GM’s ME Body Patent and Body Design Heritage

[John]

Thank you to a forum member who shared this U.S.P.T.O. Patent (but again wishes to remain anonymous!

GM received a patent on July 4, 2017 (originally filed on November 6, 2015) for a “Vehicle Body Design.” Despite it being disguised, it is clearly for a mid engine sports car.

Interestingly also, is that two of the names specifically mentioned in the patent design, are ones we know were integrally involved in the C7 generation, and as below, were both involved in the ME’s design.

Hwasup Lee was the GM designer who’s original C7 sketch was chosen in 2010 from GM’s worldwide, ten-design-center competition as the C7’s inspirational design.



Hwasup Lee’s official title is Lead Exterior Designer, Chevrolet Performance Design Studio. As Tadge noted last fall regarding the ZR1’s debut, Hwasup was a critical designer in the ZR1, and Mr. Lee is, sub-Rosa, known to be also involved in the ME’s design.

Also named in the mid engine “Vehicle Body Design” patent, is a person with the last name of Peters. While we can not confirm that it is the Tom Peters who is Mr. Lee’s supervisor, and with Mr. Peters’ current title being , Director of Exterior Design, GM Performance Car Studio, that too makes sense, especially as Tom Peters was standing on stage, next to Tadge, at the ZR1’s reveal, and again sub-Rosa, there is confirmation that Mr. Peters was involved in the ME’s design. It is also worth noting that Tom Peters was heavily involved in the design of the 2009 Corvette StingRay Concept. Looking at its rear fender line, does that remind anyone of the that same fender line we just saw last week on the C8.R (and also seen on most ME renderings)?

Here is a excerpt from a Dec. 5, 2017 interview that Tom Austin of Hagerty.com held with Tom Peters about Corvette elements of design.

How do you deal with the Corvette’s long heritage and determine what parts of the past to bring forward?

From a design standpoint, how to approach it is when you look at the vehicles, you look for those timeless elements in past vehicles. The trick is to boil them down into their essence. Like the fender shapes on a Corvette, the section to that power bulge hood, the basic proportions of the wheels. And you've got this kind of a fuselage shape, with an aircraft, fighter-like canopy sitting on top of that, that's a fundamental element.

*


Here is that last-year granted, disguised patent for a GM mid engine sports car.









Thanks to USPTO!





When we see the 2020 ME Corvette at its reveal, there will be definite “timeless elements in past vehicle”, some that will remind us immediately of past Corvettes and Corvette concepts.


https://www.hagerty.com/articles-vid...rds-tom-peters*

[Skank]

Excellent post John. Just Excellent!!

[Quinten]

It reminds me of a Roborace car

[Corvette Phil]

Good research and great post

[John]

Thanks Phil. I am allways looking for more layers of the onion to peel while we await big news. Unfortunately, this onion seems to have thousands of layers, and sometimes when we are not looking, we have to rethink what he “have learned,” (does GM puts more layers back onto it when we are not looking). But at least we are going 2 steps forward, one backwards, as opposed to the reverse.

[Frenzy36]

Awesome info John, Appears to be out of the movie TRON. Thanks.