Kodiak Bear

Now that the folks who were leads on styling the C8 have retired, does anyone know who stepped into those roles? Who are the current folks involved in evolving the styling for the new C8 versions?

Zymurgy

C8 versions have already been designed. There is no evolving styling for the C8.

C8Jake

as long as it's not @Shaka

RapidC84B

Would be interesting to know where they stand on the C9 program. Will it even be ICE? Is it already in progress? Or, with more rapid development cycles and quicker product life-cycles would they start it later in the C8 run?

Kodiak Bear

Hey.

There is a team of folks on the C8 normally referred to as Team Corvette. The styling folks who were the leads on the C8 have retired. All I want to know is who stepped into their places. Peters was one. the other was Kirk Bennion. So who is on Team Corvette now?

RapidC84B

Bennion Retired?

Kodiak Bear

yup

Shaka

The components for this chassis can easily reconfigured for a front engined car including castings at minimum cost. Such is modern technology. It was designed for such an occurrence. Even the DCT can be used in the rear.

Shaka

For once I agree with you. I don't know if there is a man alive that could do it justice. Maybe the next design team can channel Shinoda. C3 is the best looking Vette yet and I really like the proportions of the C7. The C8 just doesn't cut it. I just rehash other peoples art or photos like this.










I used the C7 proportions and moved the cab forward.. Cool hey? Bet you can't do this even at this level.

Kodiak Bear

huh?

Kodiak Bear

In an interview somewhere Ian Callum applauded the C8 but when it came to the styling his comment was "As to styling, it's a shame (that GM couldn't have done better). " So I guess he feels he could have done better.

I admit to have admired several of his designs while he was at Aston Martin and Jaguar.

Back to my question, who is on Team Corvette from styling?

E.T.D. Corvettes

First, Kirk Bennion hasn't retired.

To answer your question, Hwasup Lee was the Lead Exterior Designer on the 2014 Stingray, 2019 ZR1, and 2020 Stingray. He's mid 40s I believe.

Kodiak Bear

Got to check my stuff, as it is my understanding that Kirk has retired and Lee had moved on to trucks(?) before the C8. I don't recall seeing him in any the C8 styling pics from GM but I did see Kirk.

Houston Z33

I strongly believe the C9 was right under our noses.




Keep in mind the C7 we know was actually a slapped together stopgap (the most awesome one ever) that was a C6.5 with styling cues from the Mid Engine they were working on - That's also why we got the Stingray name on it.....they were saving all of that for Mid Engined.

The C8 we have now was actually supposed to have been the C7.

RapidC84B

I don't agree... yes the C7 was a slapped together stop-gap (that ended up being very good), but I highly doubt they just dusted off the old C7 Mid-Engine design plans and produced that. I'm sure the design started mostly fresh. It would be a good question to ask Tadge and Bennion.

I don't think that clay model is anything more than a styling exercise... I don't like it at all. Doesn't look anything like a "Corvette". I don't look at it and think "that's a Corvette" whereas with the C8 I do.

Kodiak Bear

So far,

Peters definitely retired.

Lee's role in the C8 is somewhat confusing. Lee's winning sketches shown Larry Esdall's book on the C7 are definitely of a FM car. In the same book, Juechter makes the case for the MF C7 as beating out the considerations of the MR. I see no Lee sketches of a MR design. One page shows he drew inspiration from the Corvette SS that ran at Sebring in the mid 1950s. Lee has worked in many places in GM previously including the GM truck studio and was lead exterior designer of the Chevy Trax then went to Tom Peter's Performance Vehicle Studio. So I see no publicly available pics of a MR Vett credited to Lee. What role he played in the C8 is not clear to me. Nor is it clear to me where he is now. And GM has probably reorganized again. IMO, the C7 is VERY CLOSE to Lee's original sketches.

Kirk Bennion should NOT be retired as he's only about 60. So he would likely be the person in place.

Maybe |Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Revolution will tell all?

E.T.D. Corvettes

Both of these gentlemen are personal friends. I have a couple of Hwasup's signed C8 concept drawings hanging on the wall in my home office.

Kodiak Bear

Fantastic!

Thanks for the response and the pics 👍

Where is Lee now?

RapidC84B

Interesting to see the Stingray logo on the b-pillar sail panel.

jcp911s

Corvettes have always been "slapped together"

The C1 was rushed into production because the 1950 Ford made Chevys warmed-over prewar cars look as outdated as grandma's iron skillet... a "Blue Flame" 6 and 2-speed Powerglide for $500 more than a Jag? It sold like Ebola.

While the C2 was a breakthrough, that same chassis stayed in production until 1982, and as a C3 owner would argue that car was obsolete 10 years earlier....

The '84 was an ambitious design, but, sheesh, everybody knows that story, and the C6 is just a re-warmed C5....

If you want to criticize.... you can always find a way to criticize.... or you can celebrate the fact that some clever people with a shoestring budget, can cobble together some mediocre production parts, and produce a pretty neat car.