Wow, I sure hope it doesn't look like this.

Looks a bit like the Corvette Stingray Concept from a couple of years ago...

 

This is a good video where Tadge Juechter discusses the C7, he doesn't divulge a great detail about the C7, but he does clear the air a little bit. I think he hit the nail on head when he said that "the mags sensationalize, especially in these times", and "Improving on the C6 won't be a step back in a way".

http://www.corvetteblogger.com/2010/...e-c7-corvette/

So the bottom line we still have only speculation.

Additional information on the C7.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c7-g...iscussion-142/

 

The XLR IMO is one of the best looking cars GM has EVER put out! I'd like to rock a XLR-V if I could grab a steal on one.

 

I would take these renderings with a grain of salt. It looks like a C6 body with different front/rear clips. Even the seats look the same in the renderings.

One thing I commend GM on with the Vette is that unlike many other sports cars, the convertible is NEVER an afterthought. It's always in the original design plans. My friend Brian (moogieboogie) commented that my vette is the stiffest convertible he's ever been in. No chassis flex whatsoever.

 

The body color painted grill would then be a biatch to clean and detail.

 

Maybe its just me but I really want to see the interior. I have a feeling it will be like a Caddy inside which is a good thing.

 

Maybe I'm alone but I like it!

 

The C6 grew on me so much I got one and modded it to my liking. The C7... ... ...not so much from what I've seen of the different renderings.

 

I agree. The thin vertical headlights seem to detract from the car aesthetics and looks like it was taken straight from the XLRs parts bin

 

If so, that would be not necessarily a first, but something we have not seen in decades. The C3 and C4 models, IMO, both had dull, very poor quality, rattle-and-squeak interiors....the C5, a slight improvement but still well below average, and the C6 a little better yet but still not particularly impressive. The Corvette's designers have traditionally put the money into performance equipment, and not interior ambience.

Interesting. I won't doubt the good experience you have had with your convertible (you, of course, know your car), but, overall, one of the top Corvette complaints, and, for many owners, THE chief complaint, has been rattles, squeaks, and poor build quality. Convertibles often (but not always), especially as they age a little, lead in the rattle-and-squeak department from the obvious source.....cowl flex.

Perhaps the most rattle-free convertibles I've seen, strictly from a chassis-solidness/cowl-flex point of view, have been those from Mercedes. Mercedes does a unibody with torsional/latitudional bending-stiffness like virtually no one else in the industry (taking into account, of course, the safety-crumple-zones). I have not, however, sampled a recent Volvo convertible, but Volvo also has a reputation for extremely strong frames as well.

 

You cannot get rid of the grill. It pays homage to the C1 corvette.

 

The C2 (Sting Ray) models got rid of the grill long ago, back in the early 1960s....though a small vestige was left behind the front bumper, as you can see in the picture.

 

Meh. I like the C6 still not sure bout the C7

 

The spaceframe design/hydroformed steel rail backbone structure and aluminum cockpit on the C6 Convertible truly give it a rigidity I have not experienced in a convertible before. If you have a chance to test drive one, try to get into a C6 or C6 GS Vert and tell everyone what you think. To be honest, there are some trim pieces that leave a bit to be desired, but my Vert' has been solid and relatively rattle free. The Ergonomics are excellent, seats are VERY comfortable (we had this talk before), and it has some very nice features (HUD and OBC in particular). With the Z51 suspension, however, the Vette is very stiff and takes some abuse over hard patches of road.

 

Yeah, the Z51 underpinnings are definitely not for Grandma. The Lexus IS-F, in my experience, is the same way.

I'll keep what you said in mind. I've reviewed two C6's, by CL request, but I don't think either one was a droptop. Of course, most brand new convertibles today, even if they have some detectable cowl shake, usually don't have squeaks and rattles. Those tend to build up with age.

Even the Eclipse Spyder convertible, which I reviewed last year (and which was, IMO, a rather poorly-built car) didn't have much in the way of rattles brand new, though cowl shake was detectable.