Daily Slideshow: ARES Gives New Life to 1964 C2 with 525HP!
The Italian coachbuilding firm gets its hands on a classic Stingray in order to combine the elements of American muscle with Italian panache.
ARES Design
Based in Modena, Italy, ARES Design is a modern coachbuilder that seeks to pack style, technology, and performance into their bespoke vehicles. While the act of coachbuilding isn't quite the same as it was a century ago in which a builder would mate a body to a rolling chassis, ARES looks to reimagine what the second-generation Corvette would be if it were built to contemporary standards.
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A New Take
In the eyes of ARES, nothing screams iconic American sports car like the C2 Corvette Stingray. Their mission from the get-go was to not only perform a full restoration of a 1964 Corvette but also bring it into the modern era with a high level of performance and drivability (AKA "resto-mod"). Additionally, they wanted to spoil their driver with an elegant interior and modern amenities to provide an exclusive, yet comfortable experience. The attention to detail is as good as it gets, so it is not surprising to hear that over 3,500 man-hours were required to complete this bespoke build.
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Modern Vette Componentry
As mentioned, ARES began by stripping down a 1964 Corvette to rebuild it from the ground up. The chassis underwent significant modification to accommodate C7 Corvette axles, brakes, and suspension. A 525 horsepower 6.2L LS3 V8 was then dropped into place and mated to 5-speed manual transmission. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Viper Hammerhead differential.
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A Classic Physique
The fiberglass body was retained, although it was shaped and smoothed for a perfect finish and subsequently painted black to showcase the flawless figure. The team used the hood from a big-block 427 model not only for a muscular look but to allow for sufficient clearance to the new LS3 engine. An entirely new wiring harness was made for the car, thus the 23 original holes in the firewall were reportedly filled in. The pop-up style headlights were retained, but new high-output projector beams with LED halos were fitted to better light the road.
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Go Big or Go Home
ARES designed a whole new exhaust system that snakes its way around the chassis components to neatly exit in the original locations. A set of Turbine-style wheels were fitted to the car as a sort of homage to the original bladed knock-off wheels, albeit much larger at 19x8.5" on the fronts and 20x11" rears. Not only does the revamped suspension and chassis greatly improve handling, but a modern set of low-profile rubber (Front 245/35/r19; rear 295/30/r20) help to achieve maximum adhesion to the asphalt.
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Convenience & Comfort
The interior was completely covered in a classy burgundy leather to which the seats were stitched back to their original design. Many neat hidden features are sprinkled throughout the interior including a modern A/C system with under-dash vents and a concealed 500-watt Alpine audio system with subwoofer and Bluetooth connectivity. Modern conveniences such as power windows and power door locks were also added in. The gauges have been revamped, as has all interior lighting by way of LEDs. Sound-deadening material was used throughout the car in an effort to eliminate unwanted road noise.
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The Half-Million Dollar Question
At the end of the day, ARES has created a "retro-mod" much like Eagle has done with their Spyder GT and Singer with the 911. Every bit of the car stacks up to modern day performance and comfort expectations, yet retains the classic styling of a bygone era. With any build that involves extensive customization and bespoke components, one can expect an expanding price tag. ARES will build you a Corvette to your liking for $430,000-500,000 at a 12 week turnaround time. It may be a steep price tag, but there is no denying it is one sweet ride!
>>Join the conversation about ARES's C2 right here in Corvette Forum.
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