If you’ve ever wondered what a 1963 Corvette might have looked like had Zora Arkus Duntov successfully pushed his mid engine vision into production, designer Mark Harland has already answered the question. His wild reimagining of the split window coupe — now up for auction on Bring a Trailer — blends C2 heritage with Ford GT inspiration and full tilt Le Mans fantasy.
Harland’s “V7 Twin Turbo” concept is a complete reinvention. Commenter CKKurtz summed it up perfectly: “‘Cab forwarded’ — I’ve never heard that phrase before. It’s certainly a good description of what happened here.” The donor car’s fiberglass body was pushed forward 24 inches, widened 10 inches, shortened 3 inches, and draped over a custom ladder frame chassis. The result is a silhouette that feels familiar yet unmistakably futuristic.
Underneath that black finish sits the heart of the build: a twin turbo LS1, mid mounted and paired with a paddle shifted Mendeola five speed sequential transaxle. The engine — a stroked 395ci aluminum-block LS1 from Hot Rod magazine’s Project Blueprint program — breathes through 77mm turbochargers, a liquid cooled intercooler, and TiAL wastegates. It’s a setup that prompted commenter Shootnride to note, “This car is a genuine example of vision, engineering and exceptional fabrication skills. I think the designers and builders would have been good friends with Zora.”
The exterior is equally radical. The power lift hood and rear hatch with wire mesh instead of glass) reveal the mid engine layout, while the “sui slide” popper operated doors drew mixed reactions. Deeply recessed screened air intakes on the hood lead to a pair of electric puller fans and a black aluminum radiator in the nose. MikeNCCars joked, “With the way the doors open, I think I’d have trouble parking at the grocery store… for that reason I am out.” Others were more captivated. dogmanluther wrote, “Whether you love or hate it, it’s like a tractor beam, drawing you in.”
Inside, the cabin blends race ready hardware with custom craftsmanship: black leather Cobra Misano seats, Crow cam lock harnesses, AutoMeter gauges, paddle shifters, and Vintage Air climate control. The polished stainless chassis and billet accents give the interior a show car sheen.
The car debuted at the 2007 SEMA Show, where it won Best GM Vehicle — a detail that sparked debate. As commenter Micro912 quipped, “The only GM parts on this ride are the taillights and engine.”
Now offered in Virginia with a clean Montana title, the V7 Twin Turbo sits at $63,000 with five days left. Love it or hate it, the comments agree on one thing: this Corvette isn’t just modified — it’s reimagined. A bold, polarizing tribute to the mid engine dream Zora never got to build.
Be sure to watch the videos on the BaT listing — seeing the rear hatch and those wild door mechanisms in motion makes the engineering feel even more impressive.
Source:
Bring a Trailer
Related:
V7 Twin Turbo Corvette Concept Makes SEMA Splash
Former SEMA V7 Twin Turbo Corvette Concept Featured at Auction America’s Fort Lauderdale Sale
Corvettes for Sale: V8-Powered 1953 Corvette Replica Offered on eBay
Subscribe Now:
That has to be the ugliest C2 I’ve ever seen. Terrible thing to do to a split-window ‘vette!
Thankfully Zora never got his way to build a mid engine C2. This car is one ugly son of a bitch.
Hideous!
Kill it with fire. Seriously it’s probably well worked out under that botched exterior.
No just no, it’s not even cool as a concept. It’s removed all the things that make the C2 beautiful.
It’s an improvement. Reminds me of a GT40.
Proportions were always off on the C2’s, which is why they’re my second to least favorite generation of all Corvettes. It still looks off…but it’s definitely better than a stock C2.
Looks really bad 🤮