GM Envisions a Future with a 3D-Printed Corvette

Staff
By Staff
4 Min Read

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Gm today unveiled a Chevy Corvette concept car
with a 3D printed body.

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Not only is the body lighter, but additive
manufacturing would allow GM to reduce the part

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count.
According to GM Authority, the carmakers sold a

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little more than 33,000 Corvettes in the US
last year,

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and advancements in additive manufacturing can
already suit.

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With volumes in the low tens of thousands, and
this one is in the future,

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so who knows what will be possible then, or if
there will be one.

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GM’s UK team created the concept as part of an
advanced design study that includes multiple

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studios currently preparing to reveal
additional Corvette concepts throughout the

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year.
The announcement coincided with GM’s official

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opening of a new design studio in England with
some 30 designers and other staff.

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According to GM, the Corvette’s exterior has a
distinctive division between the vehicle’s

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upper and lower halves.
The upper half is a futuristic take on

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Corvette’s classic design elements.
The lower half focuses on functional technical

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design like EV battery tech embedded into the.

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and aerodynamics elements designed to channel
air efficiently without wings or spoilers.

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Part of the design draws inspiration from the
aviation industry.

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When on the road, the car’s flowing forms,
functional intakes,

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and vented surfaces help direct air through the
vehicle to fill its wake,

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increasing efficiency and range.

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However, when on the track, the vehicle works
like an aircraft wing.

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The aero.
Surfaces reconfigure and change shape

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dynamically.
Dorsal fins deploy and spoiler venting creates

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aero vectoring, which improves stability and
grip, especially when cornering.

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The concept also has a halo roof structure with
a windshield center spar,

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powered wing doors, and full wraparound side
glass that delivers apex vision,

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a feature that was actually inspired by.
The split window in the 63 Corvette Stingray.

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Apex vision emphasizes a singular vertical
central spine that is also a structural element

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while providing a panoramic view of the road
and surroundings.

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It sits low with a seat height of just 5 inches.
The concept is a little less than 3.5 ft tall,

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a little more than 7 ft wide, and a little bit
more than 15 ft long.

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The Corvette nameplate has long been used to
introduce experimental cars,

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other concepts and prototypes.
While GM likely won’t manufacture this concept,

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it was developed as an exercise to rethink what
a Corvette could be with a true blank page

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approach.
GM’s global design footprints include studios

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in Detroit, Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Seoul.

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Michael Simco, GM’s senior VP of global design,
says these teams are primarily tasked with

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imagining what mobility could look like from 5
to 20 years in the future.

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Multiple studios developed hypercar concepts as
part of the study.

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GM hopes to reveal them later in 2025.

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I’m David Manti.
This is manufacturing now.

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