It doesn’t get talked about much in a sea of “OMG-cheap-supercar-America-vs.-the-World” fawning, cooing, and general superlative-hurling, but one of the very best things about the Corvette Stingray is the view over the hood. The fender peaks help you place the car on the road, diminishing its perceived width. The lower center affords a fine view of the road ahead, despite the low-slung seating position. Practical considerations aside, the tableau offers a genuine sense that you’re punting something special down the road. According to Ed Welburn, global design honcho at GM, echoes of that lovely hood are going to be found in future mainstream Chevrolet products.
Speaking to Automotive News , Welburn comments, “I always look at the hood of the Corvette and the sectioning, the way it’s taut, very lean, very sporty. That will be a part of really everything we do for Chevrolet.”
The C7 design hasn’t been an unqualified smash hit. There are those who hate the big, flat rump; the italicized-rectangle taillamps with their Juggalo eye makeup; and the heavily festooned body with vents that aren’t NACA ducts. It is very, to quote former Ford American design chief Peter Horbury, “Hi! I’m Dave! I’m American!”
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Beyond the hood treatment—which likely won’t be as radical on other models due to platform constraints—those consternation-causing taillights will also find a home in future designs, though not quite as in-your-face. Which is probably for the best. It won’t be the first time mainline Chevys have borrowed Corvette cues: Witness the killer, quad-circle taillight treatment the Chevelle wore in ’71 and ’72 (which was carried forward through the ’73 restyle, though less successfully). The quad, bumper-mounted taillights remained through ’77 on the El Camino, and in fact, the 2009–2014 Camaro tails resemble those old El Camino lamps more than they do ’69 Camaro units.
What we’re getting at is there’s a precedent here; it can be used for good or for evil. Here’s hoping Welburn’s crew opts for the former.
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