GM Unveils Futuristic California Corvette Concept
General Motors has unveiled the California Corvette concept, the second in a trio of Chevrolet Corvette design studies slated for debut in 2025. GM’s Advanced Design studio in Pasadena led the development, infusing the concept with a distinctive Southern California flair. This bold reinterpretation blends Corvette’s legendary performance DNA with a futuristic outlook shaped by SoCal’s rich design heritage.
“Our Advanced Design teams are dedicated to shaping the future, driving innovation, and exploring what’s possible,” stated Bryan Nesbitt, vice president of global design. “The California Corvette concept is another example of forward-thinking design. We invited multiple GM studios to envision Corvette-inspired hypercars — the first of which was revealed by our UK studio in March. The California team has now delivered a complementary study that honours Corvette’s legendary performance, while infusing it with their distinctive vision.”
GM’s Pasadena team reimagined the Corvette from the ground up, using this design study as a creative platform rather than a blueprint for production. While no production model is planned, the concept continues Corvette’s legacy of pushing boundaries in design and innovation. The team approached the project with complete creative freedom, producing a vision that respects the past while boldly looking ahead.
“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,” explained Brian Smith, design director at GM Advanced Design Pasadena. “The defining design aspect is the single-piece, front-hinged canopy that enables the entire upper shell to be removed, transforming the concept from an agile, slick sports car to a lightweight, open-air track car.”
This one-of-one hypercar draws heavily from both racing simulators and classic Corvette aesthetics. Its wide-set stance, narrow cockpit, and dramatic canopy create a striking silhouette, reinforcing Corvette’s performance ethos while introducing radical new form. The sleek, removable canopy adds flexibility and drama, transforming the experience from a closed road to an open track in a single motion.
Inside, the cabin takes a minimalist approach, placing the driver at the centre of attention. Integrated structural elements and performance-driven displays support focused driving. An augmented-reality head-up display (HUD) presents only essential data, elevating high-speed control without distraction.
Spanning three buildings across a 148,000-square-foot site, GM’s Pasadena studios employ around 130 team members covering creative, design, fabrication, sculpting and operations. Fully equipped for advanced design and physical modelling, the studio plays a pivotal role in GM’s global design network, which includes hubs in Detroit, Shanghai, Seoul, Los Angeles and the UK.
