Daily Slideshow: Widebody Corvette Looks as Good as it Drives

Slippery

The latest Stingray isn't just one of the best-looking Corvettes ever made, it's an aerodynamic wonder. GM engineers used cutting-edge computational flow dynamics to measure, track and direct every bit of air that interacts with the new body's shape. The ability to chart even molecules of air as they flow around the car's shape paid heavy dividends in the important areas of fuel economy, and brake and differential cooling, as well as with track-friendly parameters like lift and drag reduction.

But it hasn't always been like that. Legend has it that Zora Arkus-Duntov and Bill Mitchell came to loggerheads back in the '60s over the styling of the C3. The racer in Arkus-Duntov cast his vote for a smaller Corvette with less drag but lost out to the salesman in Mitchell who knew that style was king in the showroom. We're glad he did, we can't imagine an alternative reality without those curvy Stingrays.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

"Sick" Stingray

So this begs the question, what could the new Stingray look like with a little more freedom of flair? Ivan Tampi has answered that question with his XIK Widebody kit. The 'XIK' part of the name is a creative spelling of 'sick', as in "that was a sick frontside air, bro." The body kit is comprised of 15 total pieces, and aside from the obvious wide fenders, there are front and rear splitters, and assorted vents and bezels, many made from carbon. Interior treatments are also available, ranging from the dash, door, and console overlays, to Alcantara and leather upholstery.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

Road to Corvettetown

The XIK is Tampi's first attempt at Corvette styling, but his design-and-construction career goes back to the mid-1990s. His first project was a Honda Civic front bumper he created in his parents' garage and, showing that same flair for language he still has today, he called it The Street Fyghter. The design was a success and spawned The Street Fyghter II, as well as full body kit version, dubbed Black Widow.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

The Ford Years

Next came another Black Widow, this time based on the Ford Mustang and produced by the company he started for the purpose—Ground Designs 2000. All was well until the aftermarket started selling cheaper knock-offs of his Black Widow. His efforts were not for naught though, because they got the attention of Ford and resulted in his receiving a couple of project car commissions. Tampi's Ford Focus and F-150 body kits fared well, the Focus winning the Ford Choice award at SEMA 2003.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

Pay Dirt

After a break spent pursuing a career in fashion, Tampi was back in 2013 with a widebody kit for BMW's Z4 and, while at SEMA 2014, he spotted some C7 widebody cars on display and a light bulb went off. It's hard to design a body kit without a car to start with, so Tampi teamed up with his buddy Bob Matias to form Ivan Tampi Customs. In 2015 Tampi Customs procured a new 2016 Shark Gray Stingray only four weeks ahead of the next SEMA show.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

Elbow Grease

Tampi went to work turning his renderings into an actual physical kit, but the precise construction of the C7 called for just as precise measuring and production methods on Tampi Customs' (and their subcontractors') side, including Alias autocad, 3D scanning, and multi-axis CNC milling machines. Tampi did much of the work himself in order to meet the SEMA deadline, including stripping the old parts off, forming the plugs, fitting and installing the new pieces, and transporting the car where it needed to go.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

Ferrar..Corvette

Tampi made it to the 2015 SEMA show in Las Vegas and unveiled the Ivan Tampi Customs XIK Widebody kit for the world to see. It's hard, especially in red, not to notice the central nose piece's resemblance to a combo of the Ferrari La Ferrari and F12-s respective noses, but the car still retains the personality of a Corvette. The wider fenders allow the Stingray to run massive Kompression Wheels’ Murci Twisted wheels (20x10 front, and 21x14 rear) wrapped in Pirelli tires (285/25/20 front, 355/25/21 rear). For those of us who aren't fans of directional wheel designs, Tampi Designs has a number of videos online featuring the XIK in with different wheel, and body color, configurations.

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

Satisfied Customer

A little while after SEMA 2015, Jonathan Vaknin came across photos of the XIK in his search for a new look for his Corvette. He was sold. Since Tampi Customs doesn't sell the kit, it must be purchased as a package including installation (the base package, which excludes paint, wheels, tires, and interior upgrades, goes for $15,000), Vaknin sent his 'Vette to Tampi and in about two weeks he had his car back. Vaknin had Donlyson Auto Concepts spray the C7 in a custom mix of red with gold paint and fit new rolling stock. It only took about a month and Vaknin was back at Ivan Tampi Customs to have the interior done as well. That's where the car stands now, but not for long because Vaknin plans to add a Procharger to push the Stingray's output north of 1,000hp. After all, what good are extra wide tires if you can't make them scream in pain?

>>Join the conversation about Ivan Tampi and his widebody C7 creation right here.

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