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We are expecting the new “flattened-wall” interior for 2025 or more probably 2026 model year. Yeah, yeah we have heard that rumor for four years, ever since we were secondhand, or was it third hand told then that the new GM’s President of Worldwide Global Design, Michael Simcoe did not like the wall. In fact as a result as far back as 2021 Motor Trend’s “MT Confidential” section in April, 2021, they had a paragraph indicating the wall of buttons was going away.
Thanks to PeterC-Pixels for creating the rendered post-wall interior.
The “fallen wall” was first rendered here on MidEngineCorvetteForum by Joe Zeff Design in March of 2021.
But year after year we have seen the wall of buttons continue. So what is different now that MECF believes that the wall is finally coming down?
First let’s look as to whether customers like it. Opinions are clearly mixed though while more than a few media have complained about it since day one, and some large passengers saying they fell claustrophobic, and/or their adding their was to not enough room for them, but they candidly have been are in the minority. There were two other criticisms about the wall that were frankly invalid from the first day they were voiced.
First the allegation was that the wall prevented the passenger from changing the radio stations, heating controls, and similar items located on the center IP screen. That was bluntly inaccurate from the first day I tried and easily from the passenger seat during GM’s media “C8 FirstDrive” program, while sitting in the passenger seat, changed everything I wanted on the center IP — again without their being the slightest bit of an impediment. The second equally bogus criticism was that the wall prevented the passenger seeing the gauges on the driver’s IP. Actually, I again from my “FirstDrive” while being in the passenger side, was able to excellently see EVERY one of the driver’s IP gauges (yes even the ones the driver did not sometimes want the passenger to see).
The major of C8 passenger co-owners remain positive about the wall. That is also true about those who are mainly in the driver’s seat, that almost all of them point out that they by touch (not sight) know where the five to eight buttons they most use 90% of the time are accessed solely by feel (no need to take our eyes off the road. In fact to improve the wall, we C8 owners have from the beginning told Corvette team members that that just a small and easy change could improve the wall nicely, i.e., if GM better-differentially textured the tops of them, they we would have been able to easily touch-find several more.
But there has always been one legit C8 interior criticism, and this time it is taking over. What is it?
The C7 had a center console near-the dash grab handle, which of course quickly became known as the “oh-s—— “ handle if the driver was spiritedly driving the car and the passenger needed to quickly grab onto something to stead themselves. Year after year the lack of a center grab handle has been a fair criticism.
In MECF’s opinion the rendering above thanks to PeterC-Pixels comes from information learned from two major sources the last month. Most recently a Corvette interior Engineer who at Carlisle was actually talking to us Corvette customers within the Corvette tent there, his openly asking, “what do you think of the the wall of buttons and, if we take it away where would you put the buttons?” We also have one another source too.
When you look at the above rendering of the flattened-wall interior, those of you who are MENSA members quickly counted and determined there are still some buttons missing from the 16 now on the wall. Fear not, for the smart Corvette team knows we C8 folks do not want to lose control as some of our competitors having done, by placing them so that they would only be accessible by opening up sub-menus within the center IP’s software, e.g., a boo’d solution. So where would the “missing” buttons go. We are are very aware of the three HUD button just in front of the driver’s knee on that small components just below the dash. Those three could easily become five-wide with the two defrost, front and rear, being added there. Also, on the exact opposite side on the leather horizontal section just below the start/stop button (an area completely naked right now as shown below), is easily room for 3, 4, or 5 more buttons (all without modifying the dash itself which would cost a bunch due to then the need to re-do complete crash testing). Hence in those two areas with those minor mods, up to seven buttons could inexpensively and with only changing two simple, below-dash components, there becomes room for up to 7 buttons, placed there easily and at low cost.
Will the flattened-wall change make it to the 2025 model year? IMO is highly doubtful for the reason that it seems to take GM forever to convert is parts supply incoming stream to new assembly components. Plus, the ZR1 is coming, and with sales still screaming, still a massive customer backlog, and with the 2023 model year just ending within hundreds of total units short of being the # 1 Corvette production year in our 70 year glorious history, there is little need for the change to come until the following year. However, all bets would be off for a not-until 2026 MY introduction IF we see our first CTF car with a camo’d up interior.
So interior changes are coming, the ZR1 is coming, and more new C8 changes too. We are living in super-exciting times in C8 land!!!
Thanks to PeterC-Pixels for creating the rendered post-wall interior.
The “fallen wall” was first rendered here on MidEngineCorvetteForum by Joe Zeff Design in March of 2021.
But year after year we have seen the wall of buttons continue. So what is different now that MECF believes that the wall is finally coming down?
First let’s look as to whether customers like it. Opinions are clearly mixed though while more than a few media have complained about it since day one, and some large passengers saying they fell claustrophobic, and/or their adding their was to not enough room for them, but they candidly have been are in the minority. There were two other criticisms about the wall that were frankly invalid from the first day they were voiced.
First the allegation was that the wall prevented the passenger from changing the radio stations, heating controls, and similar items located on the center IP screen. That was bluntly inaccurate from the first day I tried and easily from the passenger seat during GM’s media “C8 FirstDrive” program, while sitting in the passenger seat, changed everything I wanted on the center IP — again without their being the slightest bit of an impediment. The second equally bogus criticism was that the wall prevented the passenger seeing the gauges on the driver’s IP. Actually, I again from my “FirstDrive” while being in the passenger side, was able to excellently see EVERY one of the driver’s IP gauges (yes even the ones the driver did not sometimes want the passenger to see).
The major of C8 passenger co-owners remain positive about the wall. That is also true about those who are mainly in the driver’s seat, that almost all of them point out that they by touch (not sight) know where the five to eight buttons they most use 90% of the time are accessed solely by feel (no need to take our eyes off the road. In fact to improve the wall, we C8 owners have from the beginning told Corvette team members that that just a small and easy change could improve the wall nicely, i.e., if GM better-differentially textured the tops of them, they we would have been able to easily touch-find several more.
But there has always been one legit C8 interior criticism, and this time it is taking over. What is it?
The C7 had a center console near-the dash grab handle, which of course quickly became known as the “oh-s—— “ handle if the driver was spiritedly driving the car and the passenger needed to quickly grab onto something to stead themselves. Year after year the lack of a center grab handle has been a fair criticism.
In MECF’s opinion the rendering above thanks to PeterC-Pixels comes from information learned from two major sources the last month. Most recently a Corvette interior Engineer who at Carlisle was actually talking to us Corvette customers within the Corvette tent there, his openly asking, “what do you think of the the wall of buttons and, if we take it away where would you put the buttons?” We also have one another source too.
When you look at the above rendering of the flattened-wall interior, those of you who are MENSA members quickly counted and determined there are still some buttons missing from the 16 now on the wall. Fear not, for the smart Corvette team knows we C8 folks do not want to lose control as some of our competitors having done, by placing them so that they would only be accessible by opening up sub-menus within the center IP’s software, e.g., a boo’d solution. So where would the “missing” buttons go. We are are very aware of the three HUD button just in front of the driver’s knee on that small components just below the dash. Those three could easily become five-wide with the two defrost, front and rear, being added there. Also, on the exact opposite side on the leather horizontal section just below the start/stop button (an area completely naked right now as shown below), is easily room for 3, 4, or 5 more buttons (all without modifying the dash itself which would cost a bunch due to then the need to re-do complete crash testing). Hence in those two areas with those minor mods, up to seven buttons could inexpensively and with only changing two simple, below-dash components, there becomes room for up to 7 buttons, placed there easily and at low cost.
Will the flattened-wall change make it to the 2025 model year? IMO is highly doubtful for the reason that it seems to take GM forever to convert is parts supply incoming stream to new assembly components. Plus, the ZR1 is coming, and with sales still screaming, still a massive customer backlog, and with the 2023 model year just ending within hundreds of total units short of being the # 1 Corvette production year in our 70 year glorious history, there is little need for the change to come until the following year. However, all bets would be off for a not-until 2026 MY introduction IF we see our first CTF car with a camo’d up interior.
So interior changes are coming, the ZR1 is coming, and more new C8 changes too. We are living in super-exciting times in C8 land!!!
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