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A wrecked 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe
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By Patrick Rall Feb 13 2013 - 1:21pm

2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe found crashed in Arizona

We have seen the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe in a variety of colors and settings but the image on the right is our first glimpse of what the C7 looks like when it has been crashed into a stone wall.
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This image comes to us via the enthusiast community DigitalCorvettes.com where member gpetry posted the picture of a metallic blue 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe precariously slammed against a large rock wall. The email came from a friend in Arizona who was driving along a twisty stretch of road when he came upon the blue C7 Stingray battered and beaten in the ditch. That friend explained that the 2014 Corvette had apparently hit the guardrail on the left side before bouncing back across the road into the ditch and against the rock wall. The person who caught this picture also stated that the damage was worse than it looks in the image.

Little is known right now about the details that lead up to the wrecked 2014 Corvette Stingray shown on the right but we can make a few assumptions based on what we can see. First, the blue C7 coupe is wearing Michigan manufacturer plates so it is a safe bet that this is a General Motors test mule and since there has been no story about an automotive journalist wrecking a new Corvette – we can bet that this car was piloted by a member of the General Motors test team when the accident occurred. Beyond that, your guess is as good as ours as the General hasn’t had anything to say about the wrecked Vette thus far. The worst case scenario is that the blue C7 Stingray was performing some on road testing when something went wrong and the test driver was unable to avoid bouncing off of the guardrail and slamming into the rock wall. The best case scenario is that this Stingray was being used for real world crash testing in a desolate area in Arizona but considering the fact that the witness who took the picture stated that police were arriving on the scene – it seems to be unlikely that GM would crash a car on a public road without having the authorities on site.

In any case, this shot from Digital Corvettes shows that the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe looks great in the new metallic blue hue with what looks to be the Z51 handling package as well. While the damage was said to be worse than it looked, the C7 Corvette in the image above on the right really doesn’t appear to be too badly beat up. Based on what we can see, it looks as though the Corvette could possibly be driven away once a tow truck pulled it out of the ditch. That is, of course, depending on the condition of the passenger’s side wheels which could be pretty severe considering the odd posturing of the rear right corner up against the rock wall. Honestly, the driver’s side damage appears to be restricted to some scuffed paint and wheels. Other than the fact that the driver’s door is open, it looks like the impact hasn’t bent up the Corvette as it looks like all of the body lines still meet each other as they should.

On the behalf of us here at TorqueNews, our readers and the millions in the automotive world who sorrowfully enjoy seeing images like this, I commend the friend of Digital Corvettes member gpetry along with the enthusiasts at DigitalCorvettes.com for giving the world this opportunity. Accidents during testing happen but without the quick camera phone action of an automotive enthusiast on the scene and without devout communities like Digital Corvettes, the automotive industry wouldn’t be as informed as it is. Hooray for forums! (You can check out this wrecked Corvette image in larger form by clicking the link below.)

Source: DigitalCorvettes.com

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Comments

Tre Deuce wrote on February 14, 2013 - 11:00am
Rather confusing write-up, Patrick. I doubt that a GM test driver would leave the scene, and, there is usually a chase vehicle in attendance. No manufacturer would crash test on public roads. Crash testing is a very controlled in a laboratory setting, with all metrics carefully structured and monitored. My guess is, that the photo is shopped, the situation was created and exists only on a computer.
Patrick Rall wrote on February 18, 2013 - 11:59am
Howdy Tre, My apologies for being confusing. You are right that this seems like a very unusual circumstance and this very well could be a photoshopped image...however, it would certainly be an amazing piece of work. If this image was created, the artist has really done a masterful job with no real indications of it being faked. It would have been time consuming and with no real source of the image - the artist responsible would have spent that time with no benefit of his or her own. Although it is still most certainly a possibility. As for the crash testing, you are right that it is unlikely and you are right that the most official crash tests are conducted in very controlled environments...but that was one of the possibilities floating around online so I mentioned it. I truly believe that this was a either a test session gone wrong or some GM brass was out showing off the new Corvette and things got out of hand. Perhaps someone who shouldnt have been out tearing up the roads with the new Stingray lost control, called the cops and called for a ride so that he or she was out of there before anyone could point fingers. GM has no comment because it is an embarrassing situation in any case. Thanks for reading!
Tre Deuce wrote on February 18, 2013 - 10:11pm
Good response, Patrick. People spend a hell of a lot of time making phantom images. The English are noted for their substance-less images foisted onto there readers. Thanks for the cogent response, Patrick....Tre
Patrick Rall wrote on February 19, 2013 - 11:24am
Ive met a few incredibly skilled photoshop artists who could fabricate just about anything. You want a Corvette Convertible Pickup with a camper cap? They could do it and it would look like a picture that was taken by a professional photographer. However, those guys and girls loved to put their name to their work (as most artists do) so if this is an elaborate rendering, I wouldnt be surprised if the person comes forward to claim their glory for all of the discussions that their "wrecked Corvette" created. One thing that this image has going for it is that prior to the crash photo showing up online, there were spyshots captured of a Laguna Blue Stingray testing in that area. That shows that there were cars like the one shown being tested in that area but at the same time - it may have given the artist in question that idea of creating the image shown above. Then again, Ive had one conspiracy theorist suggest that GM had a professional driver plant this car in the ditch and leave it there for a while to make sure that pictures ended up on the internet. It created a whole new week of Corvette news and discussions!