First Drive: 2009 Specter Werkes/Sports Corvette GTR at AutoFans www Auto Com

First Drive: 2009 Specter Werkes/Sports Corvette GTR

Last February, we got a look at the nearly finished clay model of Specter Werkes/Sports’ latest riff on America’s Sports Car, the C6 Corvette GTR. The car is now up and running and we just took it for a spin before its public unveiling at Greater Detroit’s annual Eyes on Design Fathers’ Day car show. First impressions?
Now that it’s all smoothed out and coated in wet-look liquid-silver paint (a BASF concoction hitherto seen only on a handful of AMG cars that adds $5000 to the bottom line), what initially struck these eyes as perhaps a bit Darth Vader angular and study-hall-doodle immature in its unfinished clay-model form has turned out to be strikingly handsome. It’s sufficiently aggressive and different enough to draw attention, without straying into the realm of the tacky paper-tiger go-fast clichs. The only thing I’d change is the hood. The louvers in front (which aid cooling and release underhood air pressure) look a bit too much like sea-monster gills, and the high-rise isn’t needed to clear the installed engine hardware but compromises the sight lines.

Low-volume hand-laid fiberglass can be formed in shapes that might not be practical in volume production, like the 3-4mm flat vertical surface with sharp corners on each side that defines the strong character line leading around and back from the front fender extractors. As you’ll recall from , SWS replaces the fascias, fenders, hood, door outer skins, rocker panels and rear quarters with completely new fiberglass parts that widen the car by 4.4 inches to envelop the ZR1’s standard tires (Michelin Pilot Sport 2 Zero Pressure tires; 285/30ZR19 front; 335/25ZR20 rear) stretched over Forgeline wheels (11.0 x 19 inches front; 12.0 x 20 rear). The revised fascias add 7.8 inches in overall length. The enlarged bodywork adds some10-20 pounds to an all fiberglass Vette. GTRs get plenty of carbon fiber too, including the front splitter and rear diffuser, side mirror caps, and headlamp bezels. A CTS high-mount stoplight and unique taillamps finish off the rear. The engine is dressed up with carbon-fiber fuel-rail covers and a yellow intake manifold. An interesting touch: The door release buttons are tucked up in the rear wheel arches (we’re assured they’re totally waterproof).For $34,995, the base package buys all of the above, plus functional improvements like Hotchkis Sport adjustable anti-roll bars that compensate for the effective reduction in spring rate that happens when the track is widened dramatically, a lowered suspension (retaining stock jounce/rebound travel), and a Corsa/Specter stainless performance exhaust system that dramatically increases the urgency of full-throttle acceleration but mutes the exhaust note nicely with no unpleasant resonances at cruising speeds, so the cockpit remains quite conversational at mildly superlegal Interstate speeds.

Of course, few are expected to push back from the order catalogue after ticking just the one box, and GTR Number 1 here features most of the performance upgrades as well. Underhood there’s a Matrix II stroker motor, that replaces the LS3 6.2-liter’s crank with a Callies 4340-forged crankshaft that delivers a 4.00-inch stroke, bringing displacement to 6.8 liters (414 cubic inches). Forged Manley rods and Mahle pistons round out the rotating assembly, and the heads are machined a bit to preserve the stock 11.0:1 compression ratio. Stainless headers, a low-restriction intake, and a mild camshaft from Comp Cams boosts emissions-legal output to 535 horsepower and 530 pound-feet.

Of course, the owner of Number 1 wasn’t satisfied with that, and upgraded to a no-cost optional off-road Comp Cam grind with more radical lift and duration that boosts output to 615 hp and 578 lb-ft exhaling through a cat-free exhaust system. (On the other end of the spectrum, a milder Matrix 1 package of cylinder head, cam, and header work will be available for $6995). Extra power is most prudently counterbalanced with extra braking, which is offered in a $5800 Stop Tech upgrade to 14.0-inch front/12.6-inch rear rotors chomped by six-piston front/four-piston rear calipers resplendent in yellow livery. Racers can opt for adjustable Penske shocks, but they’re not fitted to Number 1.

So for those who haven’t been clicking along on their calculators, the base GTR tallies to $84,510; duplicating this car’s performance would cost $109,000 (including the factory Z51 suspension). Custom Spinneybeck leather interior enhancements and the factory LT2 package bring the total for this one to $119,045.

Yes, that’s ZR1 money, but this SWS GTR will turn more heads — especially in its super-lumpy idling non-smogged guise. In our top-secret viaduct test location, full throttle through second and third gears resulted in utterly thunderous acceleration to over 100 mph in plenty of time for the firm-pedal Stop Techs to haul us down to legal speeds by the time we surfaced again. We didn’t get a chance to run any test numbers, but with the GTR running Z51 gearing, its first two ratios are nearly 23 percent shorter than the ZR1’s, which either more than makes up for its 23 hp/26 lb-ft or more likely makes it just that much more difficult to put the power down (even with these awesome tires, these cars are grossly traction limited). So we’re guesstimating this GTR will be a few tenths slower than the ZR1. Smog-legal GTRs may not trail this one to 60 mph by much due to traction issues, though their quarter-mile trap speeds will certainly be slower.
People Who Like This Also Like

SWS GTR #1 is surprisingly docile in traffic, pulling from low revs without complaint and accelerating strongly from 70 in top gear. Its suspension is far more compliant than one expects in a lowered tuner car, smothering freeway expansion joints as well as a Z51 does. Suburban Detroit roads are insufficiently curvy to comment on the handling, though basic steering feel didn’t seem compromised by the larger tires and wider track.

Summing up: We like the expressive/aggressive restyle of the Specter Werkes/Sport Corvette GTR, and if it manages to lay down quarter-mile numbers somewhere between a those of a Z06 and a ZR1 accompanied by this bellicose bellowing exhaust, its owners will have gotten their money’s worth.

[source:MotorTrend]

More Excellent Articles about Chevrolet Car in AutoFans:
+   Chevrolet Camaro launches in the Middle East, stops to pose for photos
+   First Test: 2009 Chevrolet Colorado V-8
+   B-Segment Surprise: 2011 Chevrolet Viva
+   Cruisin’ in the Chinese Chevrolet Cruze
+   Chevrolet Camaro spotted with full-on OEM body kit
+   New York Auto Show 2009: Chevrolet Corvette GT1 Championship Edition gets called to the carpet
+   Chevy Volt Still Set to Hit Dealerships in Nov 2010
+   2010 Chevrolet Spark: New pics and details released ahead of Geneva Debut
+   Rendered Speculation: Corvette Stingray C7.R
+   GM bringing Bumblebee 2 and Autobots to Chicago Auto Show
+   n2a Motors now taking orders for Anteros Roadster and Coupe
+   Robots taking over: Ironhide, Twins and Megatron revealed
+   Chevrolet announces 2009 Corvette Competition Sport Edition
+   Hennessey HPE700: bastard love child of Camaro SS and Corvette ZR1
+   Detroit Auto Show 2009 Preview: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox debuts with direct injection
+   First Look: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox
+   Test Drive: 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt LS XFE
+   Pics Aplenty: 2009 Chevrolet C3R Retro Corvette Stingray
+   SEMA Motor Show 2008 Preview: Chevrolet debuts quartet of custom Camaros
+   Paris Motor Show 2008: Chevy Orlando Concept outdoes the HHR
+   Paris Motor Show Preview: Chevrolet Orlando MPV to debut, Sequel gets real
+   Detroit Grand Prix 08: The Detroit Sports Car Challenge (Spoiler Alert)
+   First Drive: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-6
+   2010 Chevy Camaro SS gets unfortunate Fergalicious debut
+   First Drive: 2009 Corvette ZR1
+   ABG First Drive: 2009 Chevy Silverado Hybrid and Silverado XFE
+   2010 Chevy Camaro - Official Details and Images

First Drive: 2009 Specter Werkes/Sports Corvette GTR

Pay Attention to Auto Fans

Recent Auto Articles

This entry was posted on Friday, July 3rd, 2009 at 9:41 am and is filed under Chevrolet, Auto Review, Car Review. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.