Blast From The Past: C3R Kit Takes C6 Corvette Back To The Glory Days

Ford has the Mustang, Dodge has the Challenger and Chevrolet has the Camaro. But of all the (rapidly shrinking) big three's muscle car offerings, the Corvette is the only one that doesn't flaunt a retro-influenced body.

And why not, you say? The C1 Corvette of the 1950s and early 1960s is the very definition of a classic sports roadster, in particular, the C2 split-window coupe of 1963 (just ask Klosey). A modern homage to the Corvette's youth would be an obvious choice, you'd think, to revitalise interest in the revered name-plate. However, when you look at the latest-gen C6, all of the styling cues that made previous Corvettes so distinctive are gone - except for those round tailights, of course.

But fret not, 'Vette fans, for salvation may soon be at hand. Designer Christian Cyrulewski has styled this C3 Stingray-esque bodykit that brings the modern Corvette back to its roots.

Thanks to the C6's modular fibreglass body, swapping-in different panels is a cinch, and to Cyrulewski's credit, the "C3R" does a great job of imbuing a retro flavour to the C6. The C3's sharp, almost arrow-shaped nose is present, the C6's rear hatch glass has been deleted in favour of a pair of buttresses, deliciously pumped-up fenders envelop each wheel and there's a set of chrome "shark gills" just aft of each front wheel - just like the C3. A 7.0 litre V8 will beat beneath that smoothly-contoured bonnet, and side exhausts will be de rigeur.

Sadly, the C3R kit is just a concept for now and exists only in computer-rendered form. Cyrulewski will build the first example and display it at the 2009 Woodward Dream Cruise, and volume production of the kit will depend on whether or not it gets a favourable reception from the crowds. Lets hope it looks as good in the flesh as it does on the screen.