GM yesterday unveiled a Chevrolet Corvette concept car with a 3D printed body. Not only is the body lighter, but additive manufacturing would allow GM to reduce the part count.
According to GM Authority, the carmaker sold a little more than 33,000 Corvettes in the U.S. last year, and advancements in additive manufacturing can already suit applications with volumes in the low tens of thousands.
Most Read on IEN:
GM's UK team created the concept as part of an advanced design study that includes multiple studios currently preparing to reveal additional Corvette concepts throughout the year.
The announcement coincided with GM's official opening of a new design studio in Royal Leamington Spa, England, with some 30 designers and other staff.
According to GM, the exterior has a distinctive division between the vehicle’s upper and lower halves. The upper half is a futuristic take on Corvette’s classic design elements. The lower half focuses on functional technical design, like EV battery tech embedded into the structure and aerodynamics elements designed to channel air efficiently without wings or spoilers.
Part of the design draws inspiration from the aviation industry. When on the road, the car’s flowing forms, functional intakes and vented surfaces help direct air through the vehicle to fill its wake, increasing efficiency and range. However, when on the track, the vehicle works like an aircraft wing. The aero surfaces reconfigure and change shape dynamically, dorsal fins deploy and spoiler venting creates aero vectoring, which improves stability and grip, especially when cornering.
GM yesterday unveiled a Chevrolet Corvette concept car with a 3D printed body. Not only is the body lighter, but additive manufacturing would allow GM to reduce the part count.
According to GM Authority, the carmaker sold a little more than 33,000 Corvettes in the U.S. last year, and advancements in additive manufacturing can already suit applications with volumes in the low tens of thousands.
Most Read on IEN:
GM's UK team created the concept as part of an advanced design study that includes multiple studios currently preparing to reveal additional Corvette concepts throughout the year.
The announcement coincided with GM's official opening of a new design studio in Royal Leamington Spa, England, with some 30 designers and other staff.
According to GM, the exterior has a distinctive division between the vehicle’s upper and lower halves. The upper half is a futuristic take on Corvette’s classic design elements. The lower half focuses on functional technical design, like EV battery tech embedded into the structure and aerodynamics elements designed to channel air efficiently without wings or spoilers.
Part of the design draws inspiration from the aviation industry. When on the road, the car’s flowing forms, functional intakes and vented surfaces help direct air through the vehicle to fill its wake, increasing efficiency and range. However, when on the track, the vehicle works like an aircraft wing. The aero surfaces reconfigure and change shape dynamically, dorsal fins deploy and spoiler venting creates aero vectoring, which improves stability and grip, especially when cornering.
The concept has a halo roof structure with wind shield center spar, powered wing doors and full wrap around side glass to deliver Apex Vision, a feature inspired by the "split window" in the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray. Apex Vision emphasizes a singular vertical central spine that is also a structural element while providing a panoramic view of the road and surroundings.
It sits low, with a seat height of just five inches (127 mm). The concept is about 3.4 feet tall (1,033 mm), 7.15 feet wide (2,178 mm) and about 15.3 feet long (4,669 mm).
The Corvette nameplate has long been used to introduce experimental cars, concepts and prototypes. While GM likely won’t manufacture this one, it was developed as an exercise to rethink what a Corvette could be with a true blank-page approach.
GM’s global design footprint includes studios in Detroit, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Seoul. Michael Simcoe, GM’s senior VP of global design, says these teams are primarily tasked with imagining what mobility could look like from five to 20 years in the future. Multiple studios developed hypercar concepts as part of the study. GM hopes to reveal them later in 2025.
Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
