When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
a) the tall decklid is so Camaro-esque that it really cheapens the look of the car.
b) the taillights are not looking promising either- again, they're looking pretty Camaro-esque so far.
c) the spoiler looks so tacky- very 80s/90s in design.
d) Exhaust pipes look really outdated in shape, they look like they're off a C4 Corvette.
Btw, the major gripes with the C7 were that it didn't please Corvette traditionalists. But I'm speaking purely from a design, not tradition standpoint.
That being said - I have a hopeful theory that GM is intentionally making the camo cars look ugly with masking tricks, so that the car really wows everyone once it's finally unveiled.
At least the taillights, spoiler and exhaust tips are cosmetic. Those are not production taillights, spoiler is a tack on really, could be the real thing though and exhaust tips, we change those all the time. I'm thinking the tall rear deck is to accommodate two golf bags. Rut ruh. Mac MP4 12C has storage over the engine sloping down with some additional space between seats and hatch area.
What he said...However, I will add I am disappointed is one aspect. It would seem that C8 isn't going to bring anything new or daring to the mid-engine car market nothing that we really haven't seen before with other nameplates. New for Chevrolet maybe but from what I see nothing we haven't seen before.
your picture dam it’s distracting. What else can they do to be daring without It being a 300k plus hypercar under the Chevrolet name? That is not going to happen.
I disagree in one area (An affordable V8 ME would be drastically different) I owned Lotus Evora GT, Cayman S and Alfa 4C and many other higher end mid-engine cars. My Audi R8 V8 with 430HP had an MSRP 138k If GM can come out with a DCT V8 ME under 100k and even closer to 70k MSRP wow that is a game changer.
Not sure where the tall and narrow critique is coming from. It appears lower and wider than the C7 Stingray.
As to the tail lights - those are place holders, not the production tails, and they're still hiding features of the rear.
My take on this - if somebody was hoping/wanting to not like the ME, then they're not going to like it. Others will, when it gets fully undressed, put in color, and all the vents/grilles in view (the view of the car in motion at the 'Ring with the camo tape sucked down to show body lines not visible on the car in photos of the car sitting still is a good example).
Heck, I thought the C7 Stingray looked like crap at this stage in camo tape, but it turned out to be pretty darned well.
OK. Nothing is more subjective than who thinks something looks good or not. There is no question that through all generations of Corvette, the engineering has been a marvel of the automotive world. I anticipate the same will be true of the C8.
But the looks. The cool factor. The beauty factor. Not necessarily tied to the engineering except when it comes to the laws of physics--aero etc.
Reasonable people may disagree and I hope they will. But thus far, the auto world is not reacting well to what we're seeing. A minority of participants on the Corvette forums are giving it a thumbs up. But the rest of the auto world is hammering the looks of this thing in these admittedly early stages.
And it frankly is scaring the hell out of me. The C8.R was amazing. Breathtaking. But the C8's basic proportions and design flow border on the bizarre:
Crazy high beltline
Slab sides
High, narrow track
Very little Stingray shapeliness
Huge, high, gaping mouth
Huge, high, flat ***
Tiny side windows
And I don't see how the thin layer of remaining camo can alter those basic shapes. And even if they could, the best possible result does not seem like it could possibly be bold or original.
So here we go... Get it all out, good and bad.
Well, don’t hold back tell us how you REALLY feel!!
You certainly are emotional abt this.
Someone said he would reserve final judgment - I agree.
If memory serves abt how I reacted to the C7 mule, I wasn’t turned off but neither was I ready to drop a deposit...vs. how much I liked the wide body C7 when it came out!
Entertaining fer sure
Originally Posted by fasttoys
If GM can come out with a DCT V8 ME under 100k and even closer to 70k MSRP wow that is a game changer.
i also agree with u GM is unlikely to be going for the Ford GT like Hypercar halo car.
Corvette owners like to sit so there better be enough room for lawn chairs and golf bags.
"Sunday" golf bags and those tiny collapsable chairs. Where there's a will there's a way. But help me understand how golf bags equate to "sitting?" Almost never take a riding cart -- it defeats the purpose.
If my fortunes allow me to someday get a C8, well, my wife and I will just need to take separate vehicles to the Club (given our different driving range and 19th hole habits no big deal).
Last edited by Rapid Fred; 09-05-2018 at 01:00 PM.
What he said...However I will add I am disappointed is one aspect. It would seem that C8 isn't going to bring anything new or daring to the mid engine car market nothing that we really haven't seen before with other name plates. New for Chevrolet maybe but from what I see nothing we have't seen before.
It may bring the most daring concept of all - price
Who is this “auto world”? The only article I’ve seen so far from a legitimate source is the article from Motor Trend, and I don’t interpret anything in it as negative. Here is the article:“SPIED! MID-ENGINE CHEVROLET CORVETTE DROPS CAMO FOR 'RING TESTING
The camo is getting tighter and more revealing for the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette. Two prototypes were spotted testing on the N rburgring, ditching the loose black rags they wore previously to expose a more form-fitting spotted white camo underneath—and thus more exterior details.
We get a much better view of the C8's front end, which looks very little like that of the front-engine C7. The front valance features large intake vents on either side, and a large splitter juts out from beneath the front lip. The headlights don't appear to be production-spec, but we imagine just about everything else up front is pretty close.
Looking at the car's sides, there's a large vent just in front of the rear wheel. We can also see just how sculpted the mid-engine Corvette's body is, with aggressive lines running across the doors and fenders, prominent shoulders, and significantly widened hips. In back, the Corvette's characteristic four-lamp taillights peek through the camo, and we also get a glimpse of its square-tipped quad-exhaust and a new wing.
Exact specs remain unknown, but we've heard two dual-overhead-cam V-8 engines, including a 4.2-liter and 5.5-liter, will be offered. Forced induction could also be part of the equation. For more concrete details, we'll just have to wait until Chevy reveals the C8, possibly at the Detroit auto show next January. Until then, take a look at the many photos of the mid-engine Corvette in the gallery below to get your best look yet at the upcoming performance car.”
If you’re referring to the few negative comments here on the Corvette Forum, then that is simply too small a sample size to draw accurate conclusions. Also, I’ve seen this time and time again (I’ve been a registered member on this Forum for nearly two decades), people post negative posts on Sunday, and then they’re in the Chevy dealer on Monday buying a new Corvette. So again, please name who the “auto world” is. Direct links would also be appreciated.
In the interest of candor, my "sources" are informal--mostly subject matter social media, Reddit etc. None of this scientifically valid, nor do I represent it that way. I'm looking for people's feelings about the design effort seen thus far--ESPECIALLY in relation to the competition, originality and bold design statement.
I have to say that with the Camo, it doesn’t blow my mind. It does seem a little boring and dated. Reminds me of the old NSX, not the new one. I’m hoping that GM is doing a great job of hiding the cars true identity.
The new C8 is a big departure from tradition Corvettes, it’s going to get half of the people on this forum just angry, while the others will be fine or just giddy with the change. If you're in the camp that was not happy that GM was going ME you will be more critical of the car to support your narrative, it’s human nature.
I think the front of the car looks great, love the short nose. The side of the car with the side scoops are still controversial but I get the concept and the cooling as I have owned many ME cars. The rear with the added fin and tail lights looks a little off but so did the one on the C7. Every time I walked out to my 90k c7 Z06 I was thinking why did GM use cheap A hardware store screws to hold this thing together. I had changed mine out to blend into the spoiler but then again I am very OCD.
I think the wider Z version with active aero Dynamics will be cool similar to many other brands. My wide body C7/Z compared to my C7 Z51 looked very different and more aggressive. My final point, after watching the video of the ME on the track it shows how the camouflage is messing with many of us and the car looks better in certain angles compared to my first thoughts. Someone who was in a C6/C5 lowered Z said when he was next to the C8 ME in Colorado that the car looked lower, wider. and more aggressive in person.
The new NSX is appealing and has the crazy technology but Acura overpriced it and she is not selling. I had the boring pleasure to have one for the day since my Acura store was trying to sell me one.
In the end, if you don’t like how it looks or for whatever reason we live in the USA you don’t have to buy one
Then I join a long list of people in this forum who are "losing their marbles." I also note with irony that your own sketch was notably lower and wider in proportion than what we're seeing here.
Even though opinions are exactly just that.... opinions... and I am not influenced by others' opinions regarding aesthetics... I'd still like to read the evidence for myself.
That said, please provide your references and links to these reactions from "the auto world".
Now... I totally agree that there will be individuals that absolutely hate the C8 for various, personal reasons. But to claim that "the auto world is not reacting well.." I have to say that's a bit of hyperbole.
Just sayin.
Not going to get into a cherry picked link war. Even ON THIS FORUM, the reaction is overwhelmingly not good. Nothing like the reaction to the C8.R on this same forum.
How about an angle that shows how low the car actually is with some normal environmental context? That roof line is clearly low. As low or even lower than the C7.
You're serious? You're suggesting those two are the same?
Originally Posted by C7pimp
So what?
How about an angle that shows how low the car actually is with some normal environmental context? That roof line is clearly low. As low or even lower than the C7.
I have to say that with the Camo, it doesn’t blow my mind. It does seem a little boring and dated. Reminds me of the old NSX, not the new one. I’m hoping that GM is doing a great job of hiding the cars true identity.
I only hope it looks as good as the NSX and hope that the bulky and ugly side and fat *** view is all chamo...
09-05-2018, 09:52 AM
i also agree with u GM is unlikely to be going for the Ford GT like Hypercar halo car.
