This California Corvette concept is the latest design to break cover as part of Chevrolet‘s worldwide project for styling houses to imagine the future of the breed.
It is the second of three concepts revealed so far, the first having come from the pen of Lotus Elise and former JLR designer Julian Thomson at GM’s UK design studio. The California Corvette comes from General Motors’ Advanced Design studios in Pasadena, and is inspired by the Southern California and its car scene.
Brian Smith, design director of GM Advanced Design Pasadena, said: “Southern California has been at the heart of automotive and design culture for a century, and GM has had a deep design presence here for nearly 40 years. We wanted to ensure that this concept was developed through that SoCal lens, but with a global and futuristic outlook. Duality of purpose is the basis of its design strategy.”
He continued: “The defining design aspect is the single-piece, front-hinged canopy than enables the entire upper shell to be removed, transforming the concept from an agile, slick sports car to a lightweight, open-air track car.”
The California Corvette features a tunnelled underbody with a lightweight carbon tub, an active aero spoiler and air brake, large staggered wheels with 21-inch fronts and 22-inch rears, and a presumed T-shaped prismatic battery pack that enables a low seating position and improved airflow around and through the chassis.
There are no plans to put the California Corvette concept into production, sadly.
The GM studios in Pasadena span a 148,000 square foot campus made up of three buildings, and are home to around 130 staff across design, creative, facilities, operations, sculpting, fabrication and craftsmanship. The site is able to do advanced design work, development, physical modelling and full-scale builds. It serves as a key hub within GM’s global design network, which includes studios in Detroit, Shanghai, Seoul, the UK and Los Angeles.
