New Corvette concept treated to Californication

You thought the British take on the Corvette's future looked good? Try some SoCal style...

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 24 July 2025 / Loading comments

As you might be aware, Chevrolet is revealing three concepts during 2025, each designed somewhere different to collate the broadest possible set of influences on the future of Corvette design. One has been seen, from its new UK outpost, one is to follow from Team Michigan - in between the two, we get to find out what the trendy folk of Pasadena think a Corvette could resemble one day.

Like the UK car, the California Concept imagines the Corvette as an electric hypercar (heaven forbid), with a T-shaped battery; it means the dramatic proportions - ‘wide at the wheels with a narrow, tapered cabin and a narrow cockpit’ - can be realised, taking an even more extreme, motorsport-inspired approach to the future than the car seen earlier in the year. This feels like the hot rod Corvette of the future, which makes sense as the SoCal car, all pared back bodywork, red accents and big wheels.

The road racer aesthetic extends further with the California Concept, as the whole roof comes off - the canopy is front-hinged, so it can be transformed from sports car to speedster in a matter of… well, probably a little while. But it looks amazing as a result, showing off a driver-focused cabin featuring exposed structural elements, an incredible steering wheel that means hands never have to leave it, and a virtual reality head-up display. A Corvette Barchetta probably won’t ever happen; a Corvette with a yoke and a VR dash feels more believable.

As does one influenced even further by the tastes and trends of California. More than ever, perhaps, with restomod and social media culture being what it is, what SoCal says is cool becomes cool. Brian Smith, design director at GM Advanced Design Pasadena, said of the Corvette Concept: “Southern California has been at the heart of automotive and design culture for a century, and GM has had a deep design presence here for nearly 40 years. We wanted to ensure that this concept was developed through that SoCal lens, but with a global and futuristic outlook. Duality of purpose is the basis of this concept’s design strategy.” It looks like a great follow-up to the UK car from here - over to you, Michigan…