chevrolet corvette concept car has removable canopy that turns it into open-air track vehicle

General Motors unveils Chevrolet’s California Corvette

General Motors (GM) introduces the California Corvette, a Chevrolet concept car that transforms into an open-air track vehicle using the removable canopy. This is the second of the three Corvette concepts that GM is creating, designed by the car manufacturer’s Advanced Design studio in Pasadena, California. The style of this Chevrolet Corvette concept car is influenced by the vehicle culture in Southern California, hence the name of the model.

The vehicle brings over the classic Corvette shapes with a new single-piece, front-hinged canopy, which allows the entire top of the car, including the roof and windows, to open from the front. When the canopy is removed, the car changes from a normal sports car to an open-air track car, giving the driver a track-racing experience on the road. The studio describes the model’s shape as dramatic because it has a narrow cabin and wide wheels, which gives it a strong, sporty look. The long, low front and sharp rear give the vehicle an aggressive look, a design inspiration from both classic Corvettes and modern hypercars.

all images courtesy of General Motors and Chevrolet

Concept car with augmented-reality, head-up display

Inside the concept car, the Chevrolet California Corvette is minimalist, given that there aren’t tons of buttons or controls present, unlike in traditional hypercars. The dashboard and other parts of the inside are built with the same material as the vehicle’s body, and a modern feature that the studio adds is the augmented-reality head-up display on the windshield, which shows the driving information. The California Corvette concept is assumed to be fully electric, powered by a T-shaped prismatic battery pack. It is a type of battery design that allows the driver to sit low in the car, which helps with an improved performance and gives the car better airflow for cooling and speed.

The car’s body is lightweight, thanks to a carbon fiber tub. Under the car, the tunneled underbody helps move air smoothly, and it also includes active aero parts, like a moving spoiler and air brake, which adjust depending on how fast the car is going. The front wheels of the Chevrolet California Corvette are 21 inches, and the rear wheels are 22 inches, which is called a staggered setup, to make the concept car more balanced when turning or going fast. So far, the vehicle is a concept, designed at GM’s Advanced Design center in Pasadena.

the studio describes the model’s shape as dramatic because it has a narrow cabin and wide wheels

the long, low front and sharp rear give the vehicle an aggressive look

detailed view of the rear

the vehicle brings over the classic Corvette shapes with a new single-piece, front-hinged canopy

the style of this Chevrolet Corvette concept car is influenced by the vehicle culture in Southern California

yoke-style steering wheel inside the cabin

there’s a display embedded into the steering wheel

project info:

name: California Corvette concept car

car manufacturer: Chevrolet, General Motors | @chevrolet, @generalmotors

studio: Advanced Design Studio

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