Corvette. There is no other name in American sports cars that has the constancy in the market. Cars like the Mustang, the Ford GT, and Dodge Challenger are certainly important hallmarks but none has carried a brand's performance division like Corvette.
No matter the year, Corvette has come out gunning for the best sports cars in the world. Every one of its domestic competitors has taken years off or been wildly underpowered for a part of its history.
The Corvette has remained the pinnacle of Chevrolet's brand. Recently we've seen it evolve into a true supercar as it decided beating Porsche 911s wasn't good enough. So now it's gunning at the likes of McLaren, Ferrari, and Lamborghini. Today though we take a look at owners of the car before it was mid-engined. They've taken what was a great car and made it just that much better.
15 SR-71 Blackbird
I'm always going to be a fan of subtlety. This Corvette is the definition. Where a matte black wrap would've actually drawn more attention, this owner went with gloss and wide fenders. Put a cam in it and it might ruin it but it would sound amazing.
14 1 Of 1
Often times you'll see owners that go way too far when it comes to modifications. I should know, I've written two pieces on them. This one is going to catch your eye but some won't catch the subtly different grill, the air intakes on the sides of the chin, and the super-wide rear fenders. Stunning.
13 Callaway
Callaway was Hennessey before Hennessey. What you're looking at above was a package you could buy from the tuner that would end up making your C4 Corvette pour nearly 900 horsepower out of the back tires and onto the pavement. It set a top speed record too, going more than 254mph in 1988. Wow.
12 Giving Others The Blues
The 63 split-window Corvette was a stunner in every way when it arrived. It did not, however, come in such a thick stunning blue color. It also wouldn't have come with these excellent wheels either. These slight changes make the car look menacing, modern, and sleek.
11 The Barn Find
I've written about this lovely car before in the link below but it was a real-life barn fund that the producers of Fast & Furious brought back to life. Often times we seem to think that they all kinda hate cars with how many they destroy each movie but this one showed otherwise. It's actually built to resemble a real pro-touring winner.
10 JDMurica
The C5 Corvette doesn't get much love but it deserves it. If you're going to go really fast today a good used Z06 from this era is a properly cheap way to go fast. This one is completely custom too. Those wide fenders aren't alone, the tires are riding on wide wheels that provide even better handling.
9 Is That A Lambo?
One of the big knocks against the Corvette in the supercar club community is that, while fast, they're just kinda boring looking. Not this one. The wild graphics aren't even all of the story. That back glass cover makes it seem like there might just be a second motor back there.
8 Sentinel
Looking like something out of RoboCop isn't always bad. This car perfectly encapsulates how to modify a Corvette to match its time period. Yea, there's some extra fluff here but it looks excellent and that blower on the hood means that this thing doesn't play around when it comes to power.
7 Mashup
In perhaps one of the best model year mashups ever created, this guy blended a 67 and a 77 Corvette to end up with what could've easily been a model transition for Chevrolet had they kept with that C2 styling at all. Those high front fenders are brilliantly executed and it's one of a kind.
6 Tuxedo Black
This little monster has a modern LS2 under the bonnet and lovely little details remind you that you're not up against a stock, albeit beautiful classic Corvette. That kind of power means some big brakes are required, and we can see the owner has fitted them inside those wheels just barely.
5 In The Name Of Speed
Sometimes the Corvettes of the '70s are ragged on because they were a little on the low side of power. Of course, everything was at that time. This owner took things into his own hands though. Look at that giant supercharger. The exhaust exiting at the gill position is a great touch too.
4 Hot Pursuit
Don't run from the law ever but especially not in New Braunfels Texas. This thing was seized after a raid and is packing over 1000 horsepower. While they say it's not used for patrol, would you have a weapon like this and not use it? We wouldn't either.
3 Double Bubble
I believe this is the only Corvette of its kind. If I'm wrong, let me know in the comments but the topless, double windshield is pretty rare, to say the least. It's made to mimic the Corvette Stingray Concept Car. It would seem that someone decided that they wanted their own, so they made it.
2 Modern Muscle
If you know of the tuner Art Morrison then this looks familiar. He basically takes old car bodies and puts them on modern frames with all the bells and whistles to make what was a lovely, classic car handle like it just came off the assembly line. That's good honest work.
1 Cheap Fast & Reliable
Here it is everyone. This is, in my opinion, the best way to go fast on a budget. For instance, here's a C4 with a manual and a great interior that sold for $5,995. That's roughly 350 horsepower and a ton of amazing body parts and panels you can sell to get most of your money back out.
Less weight means less strain on the engine and transmission too. It also means faster lap times. Fast, cheap, and reliable. Turns out unicorns do exist.