Side by Side Photos - Gen 5 & C7

[Nine Ball]

A customer came by yesterday to order some wheels for his new Corvette, and to allow me to take measurements off of his car for fitment. We did a quick (and dirty) photo comparison of both cars. It was fun comparing all the body lines and differences between these two cars, and after our review we both agreed the cars look nothing alike. Sure, they share a few subtle cues, but the design theme of each is completely different. You be the judge.

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Tony

 

[Mopar488]

Nice pics. Both beautiful cars. They look very similar to me. If both of those cars were coming down the road toward you, and you really did not know your cars, you would think they were of the same make. The Vette would look good with black wheels.

 

[hou99gts]

The cars really look similar from the front. Good comparo white to white.

My next door neighbor got a Premier edition C7 10 days ago. We did the same thing with his car and my gen IV ACR (sorry, no pics). Made my car look dated, and his sat too high. I really don't care for the rear of the C7. He let me drive it, way nicer than the C6, very light clutch pedal compared to the Viper.

 

[Oilman1934]

The vette is leaps over the c6 but the viper is timeless I don't think the vette will age well , and I don't agree they look nothing like each Other except the color.

 

[AZTVR]

The only resemblance, IMHO is headlamp and fascia opening shapes. Like said above, the non-car guy picks up on 1 or 2 features and misidentifies by that. Hell, they just see a cool fast car, and might name it anything from Porsche to Ferrari.

 

[SLViper]

Viper wins the side by side shots, Viper is curvier, sexier. Vette looks more rear engine boy racer.
Both cars look awesome and I am Viper all the way but..........What about the fact that I can buy his and hers Vettes for the same price as a loaded GTS? Advantage Vette and that is why their sales are through the roof and Viper sales are well you know, flatline.
Have a Blessed Day!
Steve

 

[Vipes]

Viper wins hands down.

 

[VRYALT3R3D]

The rear of the C7 looks awful next to the VIper

 

[VIPER 93]

Better panel fitment on the vette, that's it!

 

[vancouver-gts]

From the front the shapes are similar, especially the headlight assy and the opening in the lower.Couldn't help not noticing how much better the Vette's hood fit looks in picture # 3 from the bottom. I'm disappointed at the gaps on the new Viper when Ralph was promising of great improvement in that regard. The Vette's rear is hideous as been sad a thousand times already.
.

 

[gtssnake]

The vette is a great car and very nice looking but it will never be a viper. However, the vette is a bargain for what GM gives you.

 

[shine]

Nice comparo, thanks for sharing.

 

[HyperViper]

Cool pics. Thanks Tony.

I am trying to like the Vette, I really am, I just can't. None of the angles is good for me. ok, but not good.

Winner.....Viper

 

[Tiago]

maybe its just me but these pics make the viper look bulky/fat and soft while the vette looks edgy and aggressive.

 

[viper k]

corvette looks good i like the viper a lot better but i allways like the viper over the vette but the fit and finnish on the vette look so much better just look at hood gap and for the money that should never be !!!!!!!!!

 

[Alabaster Mamba]

Great pics. And thanks Tony for always going that extra bit to do stuff like this. These pics really show how they are similar and how they are different. It would be nice if you could have also did a comparo on the interior and consoles.

Both cars look great. I think the Viper looks incredible as well as the Vette. The Vette rear end looks too busy. I actually like the side profile look of the Vette more. The Gen 5 looks too much like the Gen 2. Not that that is a bad thing but in my personal opinion, a new product should be just that. Not a retro renovated look. The Gen 2 is a beautiful car no doubt and set the original bar but I think the car should have gone a different direction the way the Vette did sans the rear end.

 

[DMan]

Nice shots. He definitely needs wheels.

I've never thought much about some of the complaints about panel gaps, but wow, side by side, the vette almost seems seamless and the viper looks like the hatch is open and hood is popped the gaps are so big. Still not a biggy to me, but now I do see what peeps are saying.

I really do like both. I even like both from behind. I love the c pillar rear fender shoulders of the vette.

I can't imagine someone confusing the two, but since someone just called my viper a C7 vette, I guess it's possible.

 

[denniskgb]

Corvette looks very good. It's a spiced up version of the previous generation. However, we are gonna overdose on new corvette pretty soon, since everyone and their grandfather are gonna buy one.

 

[NO HEMI]

Both cars are nice, the corvette looks ferrarish", and the Viper looks "Viperish".., and I Love vipers.. 'nuff said.

 

[Oilman1934]

Both cars are nice, the corvette looks ferrarish", and the Viper looks "Viperish".., and I Love vipers.. 'nuff said.

Very well said

 

[Nine Ball]

Viper hood and trunk gaps are bigger looking, for sure. But, that also has to do with the way the gaps are located on the body. The C7 hood fits inside the fenders, the Viper hood IS the fenders. The C7 hatch fits inside a hole in the back, not inclusive of the spoiler. The Viper hatch includes the spoiler and goes onto the back of the car. I'm thinking SRT should have just shortened the Viper hatch and killed a tiny bit of accesibility to the trunk, in order to spare us that big rear hatch gap. The Corvette doesn't compromise that gap with it's design.

Gaps are one thing, but panel alignment was another story. The Viper wins that, no contest, in person. The C7 panel fits were uneven, with usually one of the panels at each joint being raised above the adjacent panel. This was between the door and rockers, the quarters and rear bumper cover, and the nose to fenders. All of them were uneven. Paint quality on the Viper is much, much smoother. The C7 had orange peel.

 

[gtssnake]

Guess the answer for many is to get a vette as a DD and if a vert since we do not have one yet.
Thx Tony

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Viper hood and trunk gaps are bigger looking, for sure. But, that also has to do with the way the gaps are located on the body. The C7 hood fits inside the fenders, the Viper hood IS the fenders. The C7 hatch fits inside a hole in the back, not inclusive of the spoiler. The Viper hatch includes the spoiler and goes onto the back of the car. I'm thinking SRT should have just shortened the Viper hatch and killed a tiny bit of accesibility to the trunk, in order to spare us that big rear hatch gap. The Corvette doesn't compromise that gap with it's design.

Gaps are one thing, but panel alignment was another story. The Viper wins that, no contest, in person. The C7 panel fits were uneven, with usually one of the panels at each joint being raised above the adjacent panel. This was between the door and rockers, the quarters and rear bumper cover, and the nose to fenders. All of them were uneven. Paint quality on the Viper is much, much smoother. The C7 had orange peel.

Thanks for the side by side photos. I've been biting my tongue, but the Viper hood gap to front facia in the center looks hideous in the photos, even shows some shading from the sun. I trust your visual descriptions of both vehicles since that is real world. But photography from a short distance clearly in my opinion clearly has the C7 designed to hide the hood and hatch gaps, whereas the Viper has wide gaps visually from basically all viewing angles. That tells me more thought was put into the C7 body panel design, whereas the Viper was an after thought. How many years has the corvette gone with an ugly rear end. It seems as though an after thought for the last few generations. I don't get it, this generation is just plain fugly with being half black also.

 

[Boxer12]

Interesting comparison. Stingray designs have always (except C5) been 'out there' and the Viper a 'throwback' (except G3-4). Both great looking cars!


(But the front hood to facia alignment on that Viper in particular do look pretty bad...poor design or build? Or has that facia been removed and not aligned correctly? perhaps the bolts are loosening and it is moving or needs a couple washers to lift the facia lip a touch?)

Its always good to post pics of your car so we can put it under the microscope! Yikes!

 

[99 R/T 10]

maybe its just me but these pics make the viper look bulky/fat and soft while the vette looks edgy and aggressive.

X2. Vette looks great.

 

[Voice of Reason]

Not to pile on, Tony have the dealer fix your nose. My hood aligns perfectly with the nose and my hood has been off once for some unrelated work and they got it back on perfect so I know they can get it right. Here the center of the nose looks like it needs shimmed up and with all the screws up to there it should be easy for them.

The C7 is "cool" now because it's still pretty rare. But in a year when there are 2 looking back at me at every stoplight no one will give them a second look. And this edginess is going to age terribly. This is coming from someone who would like to get a "edgy" CTS-V as a daily driver, because I know I'd get rid of it before this fad is over.

As always though I really appreciate the time you take with your comparisons and write ups!

 

[IndyRon]

Agreed, the hood to front bumper alignment on the Viper isn't anywhere close to as good as the Vette's panel gaps up front. That said, the Viper looks much cooler to me. The real question, is what is the Stingray widebody Z0/ZR setups going to look like? I bet awesome, especially lowered an inch or so. The Vette looks like it is running some 215 width passenger car tires on the rear compared to the Viper!

 

[ACRucrazy]

Comments:

I would take the viper 10 times out of 10.
I like the headlights on the C7 better.
I have always liked the Gen II GTS hatch/glass over the Gen III/IV/V full hatch. I wish they would have gone back to that. I think it looks so much better. I bought a Viper because of the car, not for easy access into the hatch or to fit golf clubs in the back.
I think a new headlight design and new front bumper could go far on the Gen V/VI.
I actually have been a fan of the "standard" hood on the Gen III/IV over the clamshell for fitment/cost reasons.

All said and done, there is no such thing as a "bad" Viper. They all have their own traits.

 

[donk_316]

They really really need to do something about theG5 Viper panel gaps... they should all be the same but compare the door gap, to the rear hatch gap, to the hood "gap". I would be pissed.

 

[WANTED]

Viper fan and like both cars. Following JMHO

1) GAPS - WOW, The Viper just looks terrible next to the Vette. The pic from the side showing the front looks like the viper
never was checked for panel fitments, I mean it looks really bad. GM did a great job having most panel lines on top of
the car as the viper panel lines are on the sides and back.

*** A LIGHT COLORED CAR WILL SHOW THE GAPS MORE THEN A DARK COLOR BUT COME ON, NO EXCUSE FOR THIS ***

2) Viper looks dated next to the vette. Comparing it to a woman, some like fat (viper) and some like skinny (vette).

3) The rears of each car - vette rear at least follows the rest of the car. viper rear seems like it has no arss.

4) REAR WINDOW - vette looks like it has a mid engine ( cool looking ), viper has that weird shape coming from the roof

5) WINDSHIELD PILLARS - i like how the vette is black making it look like glass all the way around. the viper pillars being
white just looks aged.

6) WHEELS - VIPER