This Bizarre Shorty C5 Corvette Hot Rod Might Not Be so Bad
Is it strange? Sure. But terrible? We wouldn’t go that far.
The C5-generation Chevrolet Corvette is, as most track rats will tell you, a hit when it comes to performance-per-dollar ratings. Well-used examples can be had for around $10,000 and, considering the 5.7-liter V8's standard 345 horsepower, they only need a handful of suspension mods to really stand out on a road course or backroad. However, they aren't necessarily perfect given their relative heft and long overhangs; that appears to be the inspiration for this hacked-up 'Vette spotted on Reddit, which is all but ordinary.
Although it was posted to /r/shittycarmods, we aren't so sure this is the worst Corvette we've seen. After all, there's no garish spoiler and the builder obviously went through the trouble of styling it, transforming it into something that looks a bit like a '90s concept car...or a Volkswagen New Beetle from the rear.
The Chevrolet's front-end has been lopped off just ahead of its wheels, cutting into its famed pop-up headlights. As a result, the hood has been carved to form a new design trait that carries on to the front bumper, creating a sort of mean, open-mouth look. Again, not great, but certainly not the most atrocious out there.
At the back, the rear deck makes a steep downturn rather than protruding out like on the stock Corvette. It's been shaped to accommodate upsized rear tires which should help with traction, perhaps balancing everything out given the lack of weight over the C5's hind end. The trunk looks virtually non-existent and, respectfully, the quadruple exhaust is a bit...out there.
Still, we can't fault the builder for doing it their own way. Theoretically, these mods could push the C5 below 3,000 pounds depending on what else might be changed or stripped on the inside. Pair that with a set of tuned and fettled coilovers, maybe a modest power bump, and you'd be thrashing far more expensive cars around a circuit in no time.
Now if it could only beat those pesky Miatas...
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h/t: Carscoops
