The Corvette Z07/SS/Blue Devil is fast becoming one of the worst kept secrets in Detroit. It's not for GM's lack of trying to keep the lid on it, but rather on account of the zealous nature of the Corvette Nation. They're an impatient bunch and are having a hard time waiting for next year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, where many suspect the super Corvette will bow. Here we have a set of new pics taken god knows where that show one of the Corvette Z07's most closely hidden secrets. We all assumed that camo on the hoods of development mules was hiding an air intake. Guess what. It wasn't. If these blurry camera phone shots are the real deal, then the ultimate Vette ever will be sporting a clear polycarbonate window in its hood to show off the goods underneath. Say whu? Yeah, a plexiglass window, not unlike the totally transparent hood on the car in which John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John liberated themselves from terra firma at the end of the 1978 film musical Grease. Anyway...
The shaky shots also show some serious braking hardware and what appears to be more extreme air extractor vents behind the front wheels. Aside from that, it appears the Z07 may look much like the Z06. Again, we have to qualify all this with the disclaimer that the car in these pics is most likely not a final production model and may be nothing like what we eventually see on stage in January. Still, a polycarbonate window? We admit, didn't see that one coming.
[Source: Digital Corvettes via GMInsideNews]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Maxzillian @ May 9th 2007 1:24AM
I know there's a glare there which points to it being a window, but there is a possibility it could be a shaker hood.
Phillip @ May 9th 2007 1:40AM
Or maybe to show off the fancy top of the engine, cover thing?
Hell, Id take it, now the rice can see what they hear when I drive by
zach @ May 9th 2007 1:54AM
this comment is based ONLY on the picture above, so don't accuse me of being excessively negative...
if they're putting a transparent section in the hood just to show off a plastic engine cover, that is absolutely pathetic.
I sincerely hope they don't do something that tacky.
Cmicasa the GREAT @ May 9th 2007 2:05AM
Why is it "tacky??" Doesn't Ferrari do something similar with the F430???
Matt @ May 9th 2007 2:05AM
Truer words have never been said, Zach.
Cmicasa the GREAT @ May 9th 2007 2:06AM
Looks like it's gonna be another strong offering for the Vette Team... Perhaps the XLR will get some of these upgrades as well. 650HP Cadillac Roadster Anyone???
Talis @ May 9th 2007 2:17AM
looks more like the beginnings of a shaker hood...
Nick @ May 9th 2007 2:46AM
"4. Why is it "tacky??" Doesn't Ferrari do something similar with the F430???"
http://www.supercars.net/carpics/2992/2005_Ferrari_F4305.jpg
http://www.supercars.net/carpics/2992/2005_Ferrari_F43022.jpg
That's a bit more than just a chunk of grey plastic.
zach @ May 9th 2007 3:05AM
#4 -
The reason I said that is because this picture indicates that the part of the engine "on display" is simply a plastic cover... on a F430, a Lambo, a Zonda, or any other car that shows off its engine; you get to see the actual engine (intake runners, cylinder heads, turbos, intercoolers, whatever).
i'm completely fine with cars that display their engines under clear covers - so long as the visible parts are legitimate; not cosmetic plastic covers.
zach @ May 9th 2007 3:10AM
#4 -
One more thing - the F430 is actually showing off the structure of the car; which is perhaps the least glamorous part of ANY car. If you really think the two situations are comparable, please just shut up.
And again I stress that my comments are based solely on the picture that accompanies this post. I'm hopeful that the cutout is simply the place where a functional hood scoop would be. I don't think Chevy can afford to cut corners with this car and still be taken seriously.
Mac @ May 9th 2007 3:11AM
"I sincerely hope they don't do something that tacky."
I agree with zach. I just dont know if having a WINDOW to show an engine cover is cool. at least take off the clear plastic window and have the engine peak its beauty outside. Now that would be cool!
ckm @ May 9th 2007 4:40AM
Of course, there is the off chance that GM is cooking up these 'leaked camera phone pictures' to both drive interest in the Z07 and GM in general. These and the previous 'shipping' pictures are suspiciously well timed and similar in nature. And they sequential reveal different, specific and unique information about the car...
But car companies would never do that, would they. Just like music companies would never leak studio recordings of upcoming albums to drive fan interest.
BLS @ May 9th 2007 7:11AM
I don't buy it. I think it is just a cut out. The glare might be from a light behind the car, not a reflection of the flash.
Dana @ May 9th 2007 8:50AM
Sometimes automakers install clear hoods and tape little bits of string inside the engine room to analyze airflow.
Mr Different @ May 9th 2007 9:37AM
Forget the hood check out the side vent http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/corvette-photos/data/703/SS-_2.jpg
Chris @ May 9th 2007 10:00AM
Forget the side vents, look at the brakes! I know it would never happen, but they look dark enough to be Carbon ceramic. I know stoptech now makes them... maybe?
WHY, in Corvettes valiant attempt to rank with the big boys of high end sports cars, would they go and put a clear hood on the car? Personally, I think they should get rid of the hump entirely, though not feasible, given the SC. Looks a little too "bolt On".
You think we will loose the leaf springs on the this one and step it up to adjustable coilovers?
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 9th 2007 11:40AM
I can't see having a clear hood window when the device underneath (air/water intercooler) is a featureless box of metal (not plastic).
To those who say the F430 picture is wonderful, you're still only seeing the air intake plenum. The only difference is it's metal and a paintjob. If that is what it takes to make an engine window acceptable, then I'm sure GM can oblige by making the top of the Vette engine fancy-looking.
I personally find the F430 window tacky as hell. The convertible version lacks it though, which means it looks good from the back (the front still has the ridiculous air openings though).
Chris:
The hood on the Vette is already much lower than almost any other front-engined car, due to the compact size (esp. height) of the pushrod V8. I don't find the small hump objectionable.
The Corvette doesn't have leaf springs. It has a single transverse fiberglass leaf spring in the rear of the car. Replacing it with coilovers and a sway bar would add a lot of weight (semi-unsprung weight), and so the GM designers kept it in there when designing the C5 after considering removing it. The adjustability of the leaf spring is limited, its largest drawback in the Corvette application. All in all, it's a great solution, which is why it replaced coil springs on the rear of this car in the 70s.
why not the LS2LS7? @ May 9th 2007 11:45AM
I take it back. I guess it does have leaf springs, as it uses a transverse spring on the front of the car as well as the rear. My mistake.
Some companies would just make up a new name to replace the term "leaf spring", as this spring bears no relation to a typical leaf anyway. Maybe GM should consider this.
MikeW @ May 9th 2007 12:22PM
The monoleaf was fine, the rear crumple zone of a fuel tank in the C4 wasn't.
narcszm @ May 9th 2007 1:11PM
This is clearly a cutout, not a window. They had clearance issues and this solves it. But what about the pedestrian collision requirements in europe? Will it pass?