Photo: Bring a Trailer (via Carscoops)
A 1963 split-window Corvette C2 — one of the most coveted body styles in American classic car history — has been radically reimagined as a mid-engine twin-turbo showstopper. Built in the mid-2000s by designer Mark Harlan and fabricator Phil Sommers of American Supercar, the "V7 Twin Turbo" realized an idea Corvette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov had pursued decades before Chevrolet's own mid-engine C8 arrived in 2020.
The transformation required extensive fabrication: the cab was pushed forward 24 inches, the body widened 10 inches and shortened 3 inches, all riding on a bespoke ladder chassis with independent suspension and Penske adjustable dampers. Power comes from a stroked 395-cubic-inch (6.5L) LS1 with twin 77mm turbos, routed through a paddle-shifted Mendeola five-speed sequential transaxle.
The build won Best GM Vehicle at the 2007 SEMA Show, yet recently sold on Bring a Trailer for just $65,500 after nine bids — a fraction of the estimated $400,000–$500,000 replication cost, sparking debate among purists over whether reworking an iconic body this dramatically pays off.
For HPP's customers, the story is a useful data point on resale risk: extensive custom fabrication and drivetrain work can win awards and headlines, but doesn't always translate into resale value once tuning trends move on.
Source: Carscoops — This Mid-Engine Split-Window '63 Corvette C2 Is Guaranteed To Split Opinion