C7 Corvette Will Have a Split Window
We bet you didn't see this one coming. The next Corvette, the C7, will have a split rear window as on the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray.
In an interview with Inside Line, Ed Welburn, General Motors' head of global design, father of the re-born Camaro, told us the next Vette will follow the 2010 Camaro down the road of retro-inflected styling
This was hinted at by the Corvette Stingray concept that was used in the second Transformers movie. "That car is not the next Corvette," says 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 caused 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 '64 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 remain faithful to Corvette history by remaining a front-engine/rear-drive vehicle. This after lengthy testing of mid-engine cars, discussion and, predictably, arguments about the possibility of going mid-engine with the future Vette.
Assuming it does not become strictly a retro exercise, we like the idea of a split-window Corvette. If you don't like it, tell us why. --Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
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