[Allpar News System]

One of the most eagerly awaited presentations at the North American International Auto Show has to have been the 2014 Corvette. For weeks, speculation, spy shots, sketches and renderings have been flying around the Internet. Today, the wraps came off, the embargoes were lifted and the 2014 Corvette made its debut. One of the things that struck Mopar fans was the number of styling cues shared between the new 'Vette and the new SRT Viper that just went into production at Chrysler's Conner Avenue Assembly Plant. In fairness, some of the shared details could be simply a common problem, i.e., air flow management, requiring a common solution.  But others, especially when the cars are viewed from the front, raise questions. Of course, it's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Viper is definitely a vehicle worthy of emulation. Viper fans should thank Chevrolet for the..

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[moparbob]

EXACT QUOTE from Twitter to Ralph Gilles from Geoff Johnston:

"Your Viper called the 2014 Corvette. Wants its front fascia back..."


I Laughed my A$$ off!

 

[suzq044]

lol - from this angle it looks like a chubby Viper.. and kind of .. oddly proportioned, in the height-to-width area.

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

That front facia is eerily similar, however the rest is pretty corvette-like, other than that rear. That rear is like they took a Camaro, the StingRay concept and the older Vettes and smashed em all together.

 

[jerseyjoe]

It looks to me like a GM mimics Viper, The Vette is not a bad looking vehicle but I like last version of the Corvette better. Maybe in the Next gen GM could be more original.

 

[SouthPawXJ]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

 

[JohnRogers]

I'm not seeing it. They look nothing alike.

In fairness, some of the shared details could be simply a common problem, i.e., air flow management, requiring a common solution

That is what I see.

 

[KyleVanGorp_77019]

I do see a lot of Cadillac influence in the rear quarter of the thing, Also I am not quick to throw it under the bus, you have the same thing with the mid-size Eco boxes. To achieve areo results there are some body-lines that are very specific and therefore appear on many cars.

Common areo designs, but still 2 different cars.

 

[suzq044]

The public isn't going to know one didn't copy the other. They're just going to see "2013 Viper, 2014 Vette. These cars look the same"

 

[jerseyjoe]

The public isn't going to know one didn't copy the other. They're just going to see "2013 Viper, 2014 Vette. These cars look the same"

+1

 

[JRS200x]

The public isn't going to know one didn't copy the other. They're just going to see "2013 Viper, 2014 Vette. These cars look the same"

No they aren't. They don't look THAT much alike.. there a few similarities, but no one is gonna mistake one for the other.

 

[RVC]

The problem is with photographers that lately have taken to shooting pictures from the perspective of a dog pissing on a lamp post! I truly HATE that; I want to see the car in pictures like I was standing in front of it, not laying down in the middle of the street.

Anyhow, IMO they did a great job with that car. I'm still not keen on the plasticky interior with the 80s layout. Once you see it in person I think you'll realize that the proportions are right, and it looks great. They did rip off the Aston Martin Zagato V12 in the rear quarter window and rear hatch treatment (down to the twin bubbles on the roof), but it works nicely and it's different enough to be able to claim "inspiration" instead of all out robbery.
Is the rear is a bit overworked? Probably. Are the vents a bit too vulgar? Sure. But overall they pulled it off and technically speaking I suspect that the level of sophistication is going to be well ahead of the Viper.

Must give credit where it's due.

 

[Stratuscaster]

The Internets are already filled with such observations - with some armchair designers gladly pointing out how "they stole this from the Viper, and that from the 370Z, and that from this other thing" - because their ability to recognize rudimentary shapes makes them qualified to do so.

So now not only with the Europeans dismiss it as "too American", the Americans will now dismiss it as "too European."

 

[evh5150vanhalen]

I don't see how people can say the front end's are not similar.....

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/evh5150vanhalen1/2396246B-B215-4694-8032-102B856AE9EF-14246-000011952B12DF3F.jpg

 

[Sir Moses Wellington]

But overall they pulled it off and technically speaking I suspect that the level of sophistication is going to be well ahead of the Viper.

Must give credit where it's due.

Is the Viper supposed to be sophisticated? I don't think it is. Otherwise it would be set up as a GT car, which is much the same as the Corvette. It isn't. Compare the ZR1 and Viper when they get that into the next generation model...if they make one off the C7 that is...

 

[JohnRogers]

No they aren't. They don't look THAT much alike.. there a few similarities, but no one is gonna mistake one for the other.

Exactly. Each continues its own distinctive look.

 

[Stratuscaster]

I don't see how people can say the front end's are not similar.....

There are similarities all across the automotive design spectrum.

It is asinine for some armchair stylist to state "Chevy stole that front-end design from the Viper." No more than the last-gen Viper stole it's front-end design from the last-gen 'Vette. The cars have similar goals, are of similar layouts, and thus have similar requirements overall.

 

[RVC]

Is the Viper supposed to be sophisticated? I don't think it is. Otherwise it would be set up as a GT car, which is much the same as the Corvette. It isn't. Compare the ZR1 and Viper when they get that into the next generation model...if they make one off the C7 that is...

Actually the VIper has that GTS version that strangely enough could be construed as being...GT-ish?But that's not what I meant when I said sophisticated. I was talking about the technical solutions they adopted and how those will likely translate to both track and daily driving scenarios.
SOPHISTICATED - Adjective(of a machine, system, or technique) Developed to a high degree of complexity.

 

[JRS200x]

I don't see how people can say the front end's are not similar.....

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii81/evh5150vanhalen1/2396246B-B215-4694-8032-102B856AE9EF-14246-000011952B12DF3F.jpg

lol... that DOES make it look very similar but still...

 

[JohnRogers]

Yeah it is a clever trick but when both cars are taken in whole the "copycat" and "ripoff" argument don't hold up.