Earlier this year, we reported that some 2020 Corvette Stingray owners were complaining about the glare produced by the Natural Dipped Napa leather interior on the front windshield. This problem was previously exclusive to the Natural Dipped Napa leather interior, but it now seems as though the Sky Cool Gray/Strike Yellow interior for the updated 2021 Corvette can cause a similar issue.
According to GM, “certain lighting conditions may cause a noticeable reflection on the inside of the windshield,” in 2021 Corvette models equipped with the optional Sky Cool Gray/Strike Yellow interior color combination. This is likely caused by the Sky Cool Gray-colored pads on top of the dashboard. The interior color combo also has black leather on the dashboard, although black leather does not typically cause reflection issues.
One solution to this is to wear polarized sunglasses, as we noted in a previous article. Some commenters rightly pointed out that this can make it hard or impossible to see the head-up display, however, so this solution also comes with its own drawbacks.
The Sky Cool Gray/Strike Yellow interior color is all-new for the 2021 Corvette. It features Sky Cool Gray-colored seat faces and accents, along with contrasting black leather pieces on the doors and armrests and Strike Yellow accents and stitching. Chevy also added two new exterior colors to the C8 Corvette’s color palette for the 2021 model year: Silver Flare Metallic and Red Mist Tintcoat.
Apart from these new interior and exterior color options and some other small changes, the 2021 Corvette is otherwise identical to the 2020 model year. The 6.2L LT2 V8 engine returns, producing 490 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, and is paired with the same GM eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
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Comments
As a retired GM instrument panel/cockpit engineer, all I can do is groan. No glare is a basic engineering/styling requirement – and it can easily be evaluated and corrected before production.
Sky Cool Gray/Strike Yellow interior color is ugly anyway!
I sent photos of my 2020 dash glare last spring of my 2020 Vette with the Natural Dipped Napa. The main issue here is the glare from the covering of the heads up display. Since then I reached out to GM customer service and after a few weeks delay, they got back to me. I requested if they would consider replacing the HUD cover with a black one to mediate the glare. The answer was no, not unless it was defective. Polarized sun glasses do make it better, but as the article stated above it makes it much harder to see the HUD display. Apparently design engineers from GM don’t read your column, as they made the same mistake again. At least the HUD cover is black on the gray interior I could actually live with that. Having said that I still love the car, it’s my ninth Corvette and by far the best of all of them.
The Bolt EV with the gray interior has the same problem. Glad I didn’t get that option. Failure to communicate between departments is a management issue that should be addressed.
I have on order (waiting 16 months) for a 2021 with dual color red. This also has two thin red lines on windshield
Only choice to see HUD clearly is a make shift black tape to stop glare. Don’t know how it will work, will share when
21st delivered -hope Feb-Mar. this is 10th Corvette. First one (groan) 1963 Coupe Split Window, Riverside Red,
Had to sell in 1965 Navy wanted me in the water.
I have the natural dipped interior in my C8 and was aware of the glare issue, so I bought a pair of polarized sunglasses (the ones advertised on Fox news, endorsed by “Tanto” Paranto for about $20). Drove 1400 miles home from NCM with no problem, can still see the HUD.