Month: February 2013

Check out this rejected C5 Corvette design that was brought to our attention by our friend Chris Draper via Digital Corvettes. The picture comes from James Schefter’s book All Corvettes Are Red which details the design and launch of the 1997 Corvette.

The photo is a computer rendering of a proposed design for the fifth generation Corvette that eventually made its debut in 1997. And boy oh boy does it bear a strong resemblance to today’s 2014 Corvette Stingray.

The C5 Concept shows the same tapered cockpit design, complete with quarter windows and rear hatch that tapers onto the flat rear deck. Four rectangular lights are shown in the 2+2 configuration and four exhaust ports are centrally mounted. The diagonal vent is there on the front quarter panel and it even looks like the top has the same painted strip on the edge of the roof panel.

The caption for the photo simply reads:

In a computer rendition, this Corvette’s rear end was too radical. it was one of hundreds of designs rejected over the years.”

The 2014 Corvette Stingray has these same overall design characteristics but in a much more aggressive package. And while the rear was deemed too radical in the mid-nineties, its also the most controversial feature on the new Corvette.

It’s very probable that some of the guys on the C5 Corvette design team were involved in the C7 Corvette project as well. Would love to hear from Corvette Exterior Design Manager Kirk Bennion on this!

And for you “Tailighters” who cry about Camaro lights on the Corvette, proof that a Corvette actually had these lights BEFORE the Camaro should bring you much joy. It’s okay to like the new Stingray!

Source:
Digital Corvettes

Related:
[VIDEO] How the C7 Corvette Prototype Made It Into Gran Turismo 5
[VIDEO] Conception – The 2014 C7 Corvette
[Video] Autoline Goes Inside the GM Design Studio

 

Since its inception Corvette has been known for showcasing new and innovative technologies. From the 1953′s fiberglass body to the C3′s fiber optic light monitoring system to the more recent Magnetic Ride Control systems Corvette continues to set the technological pace for GM. The C7 follows suit by using an aluminum frame and more stealthily, a new Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire to control the hidden rear hatch vent.

Although seldom seen by owners, most all cars have a hidden vent or pressure relief valve which purges air from the interior when the doors are closed. If not installed, closing doors and rear hatches or trunks would be more difficult because you’re basically actually trying to force more air into a fixed volume of space (in this case, the vehicle interior). Instead of using a heavy electric motor to control the vent, the 2014 Corvette Stingray saves over a pound of mass by using a new wire which retains its shape until it subjected to a small current at which time it returns to its original form.

The new SMA’s are usually made up of copper-aluminum-nickel or nickel-titanium and can change their shape, strength, and/or stiffness when activated by heat, stress, a magnetic field or electrical voltage.

“Smart materials like shape memory alloys offer new possibilities for many movable vehicle features,” said Jon Lauckner, GM’s chief technology officer. “These new materials enable innovative designs and new and improved features at a lower cost than traditional motors and actuators.”

In the short video below GM Smart Materials Researcher Paul Alexander tells us about this new technology, how it works, and where this hidden part is located on the C7. He demonstrates the new smart material first by stretching a spring, releasing it, and then heating it up until it returns to its original shape. One of the more interesting items in the video is a chart showing how electric motor usage in passenger cars has increase since the 1970’s. Note how quickly they’ve proliferated over the last the few decades. With that in mind you can imagine why it’s so important to minimize these small, but heavy items in a car.

“The shape memory alloy used on the new Corvette represents nearly five years of research and development work on smart materials for which GM has earned 247 patents,” said Paul Alexander, GM smart materials and structures researcher. “And it is just the beginning. We have many more smart material applications in the pipeline that will bring even more improvements to our vehicles going forward.”

We’re looking forward to hearing about more of these new smart materials and widgets as more details about the 2014 Corvette are released.

Source:
General Motors

Related:
[VIDEO] 2014 Corvette Stingray Revealed: ENGINEERING
Check Out This Awesome 360 Degree View of the 2014 Corvette Stingray Inside and Out
2014 Corvette Stingray’s Aluminum Frame Provides Weight Savings and a Stiffer Ride