Mild Take!

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 07/19/2019 at 14:10 • Filed to: Corvette

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The Corvette has long been a poster car for me. Growing up I had them on my walls alongside posters of the McLaren F1 and the poster showing every generation of the F Series. A bucket list car of mine is a C4, convertible, red seats, tan dash, bright red, with an 80s tastic digital dash. The Corvette is my favourite American car. Not long after the C6 ZR1 came out my parents were shopping for yet another car. I lusted after the electric blue one in the showroom. I still remember the surprise on the salesman’s face when he said “really? I’ve never seen a teenager so excited over a Corvette before!”

So how do I feel about the C8? Weird. I think it looks good, the price is stupidly cheap, and this thing is probably about to beat the world into submission.

But I can’t escape the feeling that this isn’t a “Corvette” and it’s the design doing that to me. ( ETA: I’m not saying it’s not a Corvette, but that at least as far as design goes, it doesn’t “ feel” like one?) When is Chevy going to escape their ‘Transformers’ design language? But what else would it be? A new GTO? A Corvair? Fiero? Eh, not sure. Either way, I love the new ‘Vette and can’t wait to see it slay the world. :D

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 14:18

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It could’ve been the new Uplander Coupe , but no, GM won’t listen to me.

WilliamsSW > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 07/19/2019 at 14:20

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“ Chevette"

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > WilliamsSW 07/19/2019 at 14:21

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Lumina Stingray™ 

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 07/19/2019 at 14:25

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Lumina sport eurocoupe

UserNotFound > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 14:25

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North Atlantic take - show me a small warship with the engine in the front and I’ll show you something that isn’t a c orvette. Maybe this is the first REAL Corvette ...

Arrivederci > UserNotFound 07/19/2019 at 14:27

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mindblown.gif

UserNotFound > Arrivederci 07/19/2019 at 14:29

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robertredfordsubtleheadnodofapproval.gif

JeepJeremy > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 14:31

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I really don’t like it. 

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 14:36

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The whole “not a Corvette” thing is ridiculous. Is it made by Chevy? Did they name it “Corvette”?

If the answer is yes, then it is a Corvette. We don’t get to determine what their trademarks are applied to.

phenotyp > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 14:54

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100% with you on the Transformers design language. I want to see them find some elegance. Maybe that’s my next sketch thing. It seems aggressive for aggression’s sake, which is why I’ve never liked the C7. It’d be refreshing to find a mid-engined hero car that spoke to attainable grace, rather than an aggro training shoe design.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 07/19/2019 at 15:03

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Hey man, I’m more a fan of the Saturn Relay, when you design the C9, ease call it the Saturn Relay and make it look like a Saturn Relay and smell like a Saturn Relay and be a Saturn Relay and k thanks

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo 07/19/2019 at 15:04

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Monte Carlo II: Mid-Engine Bo ogaloo

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > phenotyp 07/19/2019 at 15:04

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#bringbacktheXJ13?

Of maybe the 308?

Mercedes Streeter > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/19/2019 at 15:09

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Of course it’s a Corvette. That’s why I put “Corvette” in quotes. Like I know it’s one and my brain says “yep that’s a Corvette” and I even love the style...just for some odd reason I also feel like a Corvette would look...different? Maybe I need to see one in the flesh, then I’ll probably sell everything I own to drive one home. lol

phenotyp > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 07/19/2019 at 15:10

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Something like that.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/19/2019 at 16:12

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The whole “not a Corvette” thing is ridiculous. Is it made by Chevy? Did they name it “Corvette”?

If the answer is yes, then it is a Corvette.

I would agree, but:

Urambo Tauro > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/19/2019 at 16:13

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Yes, and Chevy could have called the C8 “Silverado” if they wanted to... They have that “right” and could start calling their trucks something else to make room for the all-new “C8 Silverado”. But we all know why that would be ridiculous.

The name of a car, once established, is supposed to become shorthand for the type of vehicle we’re talking about. I say “Silverado”, you’ll think “pickup truck”. I say “Harley(-Davidson)”, you’ll think “motorcycle”. But Chevy has a bad habit of screwing with brand identity. If I say “Lumina”, what kind of vehicle comes to mind? A sedan? Minivan? Ute?

The C8 conflicts with Corvette’s brand identity in a far less dramatic, but nevertheless obxious way. Corvette has long been established as a front (or front-mid) -engined, RWD sports car. But the C8 is a completely different kind of car. It’s not a “descendant” of the C7. There’s no DNA being passed down from one generation to the next here. This isn’t an evolution. It’s something new (for Chevy anyway) and it deserves to make a name for itself instead of taking on the Corvette mantle with all its baggage.

BoxerFanatic, troublesome iconoclast. > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 17:32

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Agreed with every point.

Here’s hoping for an “AeroVette” commemorative edition, with some simpler styling.

glemon > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 17:43

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I agree, and totally get, the “not a Corvette” thing. For all of you saying that is ridiculous, think of what people would say if they called the new Supra an MR2.  Wouldn't that be the same thing only in reverse?

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Urambo Tauro 07/19/2019 at 17:45

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Corvette is Chevy’s sports car. This is a sports car. It’s not a truck or a minivan.

I don't disagree that it should be named something else. It should be, nothing to do with the configuration, just because of all the old man baggage the Corvette name holds.

MrSnrub > phenotyp 07/19/2019 at 17:58

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It turned out better than I thought it would based on the spy shots, but I agree that it’s rather busy, and I had similar thoughts about the C7 as well. Looking through past GM mid-engine concepts I came across this:

Now imagine that updated for the 21st century!

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 07/19/2019 at 21:54

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Again, you may not like it, but it says it on the title. The gods have  forsaken us. 

Axial > Mercedes Streeter 07/19/2019 at 22:14

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It’s a Corvette but, as most people know by now as I have been aggressively vocal, I don’t think it’s a good looking one. It’s too busy and it violates most of my design peeves. Chevrolet decided to keep the C8 as a member of the current, abysmal Chevrolet design language instead of using it to spearhead a change in direction and I think that’s a tragedy of unrecognized proportion.

Corvette should not look like existing Chevrolet models, it should tease what the models to come will look like.

Axial > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/19/2019 at 22:15

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We do get to vote whether they named it correctly with our wallets, though. Not that I think the C8 will be a sales flop...

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/22/2019 at 07:03

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People also call 3rd row crossovers SUVs, doesn’t mean they’re  right.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 07/22/2019 at 07:18

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Does said crossover say “SUV” on the title? This is no different than someone naming their kid “Dave” and you coming up and saying “No, that kid is clearly a George, not Dave”. You don’t get to decide what someone names their creation. You can dislike it, but the entity creating the thing gets to name the thing. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! 07/22/2019 at 07:29

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Not when the thing was already defined as something else.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 07/22/2019 at 08:46

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A 2 seat sports car? I’ve never seen a Corvette ad advertising that the engine was in the front. Should we be outraged that it’s not a straight 6 convertible only with a P ower glide auto? How about when they went from pop ups to fixed lights? People said that wasn’t a Corvette anymore, too (despite the car originally having fixed lights). How about the loss of leaf springs? Round tail lights?

Things change. Chevy has made a 2 seat sports car called the Corvette for 60+ years.  Chevy just introduced a new 2 seat sports car called Corvette. No matter how much someone does or doesn’t like it, factually, it is a Corvette. Says so on the car, on the title, in the advertising. 

carcrazydan738 > Mercedes Streeter 07/22/2019 at 11:53

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Miss Mercedes, I feel the same way about the new Corvette. I’ve always wanted a 1994 polo green c4 with tan interior and still do. The new one looks very McLaren-ish to me and I guess one can call it a budget super car maybe. I also guess I’m old fashioned and believe that the Corvette brand should always be a engine in the front kind of sports car. It’s gonna take some getting used to but maybe this will be Chevrolet’s ticket into the room held by Ferrari and Lamborghini.

carcrazydan738 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 07/22/2019 at 11:55

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That is poison to the Eclipse name