Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc
The trend is "extreme"; extreme shapes, exaggerated lines, jagged, slashy, pointed.... basically Japanese Anime seems to be the inspiration most designers are influenced by. Everybody is trying to do shapes that are "edgy". The problem with that is, if everybody is doing the same edgy looks, it doesn't look edgy anymore; it just looks trendy. And trendy quickly becomes dated.
In order to create product shapes that extend their appeal out over long periods of time you can't do too much trendy. The 1956-57 Chevy, and the 1967-69 Camaro...those cars to this day still turn heads on the road and still look good. If you took a look at cars that were about 50 years old in 1956 or 1967, you'd be looking at a 1906 or 1917 car. They were not "in fashion" in 56 or 67.
Looking at the C7 sideview you posted, the one thing about that design I DON'T like is that over-large, slash vent behind the front wheels. To me that looks gimmicky and out of place. I like that they took the rear fender line and let it glide down to the front bumper height on it's own. That effectively creates a separate visual wedge shape apart from the front fender line. Nice trick that works.
I am deliberately trying to avoid creating a 4 door Vette with the shapes I'm working with. Certain design/style elements are pretty solidly identified with certain cars; like the door handles on the Vette. I want to come up with designs that respect those kinds of things. The Corvette was always the wild child; it's able to get away with more dramatic shapes and details than say, a Camaro.
Looking at the side view of my design below the current 5th gen up above, you can see how far it actually departs from it. I'm right on the edge of it not looking like a Camaro anymore. The rear fender line extends much further towards the front and makes for a more continuous shape with the front fender. On the 5th gen the front shape stops at the rear edge of the door. The back of the car is a separate visual shape. On mine the entire body is one organic shape. The top of the windshield on mine is tilted farther back and the bottom of the windshield is farther forward. Overall mine is a more refined look, the way the 1970 was compared to the 1969 style it replaced.
You made great points though and I don't know what direction the designers are going in. Hopefully they avoid trendy gimmicks and go for a more timeless look. |
I agree, but time will tell which "trends" will just be a passing fad and which will become iconic and timeless.
The Vette images I posted were more to show the evolution of the design and sharper edges than to illustrate what I think should be carried over to the Camaro. The vent behind the front tire on the C7 would never make sense on a Camaro, but it makes total sense on the Corvette for two reasons; there's always been a vent there (at least for the past few generations) and this new Corvette is the "Stingray" and they somewhat resemble gills.
But if you compare your profile drawing to, say, a third gen:
I can't help but feel that the rendering is regressing (minus the T-Tops) and not progressing. Does that make sense?
