[1]For decades now, ruthless speculation by reckless journalists has gotten up the hopes of Corvette fans everywhere that one day we will definitely, maybe, probably not ever have a mid-engine Corvette. Sorry folks, but it ain’t gonna happen. The Corvette has been a front-engine, rear-drive fiberglass sports car since day one. Why mess with that?
For those who still cling to the dream of a mid-engine Corvette, LeftLane News [2] reports that Alessi Fiberglass is offering the next best thing. Called the AR-1, this Corvette-powered supercar features a mid-mounted motor, fiberglass body… and a rear end only a mother could love.
Alessi Fiberglass has dipped its toes into the world of fiberglass exotics before. In the late 1970’s, they brought out their first AR-1, powered by a Buick V6. This time the engine is a 6.2 liter V8 yanked from a Corvette. Alessi offers a supercharger kit good for 600 horsepower and 580 ft-lbs of torque, as well as a twin-turbo kit. With the two snails piping in cool air, the 6.2 liter engine makes 750 horsepower and 690 ft-lbs of torque.
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It's all good until you get to the back...
The fiberglass body is reinforced by steel, and eleven-gauge steel is used in the chassis to keep weight down. Coming in just under 3,200 pounds, the AR-1 should be able to sprint from 0-60 MPH in just 3.4 seconds.The AR-1 really is the closest thing to a mid-engine Corvette anybody who doesn’t build one themselves is going to get. But the generic rear tail lights kind of ruin it for us, and we’d have to replace them with some round lights off a late-model ‘Vette. Could you get over those obnoxious blinkers to take this kind-of-a-Corvette for a ride?