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Over the years i have had c3 and couple of c4-s and i love corvettes, they are such great cars! After swapping LT1 into my `80 C3 and running 11.9 ET on street tires, it felt that i needed another build, as this one was done. So I went to Amper Racing, who had tuned my cars, we sat down with the bossman Lauri, had couple of beers and came up with C5 project. Wide custom carbonfibre body with big 19" wheels, 500+ hp and racecar aerodynamics and suspension package. Lauri decided to build the new body model around the C5 body in a traditional hot rod way, from sheetmetal, then we paint it and take molds and make carbon parts. Today we released first pictures of it, half of the body is almost done, what you guys think? I guess fellow corvette lovers are the best jury.
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Would like to see more pics at different angles and sides of the car, but looks pretty good so far. The only area I really do not care for is the panel that is from the front fascia to the top of the front fender - it just does not blend in looks-wise with the rest of the car.
Would like to see more pics at different angles and sides of the car, but looks pretty good so far. The only area I really do not care for is the panel that is from the front fascia to the top of the front fender - it just does not blend in looks-wise with the rest of the car.
But for coming up with something different.
Work still in progress, but the idea is to get the airflow as down as possible, to reduce drag. There is also a side fin, that keeps the flow attached to rear window.
We plan to do some high speed running, so ram air and vents on the bonnet is sort necessity.
Not a fan but, it's not my car so who cares. To me it no longer retains any resemblance to a Corvette; too much Firebird look to the front end and, IMO, the rear view is just plain ugly.
I can appreciate the work that went into this and I think it's high time someone came up with something different for these cars but, I don't care for this rendition.
Proportionally the rear is way wrong. Such a big surface area and yet taillights and exhaust openings have been completely minimized. From the side view I thought there was space in there like a molded in spoiler, which would have been nicer imo.
I 100% agree with others that the front has far too much Firebird resemblence. I'd probably argue here again that the proportions of the design are not executed in a cohesive manner.
But at the end of the day, I give major to all the effort that went into this so far and kudos to trying something different.
Last edited by imgn tht; Mar 17, 2016 at 01:19 PM.
FYI, the C5 coupe spent 80 hours in the wind tunnel tuning the body. After some tweaking to the rear fascia, the C/d of the coupe was 0.29. lower than the FRC / Zo6 ( 0.31 ), lower than either of the C6 styles, and lower than a Lamborghini Murcielago. The C5 C/D and CD/A is very impressive in its design.
FYI, the C5 coupe spent 80 hours in the wind tunnel tuning the body. After some tweaking to the rear fascia, the C/d of the coupe was 0.29. lower than the FRC / Zo6 ( 0.31 ), lower than either of the C6 styles, and lower than a Lamborghini Murcielago. The C5 C/D and CD/A is very impressive in its design.
Yes, we have read that too. And yet it had very high rear end, which makes a big drag wake behind it. I hope we can test our car someday in a windtunnel, but the closest one is thousands of miles away. We can do CFD when it is finished and it would be good to know, if we made it better or not. Simplest thing is to compare it on track on one mile with a similar car, with stock engines. We can do that, we just have to wait and see.
Yes, we have read that too. And yet it had very high rear end, which makes a big drake wake behind it. I hope we can test our car someday in a windtunnel, but the closest one is thousands of miles away. We can do CFD when it is finished and it would be good to know, if we made it better or not. Simplest thing is to compare it on track on one mile with a similar car, with stock engines. We can do that, we just have to wait and see.
We, meaning GM took 2 degrees negative off the rear fascia to get it down to 0.29. everyone who knows anything about C/D know the trailing edge offers both down force and drag characteristics. IN the case of the C5 getting the C/D and CD/A down as low as possible to escape the gas guzzler tax was a very high priority mandated by Dave Hill... The number ( 0.29 ) is very impressive in the world of automotive technology. Even 20 years after the design.
When it's all done the ad will say $60,000 invested, asking $12,000 or best offer. I learned my lesson on a Mako conversion in the 70's. Never again for me.
When it's all done the ad will say $60,000 invested, asking $12,000 or best offer. I learned my lesson on a Mako conversion in the 70's. Never again for me.
Get it through your skull that not everyone lives their life based on the same values as you do. People don't build cars for the end result of making money, they build cars for the fun, the process, for the satisfaction.
Why did you even buy a corvette? You preach retaining value, but I've got news for you: the c5's only value is how good it is to drive, and easy to modify. It's an old chevy worth 1/4 what it was new.
We, meaning GM took 2 degrees negative off the rear fascia to get it down to 0.29. everyone who knows anything about C/D know the trailing edge offers both down force and drag characteristics. IN the case of the C5 getting the C/D and CD/A down as low as possible to escape the gas guzzler tax was a very high priority mandated by Dave Hill... The number ( 0.29 ) is very impressive in the world of automotive technology. Even 20 years after the design.
Really impressive? If Mercedes Benz S Class has 0.26, then... This is a five seater luxury sedan with front engine layout. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automo...ag_coefficient
Drag is one thing to consider, but without downforce it is irrelevant. Fast car needs downforce to keep it under your control, to go fast around the corners. So it is relevant how much drag you have with how much downforce you are creating, if you have low drag, but the car actually creates lift, you cannot control it after 100 or so. Amper Racing guys have 20 years of racing experience, I think they have some idea what they are doing.
Get it through your skull that not everyone lives their life based on the same values as you do. People don't build cars for the end result of making money, they build cars for the fun, the process, for the satisfaction.
Why did you even buy a corvette? You preach retaining value, but I've got news for you: the c5's only value is how good it is to drive, and easy to modify. It's an old chevy worth 1/4 what it was new.
Been there done that as well, many times. When I bought c3 and went to american car meet, there were only few of these and car got much attention. it felt good. Next year there were 50 of them. Everybody can buy one for 10k or so. That is the point of having a custom car, when I drive around, everybody will know it is me. And I know my neighbour cannot buy this one. This is the very point of hot rodding and customization I think. Of course for the same money I could have bought a newer vette, but everybody with enough money can do that. This is my way, I am not saying it is the correct or right way. I have very little time to drive this hobby car and when I do, I like when it turns heads. And I rescued a vette from a crusher.
badass work Udu, you are a true hot rodder / car enthusiast
mad respect for this kind of work,
its always funny to hear these self proclaimed "car enthusiast" down play cars like yours, yet all they do is write checks to shops, to have their off the shelves car parts installed
keep up the good work, and post updates when you can
Last edited by Revolver ZSTi; Mar 18, 2016 at 03:15 AM.
Really impressive? If Mercedes Benz S Class has 0.26, then... This is a five seater luxury sedan with front engine layout. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automo...ag_coefficient
Drag is one thing to consider, but without downforce it is irrelevant. Fast car needs downforce to keep it under your control, to go fast around the corners. So it is relevant how much drag you have with how much downforce you are creating, if you have low drag, but the car actually creates lift, you cannot control it after 100 or so. Amper Racing guys have 20 years of racing experience, I think they have some idea what they are doing.
UDU, just for future reference: do a little research on Evil-Twin. He is a retired engineer from GM who was part of the C5 design team from it is infancy until its birth into production. So while I can appreciate the work you are performing and your efforts to improve the already great car it is, don’t discount ET’s comments and knowledge. As Amper Racing may know what they are doing so does ET. Give the man his due son. Good luck with your project.
C5 custom body build
for coming up with something different.
I learned my lesson on a Mako conversion in the 70's. Never again for me.
