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New c6 corvette

Basil

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I had the chance to go look at the new C6 Corvette this weekend and I have to be honest. I think they took what was a beautiful design with the C5 and ruined it in the C6. All the smooth curves of the C5 are gone, replaced with sharp angles all over. The front of the car looks too much like an oversized Miata. The interior looks very "ricy." The streering wheel looks like it belongs in a Chevy Malibu or Impala - not a Corvette! Maybe in time it will grown on me, but my first impression is not positive.

Basil
 

78Z

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The recently leaked Z06 pics and specs look promising though. A 7L 500hp motor!
 

Bruce Bowker

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Basil - could not agree more. I think the new Corvette looks like a Miata/Mitsubishi/Toyota/Nissan. Sad.

Bruce
 
OP
Basil

Basil

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[ QUOTE ]
Yep, sounds about right. And it's exactly what America wants. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/pukeface.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That remains to be seen. I've heard that its not being as well received as the C5 was. For example, when I first looked at the C5, the dealer had the one on the showroom floor marked up $6000. The C6 I saw this past weeekend did not have any additional markup.

Basil
 

Steve

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I agree that the C6 is a little odd-looking. The C5 had very sensuous styling, there could be no mistake about what you were looking at.....it was a Corvette! The C6 has traces of a Miata, it's true, but I also get the impression that they were trying to get more of a Dodge Viper look about it. Anyone else see that? I think that it will still sell, after all it's still a Corvette, but maybe not in the numbers that they would hope for. Some of those with a C5 may decide to keep it, as it's better-looking, but there will be some who will switch, just to be seen in the new one.
 

Eric

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Interesting.... I have the opposite reaction. I always found the C5 bland and uninteresting, especially compared to the Stingrays and "C3"s I grew up with. The C6 is the first Vette since the early 70s that I'd consider owning.

Of course, I also like the Bangle BMWs, so maybe I'm just a contrarian! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

sammyb

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From a pure academic standpoint...
The C5 design was a combination of C4 and 93-95 Mazda RX7, which was considered a high watermark of sports car design in the mid 1990s. There was also a big push to make a large "butt," which was assumed to have been intended to associate the C5 with the many large and wide rear ended supercars, such as the Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach and Porsche 959.

The C6 was originally intended to be less of a change, but Lutz demanded a reduction in overall size to compete with Porsche. (The Corvette has always been labled as "too big.")

While everyone accused the Viper of going "Corvette" in the latest generation, the C6 moved even closer, adding some of the Viper's edges. It also utilized styling almost identical to Ferrari 360 Modena.

I honestly believe that at 60mph, a layperson will not be able to tell the difference between a C5 and C6. The similarities are too many. The one large difference is the headlight design (non pop-up.)

The interior is very downmarket, and I find it to be slightly more comfortable than my C5, but the fake aluminum plastic is cheesy.

And the steering wheel IS off of a Malibu.

Most importantly, the quality control is still horrible. The production line was stopped because 6 speed transmissions were failing.

But people will buy them. They are still great performance bargains, and still are great sports cars, and are wildly fun to drive (and drive competitively.)
 

MGA Steve

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[ QUOTE ]
The interior is very downmarket, and I find it to be slightly more comfortable than my C5, but the fake aluminum plastic is cheesy.

And the steering wheel IS off of a Malibu.

Most importantly, the quality control is still horrible. The production line was stopped because 6 speed transmissions were failing.

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif Sammy, all excellent reasons to wait a couple of years for the SVT Cobra version of the new Mustang! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

waltesefalcon

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Hmm, to be honest I think the Corvette lost all its appeal years ago. Personally I find the early 70s vettes to be the last appealing corvettes.
 

sammyb

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Walter,
Looks-wise, well, that's very subjective. On being a real sports car though, as an owner of C3, C4 and C5 Corvettes, there's really no comparison. The C5 is really a world-class car, whereas the C3 and C4 are just the best of the contemporary American cars.

C3s are almost unusable as daily drivers by modern standards. They are brutes (especially the early ones.) No sophistication whatsoever. Steering and brakes are numb with power assist, or unusable in traffic without power assist! (I've had 'em all ways - with and without.)

It's very easy to dismiss a C5 until you actually drive one. Even the most anti-Corvette people I know have done an about-face after driving my C5. It's the detail things that American cars never got -- like easy to read gauges, and a shifter that is so close in promimity to the steering wheel you can actually shift with a thumb still on the steering wheel. Also, the heads-up display is a plus.

When my '99 drowned in Houston, I actually went through driving all convertibles under $100K, and there were four sports cars that were truly great: C5, Porsche 911, Porsche Boxster S and Mazda Miata. (The BMW M3 Convertible had just come out, but were unobtainable -- going for $75K USED!) I didn't fit in the Miata or Boxster S, and the 911 was twice the price of a C5 convertible ($50K vs $100K) when realistically equipped. I also looked at a Honda S2000, which was fun but it wasn't really a usable daily driver.

The 911 and C5 were really equals in every way shape and form. In convertible form, the C5 is a better performer than the 911 ragtop (which is a bit heavier.) While everyone knocked the C5 interior, it was absolutely on par with the 996 911. It came down to twice the price for a marque that's nice...So I bought another C5.

Now on the Mustang...
I don't want to offend MGA Steve, and he already knows I love the early Mustangs, but the new Mustang Cobra won't do anything for me. It's not that I'm a snob, but it simply is a little too brutish, and nowhere near sophisticated enough for me. Something about a car that is fundamentally shared with a V6 secretary's car. I guess that's because I like sports cars the most -- and sports cars, by nature, aren't sedan-based, which is what the Mustang is. Even suping it up to the max, like in the SVT Cobra still doesn't change it's design for a small engine and commuting comfort.

I want performance in a sports car, and sophistication in a sedan. I don't think you ever get a world-class result by trying to eek world-class performance out of a sedan...mostly because you have to reduce sophistication to get it.

Which, I suppose which is why I'd choose a AC/Shelby Cobra over a Shelby Mustang, or a '69 Corvette over a '69 Z28 Camaro.

Yes -- I'm going on and on again.
 
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Basil

Basil

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I agree about the Mustang - a nice car for what it is, but a true sports car it isn't. What I like about the C5 is that it has amazing power and handleing, but is not brutish to drive. I used to have a C4 (a 90 Vert) and there is no comparision. The C5 has a level of refinement that is unheard of in a car under $60k. Also, I drive my c5 regularly across country and as long as I keep it on cruse control and don't hot rod, I get amazing gas milage (usually better than 34MPG across country.

Now, back to the C6. While I'm sure it is a great car (same HP as the current Z06), the looks of the car just don't appeal to me. Bottom line is, I'm very happy with the C5 and see no reason to rush out and get something new. We'll see what the C7 is like /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Basil
 

waltesefalcon

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Sammy,

It really is the styling that has turned me off from Corvettes. I know that they are much more refined sophisticated machines now, I just think they are poorly pacakged. I would like to see Corvette produce a car that had styling that could compete with say a 67 Stingray, rather than looks that can compete with a Cavalier. Just my two cents.
 

sammyb

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Walter,
Totally understood, and in many senses, I agree.

The funny thing is that a lot of people point to the swoopy coke-bottle C3 as the last really great-looking Corvettes, but as far as press coverage and design analysis are concerned, the C3 was even more bashed than the C4, C5 or C6.

The C3 started the design stealing, and utilizing other cars' cues. The C3 was derivative of the Ferrari 250GTO...it used airplane-cockpit styled interior, which had been popular on European cars of the 50s (and Buick Rivieras in 1963.)

Basically, almost the entire motoring press gasped when the C3 was unveiled in summer of 1967. It looked like a bad joke of all the previous decade's iconic styling cues.

The C4 used styling less derivative of other cars, but essentially just "fixed" what people didn't like about the long-running (68-82)C3. Press called it bland.

C5 tried to actually make a styling statement, but as previously mentioned, it was just like the C3 -- stealing from other cars (Testarossa meets RX7.)

C6 is like the C4 -- just fixing what people didn't like about the C5 (big butt and pop-up headlights.) Again, it's bland. Has no individual character. Not a bad car, just not exciting in design.

It's the same gripe I have about Ford -- if all your cars utilize styling of past models (either yours -- in Ford's case) or someone else's (Chev) then you're doomed never to be a leader and appeal to the younger market. So in 20 years, GM and Ford will have tiny market share as their core customers die off.
 

aeronca65t

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I have to admit that the Corvettes I really identify with are the live axle models....I guess I'm showing my age.

Once when I was a college kid, I actually saw Zora Arkus-Duntov driving a Mako Shark show car (around 1970 and at Watkins Glen). This was the prototype for the 70's Vette, I think.
Last summer, I saw a replica split-window '63 GranSport which was pretty cool, but I still prefer the "oldies".
I agree that all Corvettes are a far better value than almost any other two-seat high-end GT/exotic.

These old-school, repli-Vettes look sort of interesting to me:

https://www.kitcar.com/lonestar/66roadster2.html
blue_vette.jpg
 

R6MGS

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This is just my opinion but the C3 Corvette is the most beautifully(if thats what you wanna call it?) car around, the onyl thing that comes close is the E-Type.The C3 is like "sex on Wheels". As far as the C6 goes it seams to small I loved the C5 and have been trying to convince my dad to by one. I guess the C6 will just have to grow on me I never liked the C4 when it was new but now iam starting to see it's appeal too.....so maybe that what will happen with the C6.

Zack

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sammyb

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My Corvette favs in order: '59, '65, '53, '02, '69, '05, '95

The C3 was definitely sex on wheels, but the problem is that when it came out, it was too much of a caricature. It was like a 1970's John Travolta trying to get a date in the New Wave '80s. Looks great now, and looked great to those who were "behind the times" in the late 60s and 70s...but for fashion/design concious -- it was an embarrasment.

The later solid-axle Vettes -- the only things anyone could say bad about them were 1)the solid rear axle! and 2)those weak, self-destructing brakes.
 

coldplugs

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[ QUOTE ]
I have to admit that the Corvettes I really identify with are the live axle models....I guess I'm showing my age.
...<snipped>

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to agree with aeronca65t on this one. I was a Corvette fan for many years & worked at a Chevy dealer while I was in high school and then college. Actually I worked for my father & I remember the '53 Corvette announcement at the dealership and seeing the car (in Polo White, of course) slowly rotating on a showroom turntable surrounded by admirers. I was very unhappy that it had a six cylinder engine and Powerglide just like my grandfather's '51 Chevy. I really loved those silly wire covered headlights, though and insisted on getting a similar cover for the light on my "two-wheeler" that I'd just learned to ride.

In the sixties I had a '57 and then a '58 and thought they were pretty sloppy in the handling department. The stock brakes were dangerous. I spent a lot of time on the '58 making it into a decent car, with stiff shocks, quick steering, sintered iron brakes, etc. It was a good car & I'd love to have it back. I had a good friend with a '63 that was a great car. He used it in gymkhanas and did well. (I know, it wasn't a solid axle).

Later I had a '77 (maybe it was a '76). I hated that car. Very competent - you could cover lots of ground quickly with it - but way too "boy-racer" for me. Sold it & got a Jeep.

I drove a friends C5 a while back - also competent but not my cup of tea. It looked like a whale parked next to my Elan coupe & seemed huge on the road. I was insulted when it insisted on shifting from first to fourth instead of second which is what I told it to do. And on a manual transmission yet....

The early cars were crude for sure, but they could be made into sports cars with some work.

Still, lots of folks love Corvettes & I wouldn't argue with them. It'd be awfully boring if we all liked the same things, wouldn't it?
 
OP
Basil

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[ QUOTE ]
I was insulted when it insisted on shifting from first to fourth instead of second which is what I told it to do. And on a manual transmission yet....

[/ QUOTE ]

That buged me too. Luckily, it was a very easy mod to by-pass the 1-to-4th shift gate. Just had to unplug a cable on the tranny and plug in a $20 dummy load.
 

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