Sarlacc

You're having this argument with yourself.

I'm not saying the C7 looks like a GTR. But parts of it do draw a comparison...whether you want to admit it or not.

Moog-Type-S

^^ and I'm saying you can find GTR resemblance on many cars, and you can find more than just the GTR in the C7.

There is no direct comparison between the GTR & the C7, however.

Legend2TL

Some geek notes.

Notice how the front and rear structural mid-sections are fairly strong cast AL sections. Attached to them are the far end pieces of the front and rear which look to be extruded AL sacrificial pieces that can be removed and replaced in event of a accident and they can also absorb more of the impact energy.

They also don't support much other than body work since the suspension pickup points are in the mid-section pieces. Lower cost extruded over cast AL allows hopefully cheaper repair and maybe insurance costs.

Something BMW learned the hard way with their expensive to repair E60 front-end clip assembly.

Looks like alot of rivets used to assembly the pieces like the Ferrari AL body's. Also looks like they are using some AL spot welding on the central tunnel. GM recently announced their new AL spot welding manufacturing process.

http://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/n...4_welding.html

AirForceFX

I'd be careful with that sir. They're still 3000+ lbs.

And just like that...I came.


Thanks for pointing that out. I think many are so drawn to the outside looks that they forget the beautiful engineering underneath. This vehicle is light years ahead of previous Corvette's and I'd say some of it's more powerful and expensive competitors.

Just remember guys, it's an opinion game here. Everyone has allegiances, but that doesn't mean we can't progress. If you don't like it, don't buy it, and snub your nose at me every time I drive by, but don't get mean.

2K2SilverTL-S

I can't wait to have one in Artic White to sleep next to my VR C6 'Z51 Vert'

I never thought I would be one of those guys with multiple Corvette's of different generations. I was wrong

I will say, that trans look awfully expensive to fix if it breaks out of warranty.

charliemike

Those wheels will never fit.

/missed point

2K2SilverTL-S

Sex......

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

^^^^ I'd rock that. I'm seriously considering this purchase. I guess I've got 9 months to think about it.

Crazy Bimmer

So this is just considered the "base" vette right? Kinda scared to see what the other ones will look like.

AirForceFX

It's just so mind-blowingly sexy. I haven't been this excited about a car since the LFA.

Race you to the dealer...

srika

How much would this car cost (i.e. how much could it be sold for) if it was made by any European brand, looking like this???? I'd guess in the mid 100's, easily. We don't know the official price yet but I think it's safe to say that this is going to be some serious bang for the buck!

srika

sexxxxyyyyyy

srika

neuronbob

That silver one is hottttttt with the HRE wheels. This will sell like hoecakes.

Legend2TL

I really like that GM is now doing the AL chassis in-house, previously the C6 Z06 AL chassis was manufactured outside (Alcola?).

On the C5 the project lead (former Cadillac Allante lead) wanted to use the Northstar motor and the Vette engineers pressed him on a new rear transaxle. He couldn't use the Northstar (too expensive) but he stood his ground with upper GM management on the transaxle which everyone knew there was no reuse on other GM products.

The new C7 on paper looks great but the technology under neigh is equally impressive. GM has done wonders with the standard OHV LT1. The interior looks great, and exterior styling I really like. Also like how the carbon/balsa sandwich floor pans are also getting used on the standard model (first used on the Z06).

Here's to American ingenuity

pttl

Want sooooo effin bad!

Legend2TL

http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/VEHIC/11722

Click on link for photo's as well

“We had very aggressive weight-reduction targets on this program,” said Leonard Brohl, Lead Engineer for Closure Panels on the 2014 C7 Chevrolet Corvette, unveiled Jan. 13 at a media event preceding the Detroit Auto Show. General Motors has resurrected the Stingray name for the latest generation of its iconic sports car, which continues to be a lightweight-materials wellspring for the automaker.
The C7, which enters production in 3Q13, boasts an all-new aluminum chassis/passenger cell structure that is 57% stiffer in torsion and 99 lb (45 kg) lighter than the previous C6 steel-and-aluminum structure, said GM engineers. At the car’s world debut, GM had not yet published a production curb weight for the car. It is expected to be slightly lighter overall than the base C6 coupe's 3208 lb (1455 kg).
Besides reducing mass while increasing strength, the development team aimed to retain the Corvette’s ideal 50/50 front/rear weight distribution deemed essential for superior handling.
Compared to the C6, which uses continuous hydroformed main frame rails with a constant 2-mm (0.08-in) wall thickness, the C7’s main rails each feature five aluminum segments, including extrusions at each end, a center main rail section, and hollow-cast nodes at the suspension interface points. Each segment is tuned by varying wall thickness from 2 to 11 mm (0.08 to 0.433 in). This tailors each section’s gauge, shape, and strength properties to optimize the structural requirements for each frame section while keeping mass to a minimum.
The frame is assembled at an all-new welding shop at the Bowling Green, KY, assembly plant using a precision laser welding process that GM claims holds tolerances to about 0.001 in (0.025 mm).
Supporting the frame’s greater strength and lower weight are complementing chassis elements, including hollow-cast aluminum front and rear cradles that are approximately 25% lighter and 20% stiffer than the solid cradles used on the C6 car’s structure. The steering column support is stiffened by a factor of five compared with the outgoing car using a new thin-wall magnesium casting.
C7’s use of materials includes a standard carbon-fiber hood and roof panel, supplied by Plasan Carbon Composites’ new Walker, MI, plant. Plasan has innovative manufacturing processes that shatter previous autoclave-type processing times, getting per-part processing down to 17-min machine cycles. For more detail, read this AEI article.
The unique balsa-wood-sandwich floor construction of the C6 Corvette has been superseded on C7 by a new carbon nano-composite floor pan that is lighter while maintaining strength and stiffness, said Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter.
C7’s front fenders, doors, rear quarter panels, and the rear hatch panel are made with lighter-density sheet molding compound (SMC) than the previous generation. The door outer panel measures 1.2 mm (0.047 in) thick and the inner panel 0.8 mm (0.031 in). Combined, the body materials and their design/engineering save approximately 37 lb (17 kg) vs. the C6 body structure.
C7 seat frames are a new magnesium structure on both the standard GT seat and the Competition Sport seat with more aggressive side bolstering.
Juechter said that the Stingray's 50/50 weight balance combined with its estimated 450 hp (335 kW) output (final SAE ratings are not yet finalized) offers the new Corvette a power-to-weight ratio that is superior to those of the Porsche 911 Carrera and Audi R8.

srika

Yes sir. This is run of the mill. I've never been too excited about the base model in the past, only the performance models. Until now. Can't wait for the Z06, can you imagine this car with wider fenders, and all of those touches.

Legend2TL

Costco

Z06 will make the base model look pedestrian by comparison. Can't wait

Yumcha

srika

all 3000 wide (click)




















more here: http://jalopnik.com/5976187/here-is-...want/gallery/1

Yumcha

White FTW.

Yumcha

So, does this iteration pick up hot cougars as effectively as the prior version?

Moog-Type-S

Such a beautiful, sexy, beast!

I think that's the first time I've ever said that about a Corvette.

I can't imagine what the Z06, and other variants will be like!!!!!

Yumcha

Better than anything production from Acura so far...............

fsttyms1

Beautiful. Come on GM, get us a ZO6/ZR1 to drool over quickly!

srika

C6 vs C7

srika

F23A4

...an area where the C7 is far better than the C6.

srika

1920

brian6speed

iTrader: (5)

Front looks like a fisker kharma. Rear looks like a camaro f*cked a lfa. This car is perfect in every way. Not a single fault. I would take this car over anything else sub 400 grand. The interior is even better than the one in the new nsx. This puts everything else to shame. Silly Europeans and Italians will never match this work of art for anything under 5 times the price. USA USA USA. I am so proud to be an American.

AirForceFX

I am a diehard Arctic White fan, but that looks like a damn fighter jet. I'm am unbelievably sold on this car.

Steven Bell

iTrader: (2)

This.....or, maybe they'll make me one in Carbon Fiber!

pttl

Anyone heard of reports on how the seats are? Seat comfort/support was always a big complaint before.

Yumcha

You like to ham up what people are accusing you of, huh?

2K2SilverTL-S

That C7 Vert' looks exactly like my C6 Vert' body. It's a chop.....

AZP-TL

I really like it, including the rear; big improvement. I still like the new NSX a lot more though.

Moose Muscles

A lot of stuff I like, but I still believe the small things are what make good cars great. I think it is a good idea to move the passenger climate controls to the right side of the car. Gives them toys to play with while your tires smoke out the block.

majin ssj eric

I know I'm in the minority here but I don't really like it that much. The interior looks like it was designed by the prop guys from Knight Rider and the outside looks more like a C6 refresh than an entirely new model. The taillights are pretty bad and the exhaust pipes are very boring looking.

On the plus side, the interior is still a lot better than the POS that was the C6. Front end is nice looking but too familiar in my opinion. My favorite exterior feature is the side door area with all the folds and creases.