Nissan GT-R Wagon

Has Nissan given us the ultimate birthday present, or are we just dreaming? Unfortunately, this image isn’t what is appears to be: there is no R35 GT-R Wagon. 

Seen here (above) at the Nagoya Auto Trend show, this is actually a converted Nissan M35 series Stagea wagon. That being said, this “GT-R Wagon” is an incredibly clean conversion and gives an excellent idea of what a production version could look like. While the Stagea is a JDM vehicle, this creation has been imported to Europe, bears GB plates, and is right-hand drive.

The greatest mystery about this creation is what lies under the bonnet. While no one knows for sure, the Nissan fanatics over at GTRblog speculate there may be a twin-turbo VQ series 3.5L V6 powering the insane creation. More likely, there is a tuned 2.5L V6 engine pushing out over 300 bhp.

It is very likely that this power is put to all four wheels via a four-wheel drive system that was an option for the Stagea wagon (if not, then it is rear-wheel drive). Transmission is unknown, although a 6-speed manual is highly likely.

Stand Virtual is the creator of this aesthetically beautiful but mechanically limited creation. It was on sale several years ago for $45,000 in Portugal.

Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first attempt to create a GT-R Wagon. The Nissan Autech Steagea RS260 was the nearest production model to an R34 GT-R. Furthermore, there was at least one R33 GT-R converted to be a wagon (although the roll cage took up nearly the whole boot). If a tuner ever did decide to create an authentic (ie, start with an actual GT-R) R35 Wagon, it would be as insane as the Ferrari and Lamborghini sport wagon creations and would bring a prompt us to wonder: time for a super-wagon showdown? 

Zolland Design Volvo V60 V8 Concept

V8 Volvo Racewagon

Volvo's new V60 estate is inspiring all kinds of encouraging creations. Not only can one now purchase the potent Polestar V60, but Zolland Design has an even more radical take on the rakish wagon. Dispensing with the V60's standard six-cylinder, Zolland shoehorns a transversely-mounted 4.4L V8 from the S80 under the hood. While this mill churns out 311 horsepower and 325lb-ft of torque stock, Zolland claims it would "tune" the eight-pot to produce even more grunt. Requested by an Australian Volvo dealer, it is not surprising that this V60 is designed as a contestant in an Aussie V8 Supercar Series. The press release is mum on other specifications, but its fair to assume all-wheel drive and we can all hope for a slick-shifting 6-speed manual.

In terms of design, this fastback really shines. The two-door layout, classy but aggressive wheels, big brakes, and front and rear spoilers all add to its appeal. In aiming to complete with Audi's S4 Avant, the Zolland V60 certainly offers aggressive looks, but its unclear if this svelte Swede can stack up to the dynamics of the supercharged Audi.

We certainly can't quibble with the sport two-door layout, but beyond the idea of the Supercar Series, the V8 seems superfluous. Sure, everyone loves a V8 growl, but it would add greater weight and reduce weight distribution. Like its target S4 Avant, a boosted six would offer the Zolland greater performance, efficiency, and aftermarket tuning potential. Hell, VW's new Golf R Wagon puts out 300 horsepower from a 2.0L four-banger.

Ultimately, the displacement wars should be confined to the past, when well-meaning but technologically-limited engineers engaged in a narrow-minded arms race. "There's no replacement for displacement" is an idea best abandoned to the 1960s. In the 21st Century, we have triple-supercharger systems, sequential turbos, and torquey electric motors. We have the technology, its time to start using it.

November 21st, 2014 (Source: Zolland Design)

(from Bo Zolland) 2014 Zolland Design Volvo V60 V8 Two Door Estate Concept

Designed at the request of an Australian Volvo dealer who wanted to see what a modern 2 door V60 high performance estate would look like! This design would match up against competitors like the Audi S4. Power is from a tuned version of the V8 used in the Volvo S80. The wheel openings are enlarged by 1.5 centimeters, with the rear wheel opening moved forward for a more harmonious appearance. It also features new front and rear spoilers. This AWD car uses the largest brakes from the XC90.

Volvo Amazon 600hp

Retro-Modern Swedish Muscle

Specifications

 

Engine: 3.0L 24 Valve Inline-Six Cylinder  

Output: 600hp

 

Drivetrain: Front-engined, rear-wheel drive (FR)

Transmission: 6-speed manual

Notes:

Created by Mattias Vocks

Photos

 

Press Release

 

(from Volvo Release) Sweden’s hottest Volvo set to light up Sin City at the 2006 SEMA tradeshow in Las Vegas

Custom-built 600 horsepower Volvo Amazon thunders into the show

October 31, 2006 (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Classic American muscle cars are a rarity at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) tradeshow in Las Vegas. But a classic Swedish hot rod at the show is about as rare as ordering pickled herring "your way" at the local Burger King. But this year will be different. Sitting proudly among the three exciting highly customized Volvo C30s, this 1967 Volvo Amazon should attract plenty of admiring stares from the show's 100,000-plus attendees.

But getting here wasn't easy. At the 25th jubilee of the Vallåkra Custom Car Meet outside Landskrona, Sweden last summer, Mattias Vöcks’s classic Amazon estate was voted best car to represent Sweden and its car-customisation enthusiasts at the annual SEMA tradeshow in Las Vegas. SEMA is the venue for the world’s largest custom-car show.

Of the 600 or so customized Volvos on display at the Vallåkra Meet, about 30 were entered to take part in “Sweden’s Hottest Volvo” contest. The jury’s brief was to choose a car that stands out from the crowd, one that will pull at the heartstrings of the discerning American public. The jury’s justification for selecting the “VÖX-Amazon” is as follows:

 

“This is a car that represents true Swedish car-building art with its focus on high build quality and unique detailing. It reflects personal craftsmanship of the very highest order. This is a car that stands out from the crowd while at the same time acknowledging a Swedish motoring icon that turns 50 this year. Finally, the winner truly epitomizes the title of “Sweden’s Hottest Volvo” with its 600 horsepower under the hood.”

When the judging was complete, it was Vöcks who walked away with the grand prize: An expense paid trip for him and his Amazon to the glittering lights of Sin City. 

Vöcks, 27, has long been active in automotive circles. In fact, his hobby indirectly led to him earning his living at sports-car manufacturer Koenig. His most recent creation, a Volvo P1800, aroused considerable attention when it was unveiled. “Volvo is the make that I like most and I have actually customised several Amazons previously. It all began when I was given an old Amazon by my grandmother, and it’s continued ever since,” said Vöcks.

The jury consisted of Volvo Personbilar Sverige President Thomas Andersson, Volvo’s STCC driver Robert Dahlgren, press officer Bo Larsen of Volvo Cars Sweden, Leif Tufvesson who is a professional car builder, and Per Östman and Bertil Wilhelmsson from motoring magazine Bilsport and Vallåkra Meet, respectively.

Touring Superleggera Flying Star

At the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, seasoned Italian Coachbuilder Touring Superleggera unveiled the best Bentley Continental we’ve seen to date.

 Called the “Flying Star,” the Shooting Brake design is “a sports car featuring enough space to join a hunting party or golf tournament with elegance and efficiency.” Based on the Bentley GTC Convertible (as that model had the best structural qualities), the Flying Star offers a third door and folding rear seats which when stowed offer nearly 43 cubic feet of storage room (twice as much as a BMW 5er GT!). While significant practicality is added in shooting brake form, the Bentley loses none of its athletic abilities. 

 If customers opt for their Flying Star to be based on a “Speed” GTC, the 6.0L twin-turbo W12 motor will produce 610 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. Touring Superleggera says the Flying Star will travel naught to sixty in 4.7 seconds, and continue on to a super-car humbling 200 miles per hour. That makes this one of the world's fastest sport wagons. With impressive utility, phenomenal performance, and Audi’s (Bentley’s parent company) all-wheel drive system, the Flying Star Shooing Brake is the perfect limited-production, go-fast anywhere in style, utilitarian Sport Wagon.  

 

April 7^th (Source:Touring Superleggera)

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

The origins of the Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring

It takes an avid and passionate collector, with a taste for special coach building, to be at the basis of a project like the Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring. Exactly such a person contacted Touring Superleggera in early 2008.
An interesting initial creative process emerged involving parameters for design, proportions, vehicle concepts and - last but not least- feasibility and technical factors.

Many steps from design to execution were shared with the customer, who contributed with his own ideas and taste to personalise the project and create a unique automobile.

A basic idea was formed by the desire to diversify Bentley's very successful Continental model range, and to explore new concepts. 

The transformation of a 2-door coupé, by expanding the roof line and enlarging the interior dimensions, has led to a design concept baptised as shooting brake: a sports car featuring enough space to join a hunting party or a golf tournament with elegance and efficiency. Touring Superleggera explored the same field back in 1966, resulting in the amazing Lamborghini Flying Star II prototype. It was a dramatic interpretation of a sports car based on a new 2-volume design, safeguarding the dynamic performance. The Flying Star reference is a Touring parameter of sportive elegance, applied to many famous cars since the companies' start in 1926.

Flying Star in 2010 - the Bentley challenge

The Bentley Continental GT range set innovative and high standards for a new generation of very sophisticated Grand Tourers. As such, this model triggered the imagination of automotive designers and coach builders elsewhere. The GTC convertible, featuring a very rigid platform, proved to be a fully congruent basis to Touring Superleggera's plans for the new Flying Star.

The new project required the modification of a number of external dimensions starting from the car's A-pillar backwards: extended roof line, a wider section including the doors, new aluminium door skins and a new all-aluminium, electrically operated tailgate. It also includes a completely new rear compartment with two foldable rear seats and a variable loading space.

This long list of modifications and transformations had to be paired with, and to remain fully compatible to the basic car's technical layout and components. Given the sophistication of the basic car, a new challenge was laid out for Touring's craftsmen and engineers. The final result proves that special coach building can live on well into the 21st. century working with respect to the original manufacturers.

Touring Superleggera is particularly proud of the fact that the complete productive cycle of the special coach building process was realized in their workshop near Milano. Modern body engineering went hand in hand with traditional handicraft skills, maintaining the highest quality directives for the final product.
The Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring

Project Engineering

The body engineering processes at Carrozzeria Touring are aimed at safeguarding key parameters for quality, safety and feasibility, within the perspectives of low-volume automotive production. The project went through 1:4 and 1:1 modelling, based on the CAD and CATIA data from the basic vehicle. This digital basis resulted in a milled 1:1 master model and a number of 1:1 moulds for the manufacturing of the new external skin, and for important new body components. The rear bodywork was reinforced with an integrated structure between the rear suspension domes, functioning both as roll bar, and as support for the new, extended roofline. 

All structural additions and modifications were thoroughly studied, using advanced simulation methods and FEM-analysis. As a parallel process, these data served for the homologation of the structural changes, including the new foldable rear seats. An important number of hard points from the basic car could be saved and carried-over. The engineering team at Carrozzeria Touring was particularly pleased with the quality assurance support from Bentley engineers. 

Design 

'Variations on a theme' not rarely implicate a larger design challenge, than starting-off with a white sheet of paper. The basic mission was to create a body incorporating the essence of Touring elegance and harmony, while clearly recognizable as a Bentley. This task was challenging because a fully new volume had to be added to the GTC basis. The proportions were totally new, but the overall design had to be kept consistent. That is why only the section in front of the car's A-pillar, including the windshield has been maintained.

Viewed from the rear, the new tailgate dives between the wide rear wings. The oval rear light chrome bezels are a reference to Bentley fastback cars of the '50. The side view features a low roof, prominent quarter panel shoulders and wide wheel arches, suggesting perfectly mastered energy.

The Touring Superleggera designers were challenged by the target to give the new interior equal elegance, whether the back of the rear seats are folded or not. The solution was to design an "S" shaped trim of the rear quarter panels linking the passenger area to the rear luggage area. The beige and dark green leather contrast also adds to this visual unity.
First time ever in this class and size, the twin individual rear seats fold completely to create a flat loading surface more than 2m long with 1200lt capacity. This is instrumental to fulfill the functional mission profile, which requires loading in full comfort a wide array of leisure equipment, including 4 full golfing bags with the rear seats up. An example of bespoke finish is the woven leather boot carpet offering superior endurance and coordinated with the special luggage set. 

The overall result is perfectly in line with the Touring and Flying Star heritage: a timeless shape, a design statement combining elegance and sportiveness, with a strong and unmistakable own personality and individuality. 

Manufacturing

When digital technologies are blended with traditional manufacturing skills, a fascinating process emerges that is typical for Touring Superleggera. A discriminating factor for traditional coach building was and is the vast amount of handwork that is involved in the creation of a new body. In this process, multiple practical solutions are also found for a wide variety of minor technical issues. This includes quick, practical solutions based on years-long experience, common sense and an expert eye.
The result is a final product entirely produced within the high quality parameters of today's automotive industry.

From the A-pillar backwards, new exterior body panels were hand shaped in steel - including the roof, new wider rear wings, and the internal reinforcements of the complete rear section of the car. Aluminium was used for the door skins, and for the complete rear bonnet including its structure. New, handmade brightwork was added according to the new exterior design.

The all new rear compartment required shaping of the foldable rear seats and a full set of interior panels, leather trimmed with meticulous care. Wide leather hides were selected with great attention to provide uniform finish to the vast continuous surfaces.

After inspection, the body in white was prepared and painted in the Touring state-of-the-art paint facilities. The final result underwent again a special final quality audit.

Performance

The Bentley Continental Flying Star by Touring inherits the chassis of the Continental GTC. The 6-liter, W12 engine is available either in the 560HP version which delivers 650NM of torque at 1600rpm or the GTC Speed variant which delivers a massive 750Nm from 610HP. The car exhibited in Geneva Motor Show features the GCT Speed specifications.
Performance braking, cornering and traction functions mesh together to provide precise and immediate driving control under extreme or difficult conditions. 
Self-adjusting air springs and electronic dampers operate independently for each wheel. All-wheel drive promotes advanced traction.

Homologation 

The model is CEE homologated according to the new low-volume production directive. For the first time since its introduction, the type approval was awarded without destructive test, using simulation and FEM-analysis.

Future Programme

Touring Superleggera undertakes a limited production run of up to 20 units of the Continental Flying Star. This series will be exclusively built to special order and customer specifications. The car is offered at a basic price of 2 590.000 when based on a Continental GTC - 560 PS. Other versions on request. 
The car will be serviced at the Bentley dealers. Bentley Motors and Touring Superleggera have developed a special mutual warranty program, which safeguards warranty clauses for both the basic car, and the transformation by Touring. 

Personalisation

The customers are actively involved in the early stage to choose the specifications of their own unique automobile, ranging from bespoke cabinetry and trim to a wide choice of dedicated options. The accessory collection includes the Touring designed luggage set coordinated with the boot trim, and the distinctive Borrani X-Ray spoke wheels.
Blending advanced technology with craftsmanship, Borrani 20" 9.5j X-Ray spoke wheels provide distinctive design, precision and comfort. Featuring monolithic spun aluminium rim and hand assembled steel spokes, they can be tailored to the car's painting and finish. 

Louis de Fabribeckers, Head of Design

Responsible for the design team of the Flying Star project is the 32 years young Belgian designer Louis de Fabribeckers.
Graduated from the ISD of Valenciennes in France in Engineering Design, de Fabribeckers started to work with Touring in 2006 as project leader.

Under his hands, the Maserati based Bellagio and A8GCS Berlinetta projects materialized; the first one being a fastback, 5-door version of the Quattroporte model, and the second a magnificent concept for a light and compact, modern sports car. Both new projects were presented at the occasion of the 2008 Villa d'Este Concours d'Elégance. The A8GCS Berlinetta was granted the 'Plus Belle Supercar de l'Année 2008' award by the expert jury of the 24th. Festival Internationale de l'Automobile in Paris. 

Louis de Fabribeckers lives and works in Milan.

Technical information 
(where appropriate based on a Continental GTC Speed)

ENGINE

Capacity 5998 cc W shaped 12 cyl. 
Max.Power 610 PS /449 kW @ 6000t/m
Max. Torque 750 NM @ 1700-5600t/m

DRIVELINE AND TRANSMISSION

Continuous all-wheel drive
6-speed automatic transmission

PERFORMANCE

Max. Speed 322 km/h (TBC)
Acceleration 0-100km/h 4.8 seconds (TBC)

DIMENSIONS

Overall length 4815mm
Width 1943mm
Overall Height 1395mm
Min. Boot volume 400L
Max. Boot volume 1200L


The Touring A8 GCS Berlinetta is now ready for one-off production

Geneva is the first public appearance of this prototype after the Concours d'Élegance previews.

Touring Superleggera has completed the development stage and is now ready to produce a rolling concept for one of the passionate clients who showed their enthusiasm since the first debut.

The Berlinetta is based on a high-end production platform revised by Touring. It has been carefully selected to match the mission profile in power, torque, and handling.

Compact, light and powerful, the shape embodies the perfect high performance sports car in the Touring tradition. The A8 GCS Berlinetta is a strict two-seater with perfectly balanced volumes and frugal decoration. 

"We wanted a strong project" – says the Belgian Head of Design of Touring Superleggera, Louis de Fabribeckers – "I drew from the stylistic heritage of Touring the work of surfaces and also this sinusoidal line across the side of the Berlinetta".

The car is 4,20 m. long and only 1,22 m. high on a 2,50 m. wheelbase. Engineers target a 1500 kg weight for the finished car. 

Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera 

Founded by Felice Bianchi Anderloni and Gaetano Ponzoni in 1926, the company started to produce custom built automotive bodywork with two distinctive features form the very beginning: sporting elegance and lightness. Early customers were reputed car makers as Isotta Fraschini and Alfa Romeo. It would mark the start of a flamboyant period, also culminating in the 'Flying Star' period with several spectacular spider coachworks.

Touring Superleggera also gradually researched the streamlining process. The marriage between this, and their Superleggera construction system using aluminium body panels over a light but rigid tubular steel frame, resulted in some extremely elegant masterpieces such as the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C2900 Touring spider, which today have become icons of automotive design and body construction. In 1945, the excellent Carlo Felice Bianchi Anderloni joined his father at the company, which soon started to receive its first orders from a motivated Modenese entrepreneur called Enzo Ferrari. The Tipo 166 Touring 'Barchetta' of 1950 formed a new milestone for light, elegant and effective design on a competition chassis.

Under Carlo Felice, Touring saw its industrial customer basis grow in the mainstream of the expanding automotive industry in Italy and Europe. A number of niche models were designed and built on Alfa Romeo 1900, Lancia Flaminia and Maserati 3500. Another new inspired car manufacturer from the Bologna area relied on Touring's skills: Lamborghini. At the same time, Aston Martin produced their DB4, 5 and 6 models with a license for the Superleggera system.

The energy crises of the early seventies, and the increasing mass production methods in the car industry would regretfully force many specialist companies to close their doors. The last production car left Carrozzeria Touring in 1966, but the true Touring spirit was firmly consolidated in the company's products, that found their ways to an international community of motoring enthusiasts and car collectors.

In 2006, the year of its 80th. Anniversary, Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera of Milan restarted its activities, now part of Zeta Europe BV, a private company specializing in automotive high-end products and brands.

Superior Glass Works 54 Sports Wagon

Rebirth of the American Genesis

In 1954, Chevrolet displayed a radical new vehicle known as the Nomad. Styled after and built upon the C1 Corvette, the Nomad was a 3-door family-hauler that invented the “Sport Wagon.” The public loved the design and GM enthusiastically put the Nomad into production- without any corvette styling. 55 years later, Superior Glass Works has decided to produce a modern version of perhaps the greatest American Sport Wagon.

The modern rendition is also based on the corvette. Starting with a C5 chassis and suspension, the Oregon-based company completely recreates the 1954 body in fiberglass. Best of all, the 54 Sports Wagon can be had with a 6-speed manual and an LS small block V8. Because the engine bay can accommodate any GM LS-series, those with a deep pocket book can have their own supercharged 638hp LS9 powered Corvette Sport Wagon. With this custom engine option, the 54 Sports Wagon will certainly need the optional 10.5 inch wide rear tires. Ready, set, time to start saving…..now.

Source: Superior Glass Works

Specifications

Engine: Any Chevrolet LS Small Block V8

Common Applications: LS2 (400hp), LS3 (436hp), LS9 (638hp)

Transmission: Corvette 6-speed manual (or Corvette automatic transaxle)

Drivetrain: Front engined, rear wheel drive

Chassis: C5 Corvette (97-05)

Suspension: C5 Corvette

Roof Height: ~54 inches

Price: Starting at $125,000 USD

Production: Limited Run of 25 examples

Superior Glass Works delivers a rolling chassis to the customer- ready to be customized with an LS-series GM V8, custom paint, and a custom interior. Here are photos of the rolling chassis before customization begins:

Press Release

 The Superior 54 Sport Wagon Project History

The Superior 54 Sport Wagon project was started in the 1980s by an individual trying to build his own piece of history. The years went by and the project languished. In 2004, Superior Glass Works acquired the unfinished dream. Five more years and many thousands of hours later, the Superior 54 Sport Wagon is available…at last.

The journey was one that combined old-school craftsmanship and leading-edge technology. One of the most significant pieces of this project was to create the ‘plug’ – the body from which a mold could be made. Without an original body to start with, the plug was build using wood, foam, fiberglass, body filler, steel and anything else that would yield the desired form. These materials were shaped entirely by hand using only simple tools to create an extremely accurate model from which the molds were made.

The next phase of the project blasted our team into the modern era of product design and development. The now-perfect plug was imaged with a 3-D scanner, producing electronic files of the body from every angle. These were handed off to a CAD drafter to digitally create all of the body and window trim pieces. Rapid-prototyping technology was utilized to produce each part in full scale that were then installed on the body. After final hand-fitting of each trim piece, the master parts were finished and ready for production and chrome.

Since we were building a Corvette tribute car, it only seemed fitting to use the high-performance 1997-2005 C5 Corvette suspension under the skin. Leveraging decades of in-house street rod and racing chassis experience, and working with our friends at Art Morrison Enterprises, we designed a chassis from the ground up to meet our exact specifications. Art Morrison then built it up in their leading edge chassis production facility and we have a world-class platform on which this car will drive.

Many challenges were encountered and all were overcome through hard work, innovation, and creativity. Superior Glass Works received a lot of help from many people along the and we would like to thank and recognize them here:

Body - Legendary Styling. 21st Century Performance.

The 1954 Motorama show introduced a car that was revolutionary in its day: A Corvette-based wagon that blended sleek sports car styling with wagon practicality. Modern in its time, timeless in its appeal, the Chevrolet Nomad concept became more than a car. It became a legend. 

Manufactured with the highest-quality, hand-laid composite and reinforced with a stout steel sub-structure, the body is skillfully built with every attention to detail, including a complete set of custom-crafted window glass and chrome trim. The body’s stunning looks are enhanced by modern conveniences such as power windows, power door locks and air conditioning. 

Your Complete Rolling Package will be delivered with the body and chassis fully assembled — ready for you to add paint, interior, engine, wiring and other personal touches to create the Retro, Custom, or Pro-Touring look you want.

The fore-father to the famous 1955-56-57 Chevy Bel Air Nomad, the prototype 1954 Motorama show car introduced the world to the 'form before function' sport wagon. The Superior 54 is true in size, proportion, and function to the prototype.

Clean lines and an exquisite balance of window height to the lower body really set this car apart.

One of the most dramatic and difficult to reproduce features of this car is the radically sloped windshield that wraps down and around to the A-pillars. Each windshield is custom made and included with each Complete Rolling Package.

A close up view of the windshield, shown in the green tint commonly used in the 50's. The windows are also available in clear or a light gray smoke tint. Also note the removable cowl vent panel. This can be fixed in place, smoothed over, or made functional. NOTE: Shown with prototype window trim. Production trim is at the chromer.

Those teeth! Possibly the most famous grill in American automotive history still looks great after all these years. Top quality reproduction grill teeth, bumpers, and headlight rings are included and installed with each Complete Rolling Package. The chrome fender and door spears are custom made for this car. They differ from the trim used on the production Corvettes in that the fin points down instead of up. This historically correct detail adds to the authenticity of each Superior 54 Sport Wagon and is also visually stunning.

Side sliding windows are functional, included, and installed. We use reproduction Nomad stainless trim and window gaskets to seal and finish the joint where the two windows meet. Power door windows are also standard with each Superior 54.NOTE: Shown with prototype window trim. Production trim is at the chromer

This is a sports car, not the family wagon, and it has the stance to match. Low to the ground but still quite drivable as all the suspension, driveline, and exhaust sit within the frame rails and do not hang down. Roof height is elbow-high on this 6-foot tall man, or about 54". This will vary depending on suspension settings and wheel/tire choice.

Ready to accept original or reproduction 1953 Corvette dashboard parts including the speedometer bezel, speaker bezel, and gauges. Corvette experts will note that the dashboard has been widened several inches on either side on the center gauge cluster as the Superior 54 is wider than the original Corvette.

The one-piece fiberglass floor lays directly on the frame rails and is bolted down prior to installing the body. Additional balsa and Coremat reinforcement will be added later in the production process. 

The Superior 54 Sport Wagon chassis is equipped with modern, high-performance, C5 Corvette suspension that not even the renowned auto-innovator Harley Earl could have imagined. Designed and built in partnership with Art Morrison Enterprises, Inc., the chassis brings today's sports car technology to this classic.

An Art Morrison perimeter frame built to our specifications serves as the sturdy and capable foundation for this sports car. We use low-mileage, original equipment 1997 – 2004 Corvette suspension components as the basis for the Superior 54 chassis. We add Art Morrison’s front cross member, steering arm, sway bar, and power rack and pinion steering to the stock Corvette control arms, spindles, and brakes. Hi-performance coil over shocks replace the stock leaf spring. The independent rear-end and transaxle are bolted to the frame using a narrowed stock cradle, with the half-shafts and leaf spring narrowed accordingly. 

Your Complete Rolling Package will be delivered with the Body and Chassis fully assembled—ready for you to add paint, interior, engine, wiring and other personal touches to create the Retro, Custom, or Pro-Touring look you want.

The Chevy LS-V8 motor mounts are provided and installed. These custom motor mounts are insulated at the frame with urethane bushings. We have this design in hundreds of high-performance chassis over the years for everything from mild-small blocks up to blown big-blocks.

Complete Rolling Chassis.

Includes Corvette C5 front and rear suspension, transaxle (6-speed shown), brakes lines, torque tube and driveshaft. Wheels, tires, and engine not included.

Using the torque-tube from the shorter-wheelbase C5 required we stretch it and the driveshaft. The brake lines and exhaust will route through under the center stiffening plate, but not hang below the frame rails.

Close up shot of the Corvette IRS. All of the original components and geometry are maintained.

Narrowed half-shaft in the C5 rear suspension

More information is available at www.superior54.com