[1]We’ve all seen re-bodied Corvettes over the years. Whether by Pinnifarina or Chip Foose, the ‘Vette lends itself to customization of an existing car or starting from a blank canvas to create a dream machine.
With the advent of the C4 and it’s drivable chassis and non-structural body panels, the current generations of Corvette remain ripe for a rethink.
[2]CRC Coachworks 1962 Corvette
Companies like Karl Kustom Corvettes [3] and CRC Coachworks [4] have really set the bar high with dramatic transformations of C5/6’s into time-warp hybrids of new-school supercar ‘Vette mechanicals married with old-school body work.
[5]Karl Kustom 1967 Corvette
Forget kit-car conversions of the past. These modern creations have great build quality and cost a good chunk of change to bring into reality. Currently solid axle and mid-year ‘Vettes are the preferred body style to resurrect. We love C1’s and C2s too, but we also dig third-gen Corvettes and always wondered if one of the aforementioned companies would ever offer such a car.
Simply design a body that resembled the Shark that would pick up stock C5/6 body panel attachment points. Couldn’t be that hard could it?
Cricket, cricket.
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Until now.
Enter one Christian Cyrulewski, an ex-pat from Vargon, Sweden. He’s a Corvette man through and through and has owned a 1968 roadster, 2002 coupe and Z06. He currently owns a 1973 big-block Corvette and just bought a 1988 Callaway Twin Turbo C4 Coupe.
Our kind of guy.
His incredible renders of an aforementioned C3 tribute car have floated around the internet and have fallen on deaf ears. We thought we’d show off these his mostly production ready designs to the world and give then the recognition they deserve.
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Christian shared his background and how he produced these renders.
“I’ve been a digital sculptor/surface modeler in the automotive industry since 1995. Before that, I was a CNC mill operator for five years. I grew up near Detroit and most of my family were somehow involved in the auto industry–mainly GM–so it was only natural I ended up doing what I do.
My Dad was a gearhead and used to drag race in his ’64 Corvette down Woodward Ave. when he was young and I inherited his passion and just kept it going.
I’ve done every aspect of these “C3R” renders from design, surface modeling, engineering, rendering and then converting to the Assetto Corsa file.
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When I heard about the Racing Sim last year and that you can inset your own cars, I dusted off the project added the file and I could finally get to “drive” my dream if only in VR.
Previously, several people expressed interest in the project. I contacted the SEMA organization about my plans and they informed my that I qualify as a car builder and if register with them they could get me access to C6 “math data.
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It cost I think around $ 300.00 and I got everything down to the nuts and bolts. I went back and modified my complete CAD model to meet as much of the engineering data as possible to use as much of the C6 inner panels to keep the price down.
In the end, an inability to come to terms on market rights and waning interest relegated my project to inactive. So I have a Retro Corvette with 85% of the engineering complete just collecting dust.”
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We think the C5/6 architecture and especially it’s windhield rake is a natural for Christians body styling proposal. The Shark may be derided by some, but the 1968-1982 Corvette body style still influences modern Corvettes and has aged well.
These renders would eliminate the cramped cockpit, ancient handling traits and create a new-era Shark that would be a great daily driver as well as a ferocious track car with LS/LT power and modern running gear.
We’d love to see something these ideas get adopted and green lighted for production. In the meantime, enjoy the these beautiful renders by Christian Cyrulewski.
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