Corvette
XP700
A 1958 Corvette and was modified to be the personal car of William L.
"Bill" Mitchell. First, in 1958, it received a special rear
end of duck-tail type, which was incorporated in the regular '61
Corvette, and the front end was redesigned to look almost like the one
of the Oldsmobile F88 '54 show car. In 1959, the car was modified again
to became a real show car (pictured): longer rear end, new front end
with smaller air intake, new transparent roof with a periscope in the
middle of the two bubbles.
1968
Corvette Astro-Vette
The Astro-Vette was Chevy's other big auto-show star in 1968, but it was
merely an exaggerated version of that year's all-new "Shark"production
design. Allegedly good aerodynamics were never proven.
1968
Astro II-XP-880
Though not called Corvette, the curvy one-off Astro II of 1968 fueled
rumors that a mid-engine Chevy sports car was near. Developed as GM
project XP-880, it was a follow-up to the previous year's Corvair-based
Astro I, but carried a Corvette V-8 and conventional doors. The entire
rear half of the body was hinged to tilt up for engine access.
1970
Corvette XP-882
Shot in the GM Design Staff viewing court just before its public debut
in early 1970, the experimental XP-882 looked production-ready, thus
fueling hopes that the next new Corvette would have a similar mid-engine
design. It definitely looked like a Corvette, with overtones of the
1968-vintage "Shark" model in its low vee'd nose and four-lamp
tail treatment. The car would have stayed under wraps, but was shown to
counter Ford's announced sale of Italian-built DeTomaso Panteras. GM
built two XP-882 chassis for evaluation, but only the first one had the
bodywork shown here.
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1973
XP-882
Arguably more stunning than the Two- Rotor XP-897GT was the so-called
"Four-Rotor Car" that appeared a bit later in 1973. Built on
the first XP-882 chassis under the aegis of company design chief Bill
Mitchell, it carried a pair of GM's experimental two-rotor engines
bolted together into a 420 horsepower "super Wankel." A
Corvette-like face and obvious high performance potential were taken as
strong suggestions that GM was brewing a radical new Corvette for the
late Seventies or early Eighties.
1973
XP-897 GT
Built by Pininfarina to a GM design, the XP-897GT "Two-Rotor
Car" appeared in1973 as a showcase for GM's then-imminent Wankel-type
rotary engine. Like the original XP-882, it was widely believed to be a
precursor of the next generation Corvette.
1973
XP-898
It looks a bit like post-1982 Corvettes, but the one-off XP-898 of 1973
was actually built on the chassis of Chevy's small four-cylinder Vega.
It's mission was to test feasibility of a new "sandwich"
fiberglass body construction using a foam filler that could be varied in
thickness to provide desired strength in specific areas. Though it looks
a bit dated now, XP-898 would have been a great replacement for the
'68-vintage "Shark" Corvette in, say, 1975.
1976
XP-882
The Four-Rotor Car got a transplanted V-8 in 1976 to become the
Aerovette, which came close to production four years later. GM design
chief Bill Mitchell kept its original lines intact, however -- not that
there was reason to fiddle. A good- looker even now, it's a dynamic
design even when viewed from overhead. In profile, it displays a
strongly triangulated "mound" shape, deftly balanced
proportions, and artful surface detailing. "Gullwing" doors
barked back to the original Mercedes 300SL coupe, but were articulated
for easier operation in tight parking spots. Interior was more fully
engineered than the show-car norm, another indication that the Aerovette
was indeed a serious production prospect.
Corvette
Indy and CERV III
The CERV III made it's debut at the Detroit International Auto Show. The
car's mid-engine V8 is a 5.7 liter 32 valve, dual overhead cam LT5
Engine with the addition of twin turbos and internal modifications.
Speed 225 MPH , horsepower is rated at 650. (Large Image)
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