Here it is: the official pictures of the seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette are finally released.
The design renderings leaked from months ago are surprisingly close to the final images and the new silhouette is unmistakably Corvette, featuring “Coca Cola bottle” curves running the length of the car. Keeping with the classic long front-engine rear-wheel-drive GT sports car proportions, the Corvette still boasts intricate design details that bring the car to a new era.
Perhaps the most pronounced design feature on the new Corvette Stringray is the aggressive hood, featuring a power dome and enormous Venetian slated vents that extract heat from the all-new LT1 engine underneath.
GM unveiled the new Corvette engine back in October, boasting a 6.2 liter small-block V8 putting out 450-hp and 450 lb.-ft. of torque. According to GM, 99.9 percent of the LT1 engine is new, replaced with new and lighter materials that provide more immediate response and even better fuel efficiency. GM claims the new LT1 will be one of the lightest and most efficient V8 engines on the market.
Other design features include the blacked out A-pillar, heavily influenced by the Nissan GT-R. The roof is blacked out as well, featuring a subtle and tasteful “Gurney bubble” to give the Corvette just a little more headroom.
From the back, the rear hatch design is thoroughly reshaped and no longer features the distinct wrap-around glass element. Earlier rumors suggested that the new Corvette rear window would go with a classic ’63 Stingray “split window” design. Sadly, the designers decided to scrap the idea – one-piece glass is probably less costly than two.
Finally, the Corvette’s taillights look heavily inspired by the Corvette’s little brother, the Camaro. While the lights are not a direct carryover, it’s clear that the new car has deliberately replaced the traditional quad-circular taillights of the past just for the new model.
Inside, the new Corvette interior boasts crispy lines, a digital gauge cluster, and clearer button ergonomics for the occupants. Fully finished leather interior seats, doors, and trims are an enormous upgrade from the Corvette’s dingy trims in the past.
Despite the new tone of refinement, GM claims that the new car is actually lighter. The C7 rides on a super-strong aluminum frame, which not only helps the car lose 99 pounds, but it also dramatically improves the car’s rigidity by 57 percent.
With a new engine, lighter body, and a more refined interior finish, the new 2014 Corvette Stingray is the best Corvette in years. But don’t take our word for it – check out the images in the mega gallery below:
