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Chevrolet C3 Corvette “Greenwood SuperVette” Packs More Than 750 HP

Described as “the most powerful and brutal racing Corvette ever designed,” the IMSA SuperVette isn’t exactly a C3 Corvette. The tube-frame chassis comes courtesy of Charlie Selix and Gary Pratt of Pratt & Miller Engineering, the design is attributed to Bob Riley, and the 500-cu.in. aluminum big-block V8 is far from what you could expect from the C3 Corvette back in the day.
Chevrolet C3 Corvette “Greenwood SuperVette” 32 photos
Photo: Canepa
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Only two examples of the breed were built, and you’re looking at one of them. Driven by John Paul Sr. of JLP Racing, the no-nonsense racing car is also referred to as the Greenwood SuperVette after John Greenwood, the man who worked together with Riley to design the 750-horsepower monster.

COV002 has been recently restored to concours-level condition – namely the car’s 1978 specification - by Canepa Motorsports. Featuring the magnesium brake calipers from the Porsche 935 and a four-speed transmission from Jerico, this oldtimer contested the 1978 IMSA season. John Paul finished 2nd overall at Hallett, and at the end of the season, he racked up two podiums and three top 5 finishes.

Over the years, COV002 changed hands and raced some more. John Greenwood drove it at the 1981 Daytona 24 Hours but the engine failed and the car retired from the race. Fast-forward to the present day, and the restoration process included new aluminum panels for the chassis. The chrome-moly tubing is hidden by a whole lot of fiberglass, the lightweight material of choice back during an era when carbon fiber was nothing more than… well, a pipedream.

Discovered in 1860 by a British physicist and chemist, carbon fiber was introduced to the world of motorized sports in 1980 by McLaren. The MP4/1 rolled out of the garage in March 1981, and prior to this era, the light yet extremely durable composite was used to a certain degree by the aerospace industry.

Ah, this story is about the Greenwood SuperVette! Turning our attention back to the big-block brawler, Canepa Motorsports doesn’t list any pricing information on their website. Considering how rare, powerful, and wild-looking this thing is, there’s no denying the asking price ends in six zeros.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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