WARREN, Michigan — The next Chevrolet Corvette, referred to as C7 internally, will follow the 2010 Camaro down the road of retro-inflected styling, according to Ed Welburn, General Motors' head of global design.
In an interview with Inside Line, Welburn, father of the reborn Camaro, noted that the split-window design of the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe would make an appearance on the next Vette. This was hinted at by the Corvette Stingray concept that was used in the second Transformers movie. "That car is not the next Corvette," said Welburn. "But the split window is something that I expect for the next Corvette."
Welburn added, "With the back-up cameras and blind-spot detection systems that we have these days, the visibility issue is much less of a problem."
The original 1963 split-window arrangement sparked one of the legendary battles among Corvette factions within the company, as head of design Bill Mitchell and Corvette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov battled over the styling gimmick's inclusion.
The feature lasted only one year. By 1964 it, along with some hideous fake hood vents, was gone. The feature made such an impression, though, that it has become inextricably tied with Corvette ever since.
The C7 will also stay faithful to Corvette history by remaining a front-engine/rear-drive vehicle. This after lengthy testing of midengine cars, discussion and, predictably, arguments about the possibility of going midengine with the future Vette.
When the C7 will debut is another question entirely, as GM's financial woes have forced it to focus on less exciting projects. But confirmation of the Cadillac CTS-V wagon and the continuation of the CTS-V coupe program give us faith that performance is still very much on the minds of those within the company.
Inside Line says: Assuming it does not become strictly a retro exercise, we like the idea of a split-window Corvette. If you don't like it, you could always get the convertible. — Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
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