I always have been. I come from a 'Vette-owning family; some of my earliest memories include my father's gleaming Classic White, L-82, 4 speed, T-top '77. It was extensively modified, mechanically. 350LT, 4 bolt main, forged crank, Holley 900 CFM throttle body fuel injection, MSD 6A race ignition, Borg & Warner HD 4 speed, Hays three finger race clutch, 4.11 rear, true dual exhaust, etc. I remember being picked up in that car from elementary school and having After having that car for 21 years, he sold it when he ordered and optioned his '99 C5 convertible 6 speed from the Bowling Green, KY factory.
So naturally, when I heard GM was debuting the C7 in January (this was November-December), I was very excited, to say the least. The first all-new Corvette in 9 years? Who wouldn't be?
A lot of people, it turns out. Not because it was a new Corvette, but because of some of the design features. The design features? Really? I was more excited about the new LT1 drivetrain—Direct injection, variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, 7 speed rev-matching manual transmission—all of the major mechanical innovations of the past decade, wrapped up in one big package under that beautiful name that just flows right off the tongue: Corvette.
And yet, even with all of those Christmas goodies that GM is presenting to prospective owners (and surely some current owners who will be upgrading soon), there are still those who feel that the car is not up to par.
Specifically? The taillights.
The freaking taillights? Really people? The most advanced and powerful base Corvette ever (not to mention one of the overall coolest looking cars around), and you still manage to moan and complain about the taillights?
Their gripe? The new 'Vette's taillights share a similar styling motif with the retro-styled Camaro, and the departure of the "classic" round taillights. Instead, they are now rectangular.
Let's rewind back to a time when the C5 was singing its siren song, and the C6 was the next and best thing. The C6 was cool. It was the generation of Nurburgring-killers like the 505 hp, 198 mph Z06 and the 638 hp, 205 mph ZR1. And yet, people were still complaining. About what, you ask? Oddly and ironically enough, the headlights! The C6 did away with the pop-up headlights, a Corvette feature since 1962, in the interest of aerodynamics. And you know what? People got over it. People realized that they could live with aerodynamic, body-integrated headlights.
I think the real problem people have is that the taillights are very similar to those featured on the newer Camaro. However, let's rewind again, this time further back—try 1972. Nixon and Watergate, the looming OPEC fuel crisis, rising insurance premiums—it just wasn't a good time for America. But let's focus on Chevrolet, shall we?
Just going to throw this out there. These are pictures of the 1972 Corvette, and the 1972 Camaro. Take a look at the taillights.
Pretty similar, huh? Oh wait...they're the same.
Things change people. If you listen to the adverts for the car: "...Everything in this car is new..." I don't think I'd hear you complaining if they used the same bolts to hold the car together as they used for the Camaro.
So stop moaning over the fact that you don't have round taillights anymore, and just be thankful you have a Corvette.
