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UPDATE: Chevrolet Corvette RX-7 Flexes Strong Rotary Muscle

Just like flying doesn't make Superman a bird or a plane, the Mazda RX-7 front end we have here won't turn the C5 Corvette it's attached to into a rotary-powered machine, at least not by itself. And while we're dealing with a rendering, you should know the concept had already been executed in real life, albeit with a different flavor.
Chevrolet Corvette Mazda RX-7 rendering 7 photos
Photo: Khyzyl Saleem/Facebook
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Of course, one's first question might revolve around the way in which such a transformation would make an RX-7 or a Corvette owner feel. Well, digital artist Khyzyl Saleem, who is the one responsible for these pixels, happens to drive around in an FD-generation RX-7.

"The C5 and the FD3S have so much in common in terms of styling, I've always imagined a RE-styled C5 [more on those two letters below] as it's one of my favorite Vettes. So happy with the outcome of this," the pixel master explains on social media.

Note that the RX-7 front apron we're looking at comes from Japanese aftermarket developer RE Amemiya and this is the main aspect that sets the virtual build aside from the real one mentioned in the intro - as you'll notice in the second Instagram post below, an American enthusiasts named Levi Wait had already built a C5 drift car with an FD RX-7 front end, albeit with this featuring the production nose of the Japanese sportscar and, more importantly, having maintained that V8 power.

And while the drift car packs fender flares, the virtual proposal comes with a better-integrated widebody approach, albeit while still sporting a restrained look, at least as far as the fenders go - the gap between these and the Volk TE37 wheels that fill them up is microscopic.

However, there's no way to use the said description for bits such as the rear wing or the diffuser-like element at the back. Oh, and is that a Longtail approach adorning the posterior of the 'Vette?

The massive tailpipes we see on the pixel project are now linked to a Wankel engine. Now, before anybody labels this as a revenge for all the LS-swapped RX-7s out there, keep in mind that, back in 1973, Chevrolet built a mid-engined Corvette prototype animated by a four-rotor unit. This was just one of the results of an experimental rotary program GM developed during that decade, albeit with the initiative stopping just shy of reaching the showroom.

Update: The artist has come up with a fresh take on the matter, making a few small changes to the JDM-ized slab of America, while also adding immersive real-world backgrounds. And you'll find it all in the Insta post at the bottom of the story.



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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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