The Chevrolet Corvette has always been a driver-oriented car, but when it designed the eighth-generation model, the automaker may have gone just a little bit too far. The car’s “wall of buttons” controls HVAC settings (and more) for both the driver and the passenger, but it has proven to be controversial. So polarizing is it, that a new report suggests the automaker is planning on getting rid of it altogether.
Rumors started swirling about the controversial design element’s demise almost as soon as it was unveiled. As early as 2021, reports emerged that Chevrolet would blow the horns of Jericho and take down the wall, and now a rumor suggests that the 2024 model year will be the last one with the feature.
However, even the original source on this piece of information calls it a rumor. Corvette Blogger plainly states that it heard the rumor second-hand from someone who overheard Chevrolet engineers talking at the Corvettes at Carlisle show recently. So take this all with a grain of salt.
Read: The 2023 Corvette Could Get An Interior Update To Address Its Controversial Buttress
However, according to the rumor, the decision to redesign the wall of buttons has already been taken, and the new interior will arrive in time for the 2025 model year. Having hit the market in 2020, that wouldn’t be an unreasonable time to expect a wider update, lending this rumor a smidgen of credibility.
Further, Michael Simcoe, GM’s design boss, is reportedly not a fan of the design feature, reports The Drive. He has apparently been pushing for its deletion for some time. However, when asked to confirm or deny this latest rumor, a Chevrolet spokesperson told us that it “cannot speculate on future product.”
A controversial creation, the wall offers drivers a column of buttons down the center, which many owners report is easy to use. However, since it runs through the car back to front (not side to side) it’s not immediately clear which controls are for which side of the car, and the height of the wall contributes to making the C8’s cabin feel a little more claustrophobic.
While the feature has divided opinion, it has also outlived many reports of its demise. Previous rumors have suggested that the wall would go in 2023, then in 2024, so it will be interesting to see if it can survive one more.
