Here’s a curious interesting factoid: the current, seventh-generation Corvette (Corvette C7) does not have a single active safety feature outside of front- and rear-view cameras. In other words, accident prevention systems such as Blind Spot Monitoring or Lane Keep Assist – which have become prevalent on even the most entry-level vehicles – are not available on the Vette. Let’s take a look at the circumstance.
The Situation
Not only does the Corvette C7 not come standard with these features, but it does not even offer them as available options. By comparison, the other dedicated sports car in the Chevrolet lineup – the Camaro – incorporates various active safety features, like Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Side Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert.
Meanwhile, the Porsche 911 – a direct Corvette rival – gained various active safety/accident prevention systems in 2017, such as forward collision intervention, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot warning.
The Reason
In more ways than one, the absence of active safety features on the Corvette C7 correlates to its age. The seventh-generation model originally debuted in 2013 as a 2014 model, with the 2019 MY marking six years on the market. During that timeframe, the sports car has received a gradual rollout of higher-performance models such as the Z06, Grand Sport, and ZR1, while introducing special edition packages and in-vehicle Wi-Fi. Outside of that, the C7 has gone virtually unchanged when it comes to technology.
Six years might not seem like a long time, but it most certainly is when it comes to today’s rapidly-moving technology landscape that has become a significant part of modern automobiles.
The most likely scenario is that the C7 Corvette will continue without any active safety features until its replacement – the mid-engine Corvette, also known as the Corvette C8 – comes to market. That model will likely offer GM’s wide array of collision avoidance systems.
Not all is lost for those who hope to see active safety features make their way to the Corvette C7. Earlier this month, we reported that General Motors could continue producing the Corvette C7 through 2020 alongside the future mid-engine model, potentially in an effort to satisfy a broader audience. After all, a mid-engined car may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If that happens to be the case, there is a possibility that the seventh-generation Vette could be updated to introduce some active safety features… though we wouldn’t necessarily hold our breath.
So, for the time being, the Corvette is an analog car in a digital world… and we kind of like it that way.
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Comments
PLEASE KEEP IT THAT WAY!!
Once Chevy incorporates this, it’ll eventually become standard. Lets keep at least 1 car a TRUE DRIVERS CAR!
PLEASE!
I think Tadge Juechter said there were 2 reasons the C7 doesn’t have all the nannies.
1) the team concluded those items just were not that important to Corvette buyers
2) there were packaging issues. i.e., blind spot monitors that needed the same space as the rear aero aids. Engineers let performance win.
Yes, I can’t recall what video might be rick conti but an corvette engineer explained that the cross traffic and blind spot sensors would need to be placed under the taillights behind the rear bumper. With aero and cooling bits behind there for the rear brakes the functionality of that outweighs the benifets of the sensors
Why do we even need all of this safety stuff on such a performance car. It’s meant to be as light as possible, so they can race… if you can’t drive a car with out all of that active safety stuff, then don’t choose a corvette…
Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green? Why in 2019 does someone ask this question, right near the ending of C7 and not at the start of production in 2013?
Another two years of a model isn’t exactly the end of production, more like the final stretch… though it actually might be kept around longer than that.
But that is not the point. Instead, the takeaway here is that the model did not debit with the features, but then was not updated during its lifecycle on the active safety end of the spectrum. Simple as that.
No way the C7 lasts 2 more years. When the C8 goes on sale, the C7 is done, other than the 10,000 cars sitting on dealers lots.
Now you say that, but we have heard otherwise through the grapevine. Last we heard, the decision to produce both the C7 and C8 congruently was up in the air.
Why does the question have to be asked at all? These active safety features are only needed because some people have no business driving on public roads. They’re so self-involved that they can’t be bothered to pay attention to the road and keep the vehicle between the painted lines. They can’t be bothered to have their side and rear view mirrors properly adjusted so they can’t see around them.
Frankly, when I purchased my 2018 Z07/Z07, 3LZ; I was flabbergasted at the lack of door-mounted mirror turn signal indicator lights.
Montana Bob
The Corvette certainly has enough safety features today, and those who obsess over the lack thereof puzzle me to say the least. As currently offered, the Corvette is a very safe car and a dream to drive! My LT4 C-4 is also a very safe car, but I purchased her NOT for her safety features. Right now, I am hoping that I will like the design of the “forthcoming” C-8, however the jury is still out! – Safety features will not have an effect on whether or not I ultimately will seek one. When the C-5 came out, I also respected its various improvements in engineering and performance, however felt it was a “step down” in beauty (I still feel this way!). Today, I like the C-5 generation and would even own one, but it is NOT my most favorite of the Corvette generations. I like my C-4 styling much better and feel that certain Corvette attributes need to be retained. Jim Cafaro, the C-5’s designer however, apparently had other ideas. A Corvette should be exciting to look at and with all these semi-disguised vehicle spy photos of the C-8, I am just not sure yet. It just may be a bit too bulky in the wrong places and may lose the sumptuous curves bounded by crisp lines that should comprise a Corvette! Historically, I respect various “driver’s cars” like Porche, Ferrari, and even Nissan, however I would not give their styling high marks through all of the various models. A true sports car in which I am interested has BOTH “Form” and “Function”! “Change” simply for “change” sake is ridiculous in my view. A sports car should have as its high priority, enduring sensibilities about its design form and as well as function! When the Vette becomes a blobular, rounded off rabbit pellet, I’m out of here!
People want lane keep assist so they can hammer out text messages and take selfies. The best safety feature an automaker can offer is one that monitors the driver to make sure they’re focusing on driving and not at on their smartphone.
A couple of years at the Woodward Dream cruise I asked a GM Rep working on the static vets on display about the lack of safety features and he told me there was no room on board for the installation of them?
Um…..good?
I assume C7 -does- have StabiliTrak, is that correct? A review of the technical specs confirms the system is very advanced. It’s no slouch and has received constant updates over time since its introduction. I wouldn’t be surprised if it also included rollover stability control (RSC) in the Corvette as well.
It should have been mentioned that Corvette buyers don’t necessarily want these features. I will never buy a sports car that brakes autonomously or pulls the steering wheel from my hands.
Curt,
Absolutely correct! An auto-driving Corvette is a non-Corvette in my opinion. I, for one, don’t even like ABS brakes. They were added to all cars as most drivers don’t know how to pump the brakes. If they were so good, why are they not installed on race cars? Simply put ABS can actually increase stopping distance and they temporarily stop braking action. There are times when one needs stop very quickly and we don’t need some device to reduce braking however little that may be. Thanks, but no thanks. Let me do the driving . . . all of it!
Montana Bob
That was true during the initial roll out of ABS. Modern systems will out brake non-ABS. As for the average person not knowing how to pump the brakes… First, you’re not pumping them, you’re modulating them. There’s a difference. When threshold braking, the amount of modulation is literally controlled by the toes and is almost imperceptible to the naked eye. The reason most can’t do it is that we have generations of people who’ve never had to since ABS has been mandated for a long time at this point.
Racing is an entirely different application, where those participating actually learn the skills involved with threshold braking (among others). For the average street driver, the first reaction in a panic situation is to go for the brakes. ABS helps prevent the subsequent loss of control brought about by locked wheels attempting to then make evasive maneuvers.
“the current, seventh-generation Corvette (Corvette C7) does not have a single active safety feature outside of front- and rear-view cameras.”
WRONG, Wrong, wrong!
The C7 includes ABS, traction control, and stability control, all of which are “active” safety features. And if you don’t think so, I urge you to sign up for the Ron Fellows school at Spring Mountain and try to slide or spin a C7 on a wet skidpad with all the nannies operating. It’s darn near impossible.
As for lane assist and brake assist and that kind of crap, Corvettes (like all sports cars) are drivers cars. If you can’t stay in your own lane without nannies, maybe you shouldn’t be driving at all.
It’s obvious what active safety feature means in this context, and it’s not ABS, traction control and stability control. All new cars in production today (must) have those items. Crisis averted.
As for the mindset of Corvettes being sports cars and therefore not needing these features, I personally agree with you. If it were up to me, I would not have any of that stuff on my cars. But the core subset of buyers in this segment don’t agree with your sentiment. When Corvette ATPs are well within the luxury car territory, these features are expected. Whether they’re used or not, is a different question. Hence, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes all offering the active safety features in question. It’s a competitive disadvantage not to offer them… which has led to the Corvette losing when it comes to consideration… and ultimately sales.
The market wants what it wants. Your argument is that the market is wrong. You won’t sell anything that way.
to be quite honest….those who are seeking these features should really not be driving a Corvette anyway. True driving skills have been comprised due to new drivers using these aids instead of actually learning to drive indepentley. That is why the US has less than 8% of all drivers under 45 that are even able to drive manual. You don’t see the these features present on other top end performance cars and should not be applied in the future.
If you want a Corvette, learn to drive. Otherwise, there is always a mini van available.
Mac,
I couldn’t disagree more.
Mirror-mounted turn signal lights are not for the Corvette driver but for those around them in traffic. Corvettes are low, as they should be. Notifying other vehicles adjacent of the intent of the Corvette driver are for the benefit of everyone and have nothing whatsoever to do with the driving capability of the Corvette driver. Notification of vehicles adjacent to the Corvette also have nothing to do with the Corvette driver’s driving ability. Due to the car being very low in addition to the difficulty of seeing cars behind and to the sides of a Corvette, blind-spot aids can be nothing but a benefit to everyone.
These aids are passive and do not take over control of the car.
‘Nuff said.
Montana Bob
Mac,
Another point: For you guys who possess “true driving skills”; i.e., purists, you should consider eschewing a modern Corvette for an early sports car with a leaky convertible top, side-curtains, no turn signals (other than your arm out the window), non-synchro gearbox, non-limited-slip differential, non-power brakes, non-power steering, no air conditioning, no entertainment system . . . . well you get the idea.
Montana Bob
and let me predict there will never be a self driving Corvette
Gordon,
For those that desire an Auto-Driving Corvette need merely ask that a Corvette owner give them a ride.
That’ll do it!
Ill stick with my C7, the new one looks like a Ferrari rear end and a small corvette front , They should call it Corrari
I’d be happy with the rear view mirror tied into a hi-def camera. Maybe with a record feature so I could replay the facial expressions of those I’ve left behind in my ‘17 Z06/Z07.
Corvette lack of safety features IS a big problem for me. I had a 98 C5 and went 140,000 miles with one accident i was hit in the rear by a Honda. In 2010 I traded in for a 2007 Z06 A white Ron Fellows OHHHHH! and rearended 3 cars in 3 years. The First two were minor i didn’t even report them, but the last one was pretty bad. No ticket and nothing on the otehr car but I had to get my front end fixed, repaired etc etc. Then I saw PLK a Korean firm with an add on Front end Collision Alert system, $300. I ordered it and had it installed. It saved me multiple times with front end beeping and side blind spot flashing. Then I sold the White Z and the new owner loved the PLK Roadscope system. I bought a 2015 Chevy SS Sedan from Australia and found the base model had more safety than my Wives Volvo. Now I sold the SS and am looking for a C7 BUT NO Safety features. My wife may bar the C7 Purchase if i can’t find a way to add Roadscope type capability somehow. HELP ME!!!!.