Patrick96LT4

Talk about falling SHORT of expectations!

:confused:

AP

Yes I am nervous ... but either way ... I fell in love with the Corvette because of the C5 ... and a C6 is not something I plan to get in the near future ...

Look at all of the C4 owners that dont like the C5 ... there will be people who wont like the C6 .... that own a C5 .. it always happens ...

People just dont want to have the "old" model ... but I am young .. and the "old" model is good enough for me ...

vader86

neh, i dont think Lutz will choke

1KULC7

Don't expect more then what GM will give you for the price. Remember the Cadillac XLR (Evoq) is being sold for
a $75K price tag...the C6 will NOT be able to sell for much more then what it sells for today. To be profitable,
GM will not give you what people want, but what GM can produce and make profit on....

The days of buying what WE want are over, we are being forcefeed SVU's and now "Crossovers", High Performance
is dying a slow death....and all of us think its not....

The C6 will be a shorten version of a C5, with fixed lights, advance suspension, and an interior very similar
to the Audi TNT, and GM will push it off as "retro". Lines will be enhanced to look like the C3, meaning the
platform will be the same as the Evoq (XLR), so the Vette will about the same lengnth and width.

Delco will provide sound system, HP will got to 380-390 staying below 400HP. Advanced module electronics will be
used and a form of the OBD III will be used for the main computer....

Interior will reflect lighter colors in two tone, and watch closely for the fron column supporting the windshield,
you will have side airbags.....

Don't be surpised to see 4-wheel full time drive (quad drive)....it will happen.

Front grill will be more pronounces as fixed headlights will be used. Rear lights will be similiar to the 3rd Gens.

This is my educated guess will a little inside help..... :seeya


[Modified by EBVette, 12:35 AM 4/4/2002]

Rick Rader

I agree with Vader...Lutz is on a roll..wait and see what's in store for C6..I bet it will blow us away and it will be here before we know it....As much as I love C5, I am really ready for a fresh look and bet Lutz will be the one to bring it on...As far as the aniversary edition...what happened to that gal they brought over from somewhere in Europe (I believe??) who brought us Electron Blue and was going to change the color schemes as we know it (interior and exterior ??) I wonder if this was her pick for the 50th ?? And no offense to you Mag Red folks, it is a beautiful color but enough already....Will they be up to Mag Red IV for C6 ??

I would love to see blue/black and yellow/black seat trim and aluminum finish as an option in my Next Vette...If they can bring those color combo's in the GTO coming next year I expect nothing less and much more in my future C6..

Living in CA I have had my share of Autumn Lexus colors and shades all around me...I am ready for bold interior colors though have to say Torch Red never did it for me... Oak was and is classy but bring on the blues !!

Not worried with Lutz here...

-Rick

Senna1994

What they are doing just with colors for the 50th Anniversary is a major disappointment. Remember the 25th anniversary and how tasteful that was, at least you could get an L-82 4 spd, now we have a garish color combo on the 50th and you can't even get a Z06. I am sure with Lutz at the helm the C6 will be fine, just keep Tom Peters influence to a minimum. I think GM and the Corvette Group blew it on the 50th Anniversary, they should have done something to wow us.

Jim 47

Nah, no nervousness or panic here :D

Whatever the final design, size, shape,or technology, the only thing that all of us will be dissapointed with is the Price. I think that Lutz will give us an improved C5 with lots of sex appeal and comfort. I just hope I'll be able to afford one!! :D

SteveJ

My expectations are low for the C6. Remember that given the right tires, the C5 can beat the current Porsche 911 on a road course. That's no small feat for a car that's in the low $40K range, and should be available at discount this year for well under $40K given the supply and the fact that most people are keeping their late model C5's. This is a very hard act to follow. I would guess we'll see better headlights, euro style HID, and maybe better brakes. I agree that we'll see around 390 hp with no increase over the life of the C6. It will be interesting to see if they come up with a compact spare so the car can be fitted with normal tires from the factory. The vast majority of C5 owners aren't on the Forum and have no idea what improvement is realized with good tires.

A35th

You bet Im worried.
After seeing the 50th I am beginning to question what is going on with Dave Hill. I was nervous when I heard he was replacing Dave McLellan (spelling ?). I mean Dave Hill was a Cadillac guy and in charge of (at that time) the failed Allante. That was a car that could have had potential - for what it was. Now they were bringing him to GM's superstar Corvette??? Oh I didn't know what to make of it. I was afraid the car was going to become a Cadillac.
The C5 is almost perfect for a Corvette. It has style, design and engineering that is quite a package. I was impressed - especially after reading All Corvettes are Red.
But it seemed like after the C5 project was completed Dave Hill just kinda went another direction. All of a sudden when things got shuffled again in GM he became a VLE and now it wasn't just Corvette but Camaro and Firebird as well. They took John Heinricy and displaced him out of Corvette and then what happened - Camaro and Firebird are dead. Dave Hill is in charge right?
Now this 50th is insulting. Dave Hill is in charge right?
Sure there are people Dave Hill answers to but remember the fights with C5 development.
Here's my biggest fear after seeing the 50th...Tom Peters.
Tom Peters has regurgitated the VW Thing as a Pontiac Aztec. :U I have heard that John Cafaro thinks highly of him but Tom Peters seems more like the Jar Jar Binks of GM. No one likes his performance or work.
John Cafaro on the other hand is a genius. Have you ever heard him talk about the design of the C5. It's not just a car to him. He has passion. He keeps the past in mind and thinks of the entire package. He is like a Zen master when he talks about the lines of the car.
Tom Peters seems to be all about what is trendy and the rave of the moment. Corvette is just bigger than that. This whole arguement about exposed vs. pop ups. It's about what is trendy now. But I don't think Bob Lutz is the messiah who will save the car when all is said and done. Ol Bob could make that Impala into a real Impala if they wanted to. Chevy still has a Malibu that is ridiculous. Yeah, Bob is supposed to be this real car guy and all who is anti-convention but he has come in a little late. C6 didn't start when he did. If the rumors are true that he has delayed the intro for restyling that just says it all. The car must have been frightening.
I am afraid alright. I am very afraid.
But, then again, like I said - I was afraid of C5 and look what it is. A masterpiece.
Let's just hope we can all try to forget about this insult called the 50th. :blueangel:

2 Ag R8Cs

Question for the lutz fans, why? isn't he the on that did the aztek

Senna1994

Excellent A35th on your ideas, however, I think judging by the Z06 that Dave Hill is doing a very good job. Unfortunately I have to agree that the 50th is a major blow considering the heritage and foundation for which Corvette stands for General Motors. A paint scheme and one not so great for a car that has been an icon not just for Americans but around the world is a disappointment.

However, saying that, I do feel that the C6 should be a great car, if it is a further refinement of the C5. I do agree by your input regarding Tom Peters, but Wayne Cherry at GM and other executives should also have responsibility for letting the Aztek out. Unfortunately just like many things in Corporate America, the days of Harley Earl, Ed Cole, Zora Arkus Duntov, Dave Mclellan, Jerry Palmer, Chuck Jordan, and of course John Cafaro seems to be over.

I wish for the sake of all Corvette Enthusiast that the next Corvette will be a milestone just as the past 5 generations have been, and that the 50th Anniversary car would have had a better idea than what we seem to have.

Pooch

I love the C5 and can't wait for the C6. Whatever the design is I will like it. I just hope the price increase is kept civil. I already have my downpayment in the bank just waiting to be used. :)

travelingypsye

I will admit seeing the 50th pics the first time, I was disappointed. I want to see the real car before I make my final opinion. As far as the C-6 goes, I anticipate GM to do somewhat less extensive change than the C-5 was. The reason is the C-5 is so very successful in terms of popularity & performance & GM wants to keep that trend going. They (GM) really did their homework for the C-5 & will capitalize on it when the C-6 appears. Again just my opinion.

SWCDuke

I believe having a subtle and "tasteful" 50th Anniversary model (note that it is a separate model, not an option, so there will probably be a code in the VIN) is a smart move on GM's part. What if it had turned out to be an abomination like the '98 Indy Pace car - or the '78 Indy Pace Car IMO.

The fact that it will be available to all comers ( no "limited edition" BS, which elimates specalators, including dealer gouging from the equation) and probably won't be outrageously expensive will likely make it a popular model. Most previous "anniversary packages" have basically been paint and trim combinations, so what else could you realistically expect? The one I like best was the Silver Anniversary package in 1978. The two-tone silver and pin-stripping was very attractive and made the contemporaneous Indy Pace Car look like a cartoon.

As far as the 50th package not being available on the Z06, does anyone really care? The Z06 is a special model about maximum sports car performance. I think all '03s will at least have something about the Golden Anniversary in an emblem somewhere. For me that would be sufficient. I wouldn't be one to order the anniversary package, unless that was the exterior/interior color combination I wanted anyway.

Duke

Dave95C4

If the C6 goes back to a brash and bold bodystyle with an emphasis on speed and simplicity, then I'll be the first in line for one (or, at least, if there is a model that supplies this). I'm hoping that, with the introduction of the new 2-seater luxo Cadillac, the C6 will return to this performance-centered heritage over the performance-oriented C5. No offense to any C5 owners at all, I love the car...I just think it has strayed a little too far into the luxury end.

Right now I'm keeping my mind open, after all, the Corvette invented the standard of "brash-and-bold-design with a balance of musclecar horsepower and corner-carving performance." I just feel that standard now belongs to the Viper :(

DW (with fingers crossed...)

Senna1994

Well put Duke, I agree completely regarding the 25th Anniversary Car. Perhaps when we see the 50th in person it will look better than the pictures. As far as the Viper being the standard and Corvette straying towards luxury I think you might be a bit off the mark. First off the Viper is extremely limited and rather crude, yes its straightline performance is excellent but I think in the real world there wouldn't be much of a difference between it and a 2002 Z06. However for us mortals who only have one car the Z06 is much more acceptable on a daily basis.

Dave95C4

That's what I meant about the Viper...it is extremely limited and very crude. That's why I like it! :yesnod: But...that's my opinion and it's not worth two grains of salt to anyone but myself. :)

DW

SWCDuke

I said nothing about the Viper, but I do have two cents worth on that subject. Modern design makes it possible to build a very high performance sports car that is also docile in normal driving, economical to operate, and comfortable for normal commuting or touring. Compared to a Corvette the Viper is cramped, difficult to ingress and egress, and short of luggage space. The Viper was originally developed as a concept - a "halo" car for the big car shows with no serious intent for production. Reaction was so positive that they decided to build it and quickly put it into production, and it shows. It has a lot of design and engineering shortcomings. It was improved over the ten years the original design was in production, but relative to a C5 it is crude and poorly laid out.

Frankly, I don't have a particularyly high opinion of the Viper, and I certainly do not lust after one, but I measure the worth of a sports car by a lot more criteria than zero to sixty and quarter mile times. GM spent nearly ten years developing the C5 as an outstanding all-around sports car to fit every sports car taste from grand touring to race track hot lapping. If the Corvette was as "radical" as the Viper, GM wouldn't sell every one they can build with all the overtime the UAW will give them, and GM doesn't want the Corvette to be a limited focus low very volume model.

The current Corvette is an extremely well designed car. It can be either a luxury grand touring car, or an all out sports car depending on the model and options you select. Remember, at least 60 percent of the Corvette market wants an automatic transmission, and these customers could care less that a Viper is quicker in 0-60 time or whatever performance measure one wants to argue about. They want the look, good performance, and the convenience and comfort of a high end car.

The C6 will be an improved Corvette for every taste. It will be lighter and have more torque/power. It will be more comfortable, luxurious, and "user-friendly" in every driving environment from commuting to hot-lapping in order to have the broadest appeal to high-end sports car customers, whatever their particular desires might be. It will also have more "heritage" in the design cues. If anything, the C6 will have a more "luxurious" interior because a lot of C5 customers feel the interior looks "cheap" for a car in its price class. If you want corduroy seats, rubber floor coverings, and a cut down windscreen, the owner will have to make the mods on his own.

Dave Hill is correct when he says there is no market for a "heater delete" Corvette in this day and age. Heck, there was no market for them back in the sixties, (when you look at the actual production quantities) but it was easier to delete unnecessary equipment (for racing) back then when it was all add-on options rather than integrated into the original design, and they didn't have to certify each engine, transmission, and axle ratio combination for emissions compliance. The relative handful of people who want to seriously race Corvettes will take care of removing all the superflous (for racing) equipment.

Likewise, a modern car will never have the visceral appeal of a vintage Corvette. It was a car from a different day and age when one guy controlled the design and didn't do "focus groups", and the relative simplicity and crudeness of the engineering (relative to a modern car) gave it a personality that the best engineering cannot match today. Also, there were essentially no regulations governing car design back then. That's why I'll never sell my SWC, but by the same token the SWC is not a car I would enjoy driving everyday, nowadays.

The Viper is no Cobra, either. By contast the Viper is very refined. If you've ever been in a Cobra you know they are uncomfortabe and CRUDE, but they are fast and have a stong visceral appeal. Compared to a Cobra a contemporaneous Corvette was highly refined. The Corvette had a convertible top that actually prevented water intrusion in the rain, real roll up glass windows, and a standard equipment heater/defroster that actually worked! In fact, it worked VERY well being as how it was B-body components in a car with less than half the interior volume.

The Porsche crowd has the same grips. The lastest 911s are considered by long time 911 aficianados to be "too quiet", "too docile", "too stable" (handling-wise) and "too Japanese" with their color co-ordinated interiors.

The only solution is to have two Corvettes - a modern one for everyday yeoman use and a vintage Special High Performance (maybe even with "heater delete") model for weekends.

Duke

4THTOY

what did you expect for the 50th, just look at the 25/35/40th versions, GM has said true to their past, however, also look at the C3/C4/C5 that followed these paint/decal special versions, all were new and exciting new styles.

Badluck33

Anyone seeing a trend with Corvettes?

the c1 being the only exception in its unique styling, but the C2 and C3 have little differences. and the c4 to the C5 is just like one little brother. I got a c4 and i love it but everytime i see any c5 i just get choked up. its because they're almost identical. they have the little differences but it just seems 2 me that a c5 is just an evolved c4. (not complaining, just admiring). i just cant wait to see the new trend in corvettes when it comes out the year 2099 with all the delays. :jester