[VIDEO] Watch Chip Foose Work his Magic on the C5 Corvette

I’ve always been fascinated with automotive design, the designers, and hearing backstories on how a particular feature came to be. The vision and artistry that automotive designers possess is something totally foreign to me. If I designed a car, it’d most likely end up looking like Sponge Bob Square Pants with tires instead of legs. I’m just not that creative.

Last month we came across this video of super customizer Chip Foose putting his spin on the C5 Corvette. The 26-minute video is a fantastic look into the mind of one today’s top hot rodders. The C5 Corvette isn’t exactly known for cutting edge styling so it’s interesting to see how one of the hobby’s brightest minds builds on that 5th generation Corvette.

He begins by discussing the C5’s current value noting that you can get a great car for $10k-$20k. A quick perusal of eBay confirms Chip’s statement. He also comments on the amount of tech you can get for that price, especially if you’re a hot rodder and just want the guts for your next project. From a design standpoint he calls it ”soft”, ”doughy”, and even ”lazy”.

After giving his opinion on the car’s appearance, he begins a clean sheet design of what his C5 would look like. And this is where the video gets interesting. He starts off talking about industry trends from the late 90’s versus the edgy styling we see on today’s cars.

A Callaway Speedster-esque windshield is the first major body change. Next up the C5’s wide hips are lowered, and custom spoilers are added. From there he moves on to the side gills drawing inspiration from the 1965 and up Corvettes. As the drawing progresses he switches to an overlay and begins adding more detail and then touches on how he’d produce the modified body panels. Throughout the video Chip adds in anecdotes about different things that he does to make a car special. A great look into the mind of the master.

We won’t spoil all the details, but the result is a truly unique take on the fifth generation Corvette. The car is lower, edgier, and far more menacing. He chooses a champagne color which we’ve seen on many Foose-designed cars and it works well again here. Overall it’s a great look into what the C5 could have been or could be someday in the future.

Source:
Hagerty

Related:
[PIC] Chip Foose Appreciates Those Early Corvettes
[PICS] The Corvettes of the 2015 Detroit Autorama
Overhauled ’57 Corvette