ME ITW Video Aug 29

[John]

Here’s the latest video. If we could only lose some of the thick camo cladding.

[Mobius]

Hmm, do we know if that's the coupe or convertible...?

I've watched it twice at 0.25 speed, but can't make out the roof line or "buttresses" that distinguish the convertible.

[John]

I can not tell either. I am not seeing buttresses. Best I can do, sorry, but doesn’t answer the question either.

[Fasttoys]

Side mirrors are on long arms, I guess that means these could be the final product. They are similar to some other exotics and in between these two pictures and not as bad as the LaFerrari

[OnPoint]

Prepare to engage the caterpillar. "The order is: engage the silent drive."

On a serious note - nice to see another grab.

[Bikerjulio]

Hmm, do we know if that's the coupe or convertible...?

I've watched it twice at 0.25 speed, but can't make out the roof line or "buttresses" that distinguish the convertible.

Having made a study of this issue, I'm going to say it's a coupe. The roof seam is impossible to see, but there is an indentation in the seal just by the corner of the window, indicating coupe. More importantly, the covers for the convertible are quite different, coming much further forward.

[John]

Thanks for that analysis Bikerjulio, for helping us learn more.

[Bikerjulio]

Pics help. Here's the convertible cover. Plus the convertible has the visible camera nub on the folding roof section. The coupe has it under the rear glass.

[NewYuriCity]

Well, after listening on some high-ish end headphone about a dozen times I'm very happy it sounds like it's a V8. We all pretty much knew this already, but it sounds even a little deeper/meaner than the current LT1, which would make sense with the shorty headers shown in the CAD drawings

[John]

Might the ME have a shorter rear fascia than we earlier thought? Forum member “Stevera2” just send me this picture asking, regarding the area over the left tail light, is that a tear in the camo? Does that horizontal, roughly 8” slit mean that above it is purely camo padding? What do you think?

[fvs]

You guys are all talking about the buttresses and the sound of the engine and the height of the facia. But you all missed the most important thing… The two golf bags behind the driver. ; )

[fvs]

Prepare to engage the caterpillar. "The order is: engage the silent drive."

On a serious note - nice to see another grab.

Red October and Crimson Tide. Both great!

the car WAS very quiet in this vid.

[John]

Are test drivers told to proceed slowly, and/or at low RPM’s when they see they are being videoed, and also to put the exhaust into stealth mode as my C7 allows, and/or other “noise quieting” measures?

[PaulChristian]

It looks massive...corvette keeps getting bigger and heavier. They need to back to smaller and lighter weight...IMO. This car looks massive

[John]

I respectfully disagree. It does not look massive to me. The height has been calculated by two specialists as within .1” the same as the C7’s, the wheelbase the same as the C7’s (again within a small amount). And it appears to me that the height of the rear fascia could be less than the C7’s. It is definitive that the height of the front hood is significantly less than the height of the C7’s hood.

What we do not yet know of course, is its final weight. That could be more; it could be less. Of course, there will be safety features it has that add weight, such as BSP and AEB. Yet a lack of torque tube and primary driveshaft will reduce weight.

This linked, following video, one of the most exciting videos I have seen in the last few years, shows that with the procedures outlined in it, some componentscould be less up to 40% stronger, yet 20% less weight. Again we do not yet know about its weight.

https://video.marketing.gm.com/1050888044001/201805/3728/1050888044001_5779512539001_5779514618001.mp4?down load=Advanced-Software-Design-Technology-Leads-GM-Into-Next-Generation-of-Vehicle-Light-weighting.mp4

General Motors is using new, advanced software design technology to introduce the next generation of vehicle lightweighting. The technology is key to developing efficient and lighter alternative propulsion and zero emission vehicles.

GM is the first automaker in North America to use new generative design software technology from Bay Area-based software company Autodesk. It uses cloud computing and AI-based algorithms to rapidly explore multiple permutations of a part design, generating hundreds of high-performance, often organic-looking geometric design options based on goals and parameters set by the user, such as weight, strength, material choice, fabrication method, and more. The user then determines the best part design option.

“This disruptive technology provides tremendous advancements in how we can design and develop components for our future vehicles to make them lighter and more efficient, said GM Vice President Ken Kelzer, Global Vehicle Components and Subsystems. “When we pair the design technology with manufacturing advancements such as 3D printing, our approach to vehicle development is completely transformed and is fundamentally different to co-create with the computer in ways we simply couldn’t have imagined before.”

GM is leading the industry into the next phase of vehicle lightweighting. The new design technology provides significantly more vehicle mass reduction and parts consolidation opportunities that cannot be achieved through traditional design optimization methods.

GM is utilizing the innovative technology on future product designs. GM and Autodesk engineers have applied this new technology to produce a proof-of-concept part – a seat bracket – that is 40 percent lighter and 20 percent stronger than the original part. It also consolidates eight different components into one 3D-printed part.

As part of a multi-year alliance focused on innovation, GM and Autodesk will collaborate on projects involving generative design, additive manufacturing, and materials science. Executives and engineers from the two companies will participate in a series of onsite engagements to exchange ideas, learnings, and expertise. GM also has on-demand access to Autodesk’s full portfolio of software and technical specialists.

“Generative design is the future of manufacturing, and GM is a pioneer in using it to lightweight their future vehicles,” said Scott Reese, Autodesk Senior Vice President for Manufacturing and Construction Products. “Generative technologies fundamentally change how engineering work is done because the manufacturing process is built into design options from the start. GM engineers will be able to explore hundreds of ready-to-be-manufactured, high-performance design options faster than they were able to validate a single design the old way.”

GM has been a leading end-user and innovator in additive manufacturing. For more than three decades, GM has used 3D printing to create three-dimensional parts directly from digital data through successive addition of layers of material. GM possessed the first and has some of the auto industry’s most comprehensive 3D printing capabilities in the world with more than 50 rapid prototype machines that have produced more than 250,000 prototype parts over the last decade.

Since 2016, GM has launched 14 new vehicle models with a total mass reduction of more than 5,000 lbs., or more than 350 pounds per vehicle. Most of the weight reduction are a result of material and technology advancements. Of those models, more than half of the vehicles shed 300-pounds or more including the all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverado, which reduced mass by up to 450-pounds.

Eliminating mass in parts where material is not required for performance combined with parts consolidation yields benefits for vehicle owners including the potential for more interior space and vehicle content, increased range, and enhanced vehicle performance. It also paves the way for new features for customers and provides vehicle designers a canvas on which to explore designs and shapes not seen today.

https://media.gm.com/media/us/en/gm/...weighting.html