whatever is most endeared is what needs to happen. If people would flock to a 1963 split window design... and buy it... with the performance of the current Vette... that's what they should do.

Retro a little, but not too much. Like Ford did for S197.

Taking it further, perhaps two or three of these. '63 split window. '70 Stingray. Whatever other heart strings to pull, do it.

Why else do the Retro Camaro? Or Mustang for that matter?

Above all else... *FLIPPER HEADLIGHTS* I hate the headlights on the current model. Ugh.

BoogieNights

I only beat ya cuz I work when you are sleeping.

rhumb

I personally think the '63-'67 Vettes were the best styled and sized and would like to see the current one trimmed up a touch. Open up the cockpit and greenhouse a bit -- I never have liked the rolling gun bunker look that seems to be the styling cliche today, especially for sports/performance cars that ought to be communing with the outside open road, not hiding away from it. Definitely trim up the J-Lo butt and perhaps trim an inch or two of width to make it more handy on narrow back (and foreign?) roads. Vettes have always been good in how fast they go -- very -- but often times have been a bit ham-handed in how well they go fast, feeling kind of massive and bulky even though they aren't all that big or heavy.

The Corvette has always been a fairly forward looking car design and even engineering wise for the most part, dancing the line between retro references vs full on retro living-in-the-past.

watchdevil

I have to agree that the 63-67 Vettes were the best looking. The past couple of generation Vettes have done nothing for me. They are too big and lack imaginative style. The only promise was the purple Stingray concept in the early 90's which trimmed down the look into something lighter and fun looking. Seems like that look was translated a lot into the Saturn Sky. I have one friend who has a Sky and another has a Solstice. I really like the size and style of those cars. Super Car or not, I feel nothing when I see a Corvette. The only respect I have is for the chassis and drivetrain but it still looks like a barely evolved version of the 1984 style.

burningman

eat it GM

BoogieNights

Man that bottom one looks cool. I like it.

edumspeed

Doughs designs are always awesome

Scothew

I saw the thread title and thought of Doug immediately. So if they offered you money for it Doug, would you sell?

burningman

if it was enough to get me out of debt then hell yeah

2k7gtcs

Who's Dough?

Waldorf

my all time favourites were always the boattail models with quad headlamps, slightly lowered with wider wheels, just like this one (minus the chrome on rims)







Doug, can whip up a modernized version of this one?