CreatingANew Classic been chief stylist for Chevy Studio Three, the locked studio inside General Motors Design Staff situated at the south end of an 8.9 hectares (22 acre) lake at the GM Technical Centre in Warren, Mfichigan, where the new Corvette was born. This is the first totally new Corvette to be styléd under Palmer's direction, just as it is the first Chevrolet sports car to be born under the tutelage of chief engineer Dave McLellan. Like bis engineering counter- part, Palmer is confident about the new design. 441 really believe we've designed a car, without comn- promises," Palmer says. "But we've managed to retain Corvette identity. The new car still, for example, bas folding beadlamps. It bas a Corvette 'face', even tbough there are foglamps and park and turn lamps where air in- takes useci to be. The front fender vents are stili tbere. as is the large backlite and the functional rear spoiler. The first time that people see this car, they're going to know wbat it is. Tbey're going to say, 'Hey! Tbat's a new Cor- vette! '" Yet, despite the features giving it family resemblance ta its predecessor, the new Corvette bas been designed ta be a brand-new generation of North America's only true sports car. "People are going to be amazed when they see this car for the first time," Palmer says. "But tbey'll be even more amazeci when they see it next to an '82 Corvette. The new car's massive sur- faces, such as the hood, are deceiving. On first glance, you probably wouldn't believe it is smaller than the previous year's model in every dimension except width." The totally new Corvette began to take shape in Palmer's studio in 1978, but it bas its roots in a Chevrolet show-car that took shape as long ago as 1972. "In the early '70's," Palmer rememnbers, "lwe were thinking along the line of a mid-engine sports car as our next Corvette. Work on sucb a car accelerated wben the rotary engine wjas being viewed as a promising power- plant for a sport machine. We designed a car which was -dubbed the '4-Rotor', after its powerplant, and since this was a concept car, we experi- mented with a lot of new things - gullwing doors, a windshield angled at the middle in plain view, and a practically aerodynamic shape than anything we'd designed before."' But the rotary. engine soon felI from contention, and, even tbough it was redesigned for a V8.' and renamned the "Aerovette", the show car remained a design experiment only - un- tii 1978. The Aerovette's doors and windshield were imprac- tical for production, but the aerodynamnic lines - the basic design philosophy - becamne a starting-point for the new- est Corvette. And when Cbev- rolet says "aerodynamic", they mean every syllable. No other Corvette bas seen as extensive aerody- namîc study as this model. Ini addition ta wind tunnel studies using smoke, ink droplets, Yarn tufts, and other conventional tools, the scale model of the new car saw testing in an aircraft wind tunnel, wbere a sensor was passed repeatedly through the wake of the car to record differences between wake pressures and the amn- bient pressure of the tunnel environment. The result was a detailed picture of the ac- tuaI pressure variants and vortices created by the passage of the vebicle. Such an image is far more useful ta, designers than is a picture of surface flow only, and Cor- vette is believed to be the first sports car ever designed with assistance of such a tool. . Ibe resuit is a car with dlean, wind-sculpted lines. But the designer's job did not, end there. "We wanted to make the car with superior engîne- compartment accessibility, and we also wanted people to be able ta see some of the great hardware - the cross- fire injection, air-cleaner, serpentine belt systein, elec- tric cooiing fan, and the beautiful new aluminumn suspension work - ail under the hood of the car," Palmer saYs. "So we gave it a clam- shell hood. Then, once we'd done that, we made sure the engine compartment *ould be just as pleasant to look at as the rest of the car. We designed the air cleaner, the valve covers, and the fan shroud with both aesthetics and function in mind. And on this car, styiists bad input on areas formerly closed ta us. The dipsticks have sculpted T-handles. We belped ta locate every bose and wire in the engine compartment. Îi remnember ler«thy discusions concerning the eventual colour of the high-tenslon cable tead- ing to the spark plugs. We even asked Delco for a new black-and-gray battery, so it wouid go with the rest of the hardware." On the interior, a theme of functional elegance Is con- tinued, with a dramnatic flat black dash surface under the fast windshield and a multitude of conveniences located with a minimumn of clutter. Ergonomies predom- mnate throughout the pass- enger compartment, and even the most noticeabie in- terior feature, the electronie instrument panel, is instantly easy ta use. Evidence of an wiiiei'standing for the way sport car drivers operate can be seen ini the speedometer and tachometer where, in addition ta digital readouts, there are large, colourful, easy ta read, LCD flow- analogs. These two in- struments, as well as the fuel gauge, can be understood even when seen in peripheral vision only, and other critical gauges have been backed up with warning iights. Seating is as coinfortable as it looks, and basic driver controls are wrapped in leather. There is even a bump-pad atop the rocker panel for ease of entry and exit. "When we set out ta create the new Corvette," said Palmer, "we set aside flasbiness and concentrated on basics, like cleanlmness, comfort, and function. 1 think this hew Corvette is a statemnent of that principle. It will be a joy to drive and own, and it wil still appear stylish on the road five or ten years from now. It's a car designed without compromiLses."1 IMPROVING ON A LONG TRADITION ' Chevrolet's new Corvette bears clean and graceful Unes, with a sloping front end, deeply angled windshield, fastback roofline and short deck. As in the past, front and rear buniper facias are integrated in *.the overali design. A peripheral moulding and door handies are black. Body colour rocker panel mouldings of rein- forced plastic resist stone damage. Corvette has featured a fibreglass body since its introduc- tion in 1953. f " Vinyl Tops* Windshields " Convertible Tops * Carpets 0 Custom Seat Covers * Sun Roofs 40 Russet Ave., Oshawa AUTO TRIM *Bodýy Side Mouldings *Boat Tops 725-4914 725-9325, Fuel Filters Demnand Attention, Too Your car stalîs. refuses to sart again and there is a noticeable odor of gaso- line. The culprit could be a dirty fuel filter. Here's what happens: Inside the carburetor is a delicate valve which allaws the corý rect amount of fuel to enter the float chamber. Dirt. however. can prevent that valve from shutting off. ['he result is excessive gasoline p<)uring int the carburetor. ultimately flooding the engine. Car Care Council points out that replacement of the fuel f ilter elerent is a rec- ommcnded part of any en- gine tune-up. If you are uncertain as to when your fuel filter element was last replaced. play it safe and have it dune, t E M