In most the design/engineering groups I worked at GM there was an area where 'competition vehicles' from the other manufacturers were kept for us to look at. Sometimes we even had days where we'd do nothing but drive them around a test track also, those days were a lot of fun, . Anyway, I used to see some of the designers in the 'competition' area taking notes, measuring stuff with calipers, et... and basically incorporating that stuff into their own designs.

That's how I think we wound up with this 'Mitsubishi' looking corvette. It does have it's merits, I just think they strayed too far from the Corvette tradition.