ITALDESIGN-GIUGIARO CORVETTE MORAY

     The Moray project  was launched at the Geneva Motor Show, to commemorate the fifty-year era of the Chevrolet Corvette, the supreme symbol of the American sports car.

     The name Moray, is in reference to the slithery, razor-toothed marine eel. The designer’s first choice was the name “Murena”; the Italian word for moray; but France still held the automotive rights to that name thanks to the 1980-84 mid-engined Matra Murena three-seater sports car.

     Moray fits right in line with the Corvette Sting Ray, Mako Shark and Manta Ray tradition.

     Instead of fiberglass, the Moray’s body shell is made out of carbon composites, and wherever you think you’re seeing chrome, it is all highly buffed and polished steel.

     The front lighting arrangement is a show car hallmark made possible by compact bi-xenon technology. Those two little round units are the headlights, while the long sliver units at the top of each fender are the indicators.

     The logo is traditional, but this is an evolution of the American dream car.

     Nose tip, grille and taillight looks are pretty faithful to Corvette traditions. The two swooping front fenders, large elongated oval side-gill intakes, B-pillarless glass passenger cabin, rear-hinged V-shaped hood and a beefy rear end that’s been chopped short all give this Corvette interpretation a distinct personality whose proportions all unite smoothly the length of the sensuous side contour line.

    Visibility through the Moray cockpit glass from outside or in is almost disconcerting if you’re accustomed to the close, dark confines of the standard Corvette. The two side doors open normally, but then the glass roof puts on quite the show. To either side of the steel center support running from the windshield to the rear of the cabin is tempered glass, and these pieces are removable, after opening upward in gullwing fashion. The effect is an impressive transformation from coupe to quasi-roadster. This wide open feeling is enhanced with roof pieces on or off by the hood level continuing straight back to the top shelf of the dash, as if the windshield in its frame were just set on top of the car.

     Moray has a chunky tail seen best from directly behind. The amount of real estate in that rear surface makes a serious performance statement while the entire lipped edge effectively provides 360-degree airflow effects. Two wide blades at the bottom center are actually the exhaust tips, and provide some added downforce.

     Completing the outer look are 20-inch alloys with Michelin ZR Pilot Sports, 255/35 front and 335/30 rear.

    And you’ll note the lack of side-view mirrors. Small cameras are installed instead, and the view is projected on the center console screen.

     Inside the Moray, the exterior color carries over to bathe the seats and flanks instead of just going to black. The stock C5 Corvette already has the “two pods” effect separating the people inside, and the Moray takes this further by accentuating the shoulder-level surround.

Moray's cockpit

     The downward curve of the side panels are at the driver’s shoulder. The severely skinny A-pillars add to the strange feeling of infinite space.

     The Moray is fitted with a powerful Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine, the longitude front-mounted six-liter, which reaches command of more than 400 horsepower.