Vellum Venom Vignette: Ridin’ Spinners

Here’s the funny thing about being a failed designer-turned-blogger in today’s world of information overload: designers make mistakes and we get to discuss them.  The autoblogosphere is buzzing about the upcoming C7 Stingray softtop, but as my mangled merging of GM’s PR photos show, someone forgot to sweat the details before hitting the news wires. 

Perhaps you’ve never considered the Left-to-Right concerns of designing a directional wheel, a fad that really took off in the late 1980s ’till the mid-1990s.  If so, the above photo of Honda (Prelude?) wheels proves the point. You always want directional wheels that visually move to emulate the forward momentum of the vehicle…unless you’re a Porsche 928 owner that drives in reverse all the time.

Ahem! So looking at GM’s original photos:

That’s pretty cool.  With all the thrusting planes in the C7 Corvette, directional wheels keep the flow going for all the right reasons.  If anything, the dynamic hoops help explain the rest of the body.

Forget about DLO FAIL, how about DW FAIL?

Since it’s a safe bet this problem stops at a computer rendering error,  let’s assume GM made a set of right-hand directional wheels for production. Because these might be the coolest wheels seen on the C7 to date. And while this, combined with directional tires, makes tire rotation no fun (possibly impossible considering staggered sizes front-to-back) it is totally worth it to the ADHD among us…or design fans in general. This body is made for directional wheels.

And while the C7 Stingray is leaps and bounds ahead of the C4 Corvette, I can’t resist showing off the masterpieces from one of my favorite vehicles.  But let’s slap them on one of my other favorite vehicles; the MK IV Jetta…previously studied here.

Damn son…who cares if that’s the wrong emblem!  Just add another inch or two to the stance –since most of us live in the world outside of the Stance Nation–and we have proof of why directional wheels are so cool when done right.

Your thoughts on directional wheels is greatly appreciated.

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.