5 Most Outrageous Callaway Corvettes

Founded in 1977 by Reeves, the son of Callaway Golf Car founder Ely Callaway Jr., the Old Lyme, Connecticut-based company started by developing turbocharging kits for various BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz models.

By the mid-1980s, Callaway Cars and its focused induction solutions became known around the world, which led to collaborations with companies like GM and Aston Martin.

Callaway's partnership with General Motors started with an outrageous twin-turbo conversion kit for the Corvette in 1987, and in the decades that followed, the tuner became a specialty car manufacturer that developed some of the most impressive street-legal Corvettes of all time.

1992-1996 Callaway SuperNatural CR-1

After the successful 1987 C4-based B2K Twin-Turbo, which kicked off a fruitful partnership between Callaway and General Motors, the focus shifted to the new ZR-1.

Released in 1990, the ZR-1 became the most impressive, factory-built performance version of the Corvette, blurring the lines between a sports car and a thoroughbred supercar.

Initially, some Chevy purists were angered by the fact that the ZR-1 came with what they saw as a non-American engine.

Under the hood, the car featured a 5.7-liter all-aluminum DOHC V8 designed by British engineering experts at Lotus. Codenamed LT5, the innovative engine initially produced 375 hp, then, starting with the 1993 model year, it was improved to 405 hp.

In either case, the LT5 made the ZR-1 insanely fast, eventually pacifying even the most disgruntled Chevy purist.

At Callaway, 375 hp simply didn't cut it, so Reeves and his crew took the LT1 and beefed it up with new hardware such as forged steel conrods, lighter pistons, ported head, and intake, or custom headers, leading to a maximum output of 475 hp.

Apart from the engine, the stock ZR-1 became the Callaway SuperNatural CR-1 with the addition of a bespoke aerobody upgrade, larger brakes, and custom wheels.

2010-2017 Callaway Corvette SC652

Callaway and his talented team continued to build tuning kits and complete high-performance Corvettes in the decade that followed, and when Chevy introduced the C6 Z06, it stepped in to make it even more outrageous.

Launched in 2005 as a homologation special, the C6 Z06 was powered by the largest small-block Chevy ever produced. Displacing a whopping 7.0 liters (427.8 ci), the LS7 was rated at 505 hp, which also made it the most powerful naturally-aspirated production engine in GM history, a title it held until the introduction of the Corvette C8's LT6 in 2021.

While Chevy took the notion of an outrageously powerful C6 Corvette to a whole different level with the 2006 ZR1 and its supercharged, 638-hp LS9, Callaway took a different route and developed a supercharged Z06.

Dubbed SC652, the package that transformed the Z06 into one of Callaway's most powerful C6 included engine upgrades like high-performance fuel injectors and pump, a redesigned intake, a custom exhaust system, and of course, a TVS2300 supercharger, all of which pushed output to 652 hp, topping the insane, factory-built ZR1.

Apart from the engine upgrades, the SC652 also had a bespoke carbon fiber aerobody upgrade, new wheels, and a redesigned hood with a huge bulge that helped accommodate the supercharger.

2017–19 Callaway Corvette AeroWagen

For decades, out-of-the-box-thinking Corvette owners had their beloved rides converted into shooting brakes, but in 2013, Callaway surprised everyone with the announcement of their own coachbuilt shooting brake conversions, dubbed AeroWagen.

Four years later, the conversion was made available for any C7 Corvette, whether stock or Callaway-tuned.

The completely redesigned rear hatch transformed the sports car into arguably the most beautiful and aggressive-looking modern shooting brake ever conceived.

In its most lethal guise (pictured above), the AeroWagen was based on the Callaway SC757 Z06, which, apart from the coachbuilt rear hatch, received distinct aero upgrades and a beefed-up LT4 rated at 757 hp by the addition of a 2.3-liter TVS2300 roots-style blower in favor of the stock, 1.7-liter unit.

1989 – 1991 C4 Callaway Speedster

Apart from the B2K Twin-Turbo, the SuperNatural, and the infamous Sledgehammer, Callaway developed another legendary Corvette during the C4 generation.

The car, which was based on the C4 convertible, received an aggressively chopped-down windshield, custom side windows, and a redesigned rear wraparound window cluster with integrated rollover bar covers.

Moreover, Callaway equipped it with a wide body kit inspired by that of the Sledgehammer, 17-inch OZ three-piece wheels, and a custom interior that featured premium, hand-stitched leather.

Under the hood, the Speedster featured a 5.7-liter L98 boosted with the Callaway Twin-Turbo package that improved output from the stock 250 hp to an astonishing 450 hp.

To cope with that figure, the Speedster received a full suspension upgrade comprised of adjustable shocks and stiffer springs, while stopping power was enhanced by with the addition of larger Brembo brakes.

1988 Callaway Sledgehammer

Unquestionably, the most outrageous Callaway Corvette of all time was introduced in 1988.

Called Sledgehammer, it aimed to destroy all factory-built supercars, which it did. However, unlike the other Callaway 'Vettes on our list, this beast never made it into production and remained a one-off.

Though it featured a custom wide body kit, from the exterior, this legendary car looked much like any other C4.

However, under its plain-looking hood, it hid a 5.7-liter that was hand-built around a blueprinted Chevy block and featured a huge number of bespoke components that culminated with a pair of Turbonetics TO4B intercooled turbochargers that supplied it with up to 22 psi (1.51 bar) of boost.

The result of these extensive upgrades was an output rating of 880 hp and a mind-blowing 772 lb-ft (1,047 Nm) of twist, which made it about twice as powerful as any exotic, series-production supercar of the era.

In the fall of 1988, John Lingenfelter tested the SledgeHammer's high-speed potential and reached 254.76 mph (410 kph). That figure set a Guinness-approved world record for the fastest street-legal car, a record it held for almost two decades.