For decades now, the interior of a Corvette has consistently come under fire by the automotive media for its heavy use of cheap plastics and poor quality materials. While I didn’t necessarily agree with some of the harsh criticism the Corvette’s interior received, I couldn’t totally disagree either.
That all started to change with the seventh generation of the marque.
Interior Woes Start to Get Addressed With The C7 Corvette
In January of 2013, GM invited the Corvette Action Center out to Detroit to join the rest of the automotive media group for the official unveiling of the 2014 C7 Corvette. It was an amazing opportunity for us, and I had the chance to interview some of the designers of the C7 Corvette’s interior.
During the interview, Helen Emsley, GM’s Global Director of Color and Trim, told me that the interior designers’ ultimate model was Aston Martin.
If you’ve ever seen the interior of an Aston Martin, you know that they are an extraordinary work of art using only the finest materials available in the automotive industry. To reach the quality of Aston Martin is quite a lofty goal, and for all intents and purposes, GM came pretty damn close with the C7 Corvette’s interior, yet still missed the mark.
While overall interior quality was much improved over the previous C6 Corvette generation, there was still a relatively noticeable amount of cheap plastic used in the C7’s interior. My biggest complaint was the quality of the carpeting which reminded me of bagain-basement, outdoor carpeting – similar to what was used in the C1 – C3 Corvette generations. It was rough and crude; not something you would attribute to Aston Martin quality.
While the amount of criticism from automotive journalists seemed to wane a little when they experienced the C7’s interior for the first time – it was still believe to be inadequate for the Corvette’s world-class stature.
Fast forward to the all new 2020 C8 Corvette and GM’s interior designers definitely pulled out all the stops!
Nothing But The Best in The C8 Corvette’s Interior
The Daily Dayton News had this to say about the 2020 Corvette’s all new interior:
“The interior is a revelation, crafted specifically to address the most consistent complaint about recent Corvettes: great car, chintzy passenger compartment. Other than buttons and switches, there’s not a piece of plastic to be seen. Everything that isn’t wrapped in leather is carbon fiber, aluminum or ballistic nylon on high-wear areas like seat bolsters.”
We couldn’t agree more!
While the C7 Corvette’s interior was an enormous improvement forward from the previous C6 generation, the C8 Corvette’s interior is now light years ahead of the C7!
From the strip of HVAC controls to the brushed nickel electronic shifter controls, the C8 Corvette now feels more like the Aston Martin that Helen Emsley’s team was shooting for back in 2013. Everywhere you look and feel, the 2020 Corvette’s interior is plush, luxurious, comfortable and rock solid.
The 2020 Corvette now offers six different color themes: Jet Black, Sky Cool Gray, Adrenaline Red, Natural/Natural Dipped, Two-Tone Blue, and Morello Red Dipped.
“Dipped” is something new for the Corvette’s interior and offers a ton of suede across the pillars, roof panel, door panels, center console, steering wheel and more.
One of my favorite colors is the Morello Red Dipped which only comes…”Dipped”! The color is an extremely rich and luxurious burgundy color and can complement just about any exterior color the 2020 Corvette comes in.
Between the solid or two-tone color interior choices, various colored stitching options, and real brushed aluminum or carbon fiber trim, Corvette customers now have the ability to create some amazing color combinations in their new Corvette.
Well done GM!
Instead of me waxing poetic over this incredible work of art that is the interior of the eighth Corvette generation, I decided to let pictures do the talking. Click on the images below for a larger view and enjoy!
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