Callaway Cars Inc. is an engine design company who is notable for their modification of
ChevroletChevrolet is a brand of automobile produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant in 1911, Chevrolet was acquired by General Motors in 1917...
cars, the
CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car manufactured in six generations by General Motors since 1953. The first Corvette was designed by Harley Earl and named by Myron Scott after the fast ship of the same name. Originally built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, it is currently built at a...
sport cars in particular, especially their
twin-turboTwin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine on which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations; parallel twin-turbo, and sequential twin-turbo...
kit that became a dealer option and their record breaking Corvette Sledgehammer car.
History
In 1973, Reeves Callaway, not in a financial position to be able to start his dream of embarking on a racing career, did what many aspiring drivers do- Callaway went to work as a driving instructor for
Bob BondurantRobert Bondurant is an American former racecar driver who raced for the Ferrari and Eagle teams in Formula One....
's
racing schoolThe Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving is located in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.The Bondurant School teaches aspiring and current racers how to drive like the professionals. They have courses ranging from Highway Survival Training to Advanced Road Racing.The Bondurant School sits...
.
While using the newly launched
BMW 320iBMW E21 is the body designation for the first BMW 3 Series compact executive car, produced by the German automaker BMW from 1975 to 1983. This series was the immediate successor to the BMW 2002 and was superseded by the BMW E30 platform....
as a school car, he became familiar with its intricacies and deficiencies, he later took hold of one of its cars to his garage in Old Lyme with the intention of tuning for more power.
As a result, Callaway constructed and installed his first prototype turbocharger system and offer
Car and DriverCar and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Originally headquartered in New York City, the magazine has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the late 1970s.-History:Car and Driver was founded...
journalist Don Sherman to drive the car resulting in a one-page article, giving the modified car great acclaim. Realising its commercial potential, Sherman told Callaway that he could make turbocharger kits available to the BMW community but he didn't even have the equipment to manufacture the components including a drill press. As business began to arrive, Callaway formed Callaway Cars, Inc in 1977.
Over the years, Callaway developed turbocharger kits for
BMW, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company. Founded in 1916, it is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. It owns and produces the MINI brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.-Company history:...
,
VolkswagenThe Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , also known as Volkswagen Group or as VW, is an automobile manufacturer and mobility organisation based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany and is the pioneer brand within the Volkswagen Group, which contains the car brands Audi AG, Bentley Motors Ltd.,...
,
PorschePorsche SE is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury high performance automobiles, which is majority-owned by the Piëch and Porsche families. Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG , often shortened to Porsche AG, is responsible and manufacturer of the Porsche automobile line...
,
AudiAUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!"Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It...
and
Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler AG , after previously being owned by Daimler-Benz...
. He also developed the HH
IndyCarSince 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
V8 engineA V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
and later a twin turbo kit for the Alfa Romeo GTV6. The company would become famous in 1987 when they developed a twin turbo kits for the
CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car manufactured in six generations by General Motors since 1953. The first Corvette was designed by Harley Earl and named by Myron Scott after the fast ship of the same name. Originally built in Flint, Michigan and St. Louis, Missouri, it is currently built at a...
. As they were dealer options, Callaway sold 500 of them over a period of five years.
Callaway was also commissioned by
Aston MartinAston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in BuckinghamshireFrom 1994 until 2007...
to build the 5.3L V8 engine from the newly launched
VirageThe Virage was Aston Martin's replacement for the decades-old V8 models. Introduced at the Birmingham Motor Show in 1988, it was joined by the high-performance Vantage in 1993, and the name of the standard car was changed to V8 in 1996....
for its
AMR1The Aston Martin AMR1 was a Group C formula racing car developed in 1989 for auto manufacturer Aston Martin. It participated in the 1989 World Sportscar Championship season and 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans.-History:...
Group CGroup C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
racer.
Callaway Cars headquarters is in
Old Lyme, ConnecticutOld Lyme is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The Main Street of the town is an historic district. the town has long been a popular summer resort and artists' colony...
with West Coast facilities in
Orange CountyOrange County is a county in Southern California, United States. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,846,293, though a July 2008 estimate placed the population at 3,010,759, making it the second most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
, and
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an facilities in
LeingartenLeingarten is a municipality in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 7 km west of Heilbronn. It was formed the 1st of January, 1970 when the municipalities of Großgartach and Schluchtern merged.- Location :...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. Its current project is the C16, a supercharged
C6 CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette C6 is the sixth generation of Chevrolet Corvette sports cars. Introduced in 2005, it is the first Corvette to contain exposed headlamps since the C1 generation, which was produced until 1962....
Projects
Callaway tend to refer each projects with a C, followed by a number henceforth
The 16 in its name does not refer to cylinders...but to the car's spot in Callaway history. This is the 16th project to come out of the supercar maker.
C1 (Callaway Turbo Systems)
The
Callaway Turbo Systems is a development program and its subsequent sale of its aftermarket turbocharger systems for BMW, VW, Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz applications. This was the first of the Callaway's projects, running from its company's foundation in 1977 to 1984.
C2 (Callaway HH Indy Car Engine)
The
Callaway HH Indy Car Engine is a project to build a racing engine for
IndyCarSince 1916 there has been a recognized United States national automobile racing National Championship for drivers of professional-level, single-seat open wheel race cars. The championship has been under the auspices of several different sanctioning bodies since 1909. Since 1911, the Indianapolis...
specification from scratch as an eleven months long program between 1980 and '81, to show Callaway's capability to design and implement complex high performance engine program.
This was effectively a stillborn project, as the engine never ran beyond some initial bench testing.
C3 (Alfa Romeo Callaway Twin Turbo GTV-6)
Following its success with their
turbochargerA turbocharger, or turbo, is a gas compressor that is used for forced-induction of an internal combustion engine. A form of supercharger, the purpose of a turbocharger is to increase the density of air entering the engine to create more power...
kits, this led a commission by
Alfa RomeoAlfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automaker founded on June 24, 1910 in Milan. Alfa Romeo has been a part of the Fiat Group since 1986, and since February 2007 a part of Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. The company was owned by Italian state holding company Istituto per la Ricostruzione...
to produce a higher end version of its 2.5 liter GTV-6
coupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
. Between thirty and thirty-six examples were built between 1983 and 1986, with the first prototype being sold and titled as a 1984 model, the subsequent four prototypes as 1985 models and the remainder (i.e. the "regular production") being sold as 1986 model year cars. In addition to numerous small component upgrades, the Callaway GTVs included a much revised suspension, improved brakes and a twin-turbocharger system, boosting performance to near-exotic levels.
The car's performance caught the attention of
Dave McLellanDave McLellan was an automotive engineer for General Motors, most notably the chief engineer for the Corvette from 1975 until his retirement in 1992....
, Chief Engineer of the Corvette, and would lead to the Callaway-Corvette association it became famous for.
C4 (Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette)
The special edition Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette was available from 1987-1991 as Regular Production Option (RPO) B2K and could be ordered from select dealers in the US. Corvette orders with the B2K option selected were shipped to Callaway Cars in Old Lyme, Connecticut, for the Twin Turbo conversion directly from the Bowling Green assembly plant.
Once converted and tested, the Callaway Corvettes were then shipped to their ordering dealers for final delivery to their respective owners. Dealer repairs of the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were covered by the standard GM 12 mo./12,000 mile warranty, with Callaway Cars, Inc. reimbursing dealers for time and materials on repairs to the added components. This was the only time where GM has allowed a factory orderable non-GM performance enhancement on the Corvette.
The ultimate Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette is known as the Sledgehammer Corvette. Until 1999, the Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette held the World production car speed record of . It is an emissions compliant, street legal vehicle, with all the creature comforts like Air Conditioning, Radio, etc that you would find in any production street Corvette. Built using production chassis 1988-051, it achieved its World Record Title in November 1988 at the Ohio Transportation Research Center (TRC). In addition to the engine performance improvements, the Sledgehammer Corvette used modified body panels to reduce drag and improve stability.
This body modification, known as the Callaway Aerobody was designed by Automotive Designer Paul Deutschman. The Callaway Aerobody was later available as an appearance enhancement option for Callaway Corvettes.
On the performance side, the 1987 production version of the Callaway Twin Turbo, B2K option provided 345 HP /465 ft·lbf. of Torque, with a top speed of , at a price of just over $50K. In those days, this brought the Callaway Corvette into the performance category of
FerrariFerrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1928 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A....
and
LamborghiniAutomobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian automaker based in the small township of Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company was founded in 1963 by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini...
which cost in the range of $100–$175K. According to the National Corvette Museum records, that year 188 Corvettes were built with the Callaway Twin Turbo (B2K) option existing on 167 cars.
For 1988, Callaway increased the stock performance of the Twin Turbo Corvette to yield 382 HP/ 562 ft·lbf. of Torque. That year, 125 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were built with 105 ordered with the RPO b2k option.
The 1989 Callaway Twin Turbo option provided the same power output as the 1988. However, after the World Record run of the Callaway Sledgehammer, the Aerobody became an option for the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette. A total of 51 (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were ordered that year with a total of 67 cars produced.
In 1990, GM finally introduced their ZR-1 Corvette which obtained similar performance characteristics as the 1989 Callaway Twin-Turbo option. That year saw the lowest number of (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes ordered with 59 with only 58 actually built.
To counter the ZR-1, for the 1991 model year, Callaway was able to bring up the output of the B2K option up to 403 HP/582 ft·lbf. of torque. 1991 would be the last year of the L98 engine which was the base engine of the Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette. The power output of the (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo remained the same as the 1990 and there were 62 ordered. In total 497 (B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were ordered through the normal sales channels. However, before the Callaway Twin Turbo option went away, Callaway and Deutschman went to work to provide yet a more powerful and stunning car, the Callaway Speedster. A small amount of the final twin turbo cars and the Speedsters (10 Series 1 Speedsters w/ L98 Twin Turbo) were designated 500 Series Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes. These unique cars came with OZ racing wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, a "500 Series" dash plaque, "500 Series" intercooler badge, special car bra, car cover and floor mats.
Total Production was 448 RPO B2k cars while total production including direct conversion cars stands at 510.
C7 (Callaway C7)
The C7 is the ill-fated supercar built for GT1 category racing, developed between 1993 to 1996, it attempted to pre-qualify at the
1996 24 Hours of Le MansThe 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 64th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16, 1996.-Race:The 1996 race was won by a car that was considered by Porsche to not be a factory-backed entry, instead run by Joest Racing...
which it failed to. It was subsequently entered in to the Daytona Rolex 24 Hour where it lead the race at the 12 hour point. However, an oil system failure prevented it from finishing, this its first real long distance test
C11 (Limited Edition Range Rover 4.6 HSE)
4.6 HSE Callaway Edition: The top of the line model in 1999 was a limited edition (220 were made and had stickers on the dash that say Callaway and have the number) 4.6 HSE modified by Callaway in Old Lyme, Connecticut. They were available in Niagra Gray, Epsom Green, or Rutland Red. They had much of the black plastic painted body color and special dual exhaust system. The high performance Callaway engine with at 5,000 rpm and peak torque of at 3,500 rpm improved the 4.6 HSE acceleration 0-60 mph from 9.7 sec to 8.6 sec. The Callaway 4.6 HSE sold for $75,000.
The "short block" of the engine is the same as other Land Rover 4.6 HSE models. Short-blocks used for the 4.6L Callaway engines were stamped with a 9.60:1 compression ratio marking from Land Rover. The increase of 0.25 points, up from the standard 4.6L compression ratio of 9.35:1 was achieved by a modification to the cylinder heads. The cylinder heads were also modified to improve the airflow into and out of the combustion chambers. The inlet manifold gasket front valley clamp has been changed to accommodate the heater hose positioning on the bottom front of the Callaway manifold. The ram pipe housing has been modified by shortening the ram pipe tube lengths. The intake runner lengths were tuned to increase both power and torque. The black plastic air inlet tube was replaced with a larger diameter fancy looking carbon fiber inlet tube to match the larger throttle bore in the plenum. The air cleaner box base was modified to increase the airflow. The Lucas GEMS ECU was calibrated to support the mechanical changes to the Callaway engine (the Callaway engine had the same basic FI as in 1998 and did not have the Bosch system that was on other 1999 HSEs).
The Callaway drivetrain was also modified. The automatic transmission used in the Callaway 4.6 HSE Range has a different torque converter and the transmission control unit (TCU) has been recalibrated to take advantage of the increased torque and power of the engine. The shift points in both "NORMAL" and "SPORT" modes have been changed to match the engine's increased power.
The electronic shift transfer case has a new ratio sprocket set and chain. The resulting new ratios provide a high range ratio of 1.294:1, and a low range ratio of 3.481:1. The ratio change improves acceleration performance in high range while also providing improved off-road "crawl" performance and coast down rates in low range.
The front axle shafts used on the Callaway 4.6 HSE have been strengthened to withstand the increased torque to the front wheels from the engine and transmission changes. A material change in the axles ensures durability will be maintained for the front axle half shafts. <>
Callaway decided to use a four-pin front differential to accommodate the increased torque rather than the two-pin front diff used on standard production Range Rovers. After working with Callaway on the four pin front diff Land Rover decided to put them in all of the 1999 Range Rovers since the 4 wheel traction control that added ABS regulated traction control to the front axle in 1999 also put extra stress on the front diff (Range Rovers from 1993-1998 only had traction control on the rear axle). <>
The Callaway dual exhaust had reduced backpressure and was similar to the dual exhaust that all NAS Range Rovers got in the 2000 model year. Changes to the exhaust system were made rearward of the catalyst "Y" pipe. The exhaust system backpressure was reduced by 43 percent, and the interior sound level in the passenger cabin was virtually unchanged. The center silencer provides reduced backpressure and is constructed from stainless steel. A twin tail pipe system was selected to provide a performance look and sound. The straight exit twin outlets are accented by T-304 stainless steel resonator tips to visually differentiate the Callaway 4.6 HSE from other Range Rovers. The pipes are welded on to the stock mufflers and the rear bumper has cut outs for the tailpipes like it had in 1995 and 1996 (the stock single muffler pointed down and the rear bumper did not have any cut out on the 1997, 1998 and non-Callaway 1999 Range Rovers).<>The exterior of the Callaway 4.6 HSE Range Rover is had painted body color components. The exterior components painted to match the body color are, the Entire Front Bumper cover, the Front Grill, Left and Right Headlamp trim, Left and Right Door Mirror Casings, Rear Bumper including area with Exhaust Tip Openings
All Callaway Range Rovers came with the "Proline" 18 inch 5-spoke alloy wheels.
Body Colors Available: Niagara Gray , Epsom Green, and Rutland Red
The vehicles are badged with "CALLAWAY" on the upper engine plenum, and on the lower rear tailgate under the 4.6 HSE logs (some models also have Callaway stickers on the front fenders.
Inside, the Callaway RRs some had additional wood surrounding the power window switches and HVAC controls wood and leather steering wheels and most (but not all) had GPS.
C13 (Holden Special Vehicles GTS Coupe)
Holden Special Vehicles HSV GTS 300 is a motor vehicle which is no longer under production.
The GTS 300, named so because its engine's output was 300 kW (406 bhp) was available in both Coupe and Commodore (sedan) bases. It is powered by a 5.7-litre Callaway-tuned C4B engine, based on the Chevrolet LS1 V8. Until recently it was the most powerful Australian made production car and a true collectors item. The GTS came with a Tremec T-56 six speed manual transmission only when it was released in 1999 and was one of the fastest sedans in the world, if not the outright fastest. It was outdone in 2002 with the release of the supercharged V8 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG.
Only 300 made by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) mostly hand built from 1999 to 2002 in Melbourne Australia
There were 200, 4-door Commodore (G8)sedans VT, VX and 100 Monaro GTS (GTO) coupes in VX2 - Purchase price new approx AUD$95,500. On road costs with 2-way sun-roof and GPS Navigator approx. AUD$105,000.
The cars utilised the Callaway 13 or more commonly known as the C4B 5.7 litre Chevrolet V8 engine. Conservatively tuned and badged as 300 kW (406 bhp)with a manual T56 6 speed transmission and four piston caliper disc brakes all round they were the flagship of Holden Special Vehicles.
TECHNICAL - ENHANCED GTS 300:
Once the original ECU was remapped,valve springs were replaced with performance double row springs, replaced titanium retainers, slightly shorter push rods, roller rocker clearances set to 20/1000", shift kitted with the air intake and exhaust pipes modified, produced in excess of 340 kW (455 bhp). Camshaft specs. 224 /230 Lift int. .581” exh. .588” overlap 114 degrees (red line at 6700 rpm) and using Shell 98/100 octane v-power gasoline, realized an increase in power to 375 kW or (503 bhp)at the flywheel and around to of torque) -Approx. 298 kW to 310 kW (422 bhp) at the rear wheels. Zero to in 4.55secs, standing Qtr. mile e.t. 12.5 seconds and an estimated top speed at 5000 rpm in 6th gear, approx 312 km/h (194 mph).
C15 (FIA Corvette GT3)
The
Callaway Project C15, known as
FIA Corvette GT3 Z06R is a competition version of the Corvette C6 Z06 built to compete in FIA GT3 category GT racing. The cars are built at the company's facility in
LeingartenLeingarten is a municipality in the district of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 7 km west of Heilbronn. It was formed the 1st of January, 1970 when the municipalities of Großgartach and Schluchtern merged.- Location :...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and raced in the European FIA GT Championship.
The first three Z06R were built for Callaway themselves, followed by the rest for privateers. As of 2007, ten have been built to compete in FIA GT3 Championship, the ADAC Masters and the
BelcarBelgian GT Championship is the national sports car racing championship of Belgium. The series is sanctioned by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium and run by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation . The series' title sponsor is Mediagroep Van Dyck.Since the 2007 season, the series has run three classes...
series.
The three car works team consisting of Luca Pirri and Jurgen von Gartzen, Uli Berberich-Martini,
Klaus LudwigKlaus Ludwig is a German race driver. Unlike Hans-Joachim Stuck, Rolf Stommelen, Harald Ertl, Hans Heyer and Jochen Mass, he has never raced in single seaters...
, Jiri Skula and Martin Matzke driven the cars in the
FIA GT3 European ChampionshipThe FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile...
, with three victories and three second place finishes, the Martini-Callaway team took the Manufacturer’s Championship title. Its drivers Pirri and von Gartzen took the runners-up in the GT3 Driver’s Championship. The knowledge and experience learned from the race program is used in the Callaway C16 series of road-going sports cars.
C16 (Callaway C16)
The
Callaway C16 is a bespoke automobile based on the
C6 CorvetteThe Chevrolet Corvette C6 is the sixth generation of Chevrolet Corvette sports cars. Introduced in 2005, it is the first Corvette to contain exposed headlamps since the C1 generation, which was produced until 1962....
. The C16 is marketed as an alternative to the
Porsche 911 GT3The Porsche 911 GT3 was introduced in 1999 as a high performance version of the first water-cooled version of the Porsche 911, the 996, to continue the quarter-century tradition of low-weight RS models that ended with the 993 RS...
, the
Lamborghini MurciélagoThe Lamborghini Murciélago is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini. It is often referred to as a supercar and is Lamborghini's flagship and the halo car of the automaker's lineup. The Murciélago is a high-performance two-door, two-seat coupé, powered by an evolution of the...
, the
Ferrari F430The Ferrari F430 is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. European left-hand drive sales began in November 2004, but right-hand drive sales did not start until Spring 2005, and the North American...
or the
599 GTBThe 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian gran turismo produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model....
and is offered in three different body styles, Cabrio,
CoupéA coupé or coupe is a closed car body style, the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and
SpeedsterSpeedster may refer to:In automotive:* Opel Speedster* Plymouth Speedster* Porsche Speedster* Studebaker Speedster* Speedster AutomobilesIn fiction:* Speedster , a type of superhero whose primary power is superspeed....
.
It was unveiled at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show in 2006. Production began in 2007. The car is sold fully equipped with a set coordinated features such as the supercharged engine, full leather interior, proprietary Callaway/Eibach suspension system, the LeMans brakes and Carbon Magnesium wheels. Options are the selection of a comfort seat or a sportseat, carbon ceramic brakes, and fitted luggage. Cars are built to order where the owner chooses the interior leathers and the exterior color. All cars are sold by Callaway directly, and are supported by a 5 year/ 50,000 mile powertrain warranty.
Like the Callaway C12, the only body panels the car retains from the C6 are the roof panel, the rear hatch, and the rear view mirrors.
Mercedes Benz 240D
- initially created for his own personal 240D
- boosted stock HP from 67 hp to est 95 hp
- Covered in detail by Motor Trends May 1983
SledgeHammer Corvette
After the
Car and DriverCar and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Originally headquartered in New York City, the magazine has been based in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the late 1970s.-History:Car and Driver was founded...
test event, which Callaway drove a specially modified Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette (C4), known as the "Top Gun" project to the best of , winning the test run. A production Callaway managed a best of, .
As Callaway wanted to take the record further into with the car being docile during traffic, he developed the SledgeHammer Corvette, to allow airflow into the engine, he commissioned Paul Deutschman of Deutschman Design to develop the Callaway Aerobody for stability. The engine was extensively hand built with its turbo intercoolers being relocated from either side of the intake manifold to the front, behind the bumper. Overall engine power was rated at @ 6200 rpm with of torque @ 5250 rpm. The car retained its road car amenities such as
power windowPower windows or electric windows are automobile windows which can be raised and lowered by depressing a button or switch, as opposed to using a hand-turned crank handle....
s and
locksPower door locks allow the driver or front passenger to simultaneously lock or unlock all the doors of an automobile or truck, by pressing a button or flipping a switch....
, Bose radio, electronic
air conditioningAn air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area, or provide heat to an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
and,
power sport seatA power seat in an automobile is a front seat which can be adjusted by using a switch or joystick and a set of small electric motors. Most cars with this feature have controls for the driver's seat only, though almost all luxury cars also have power controls for the front passenger seat.In addition...
s with all necessary race car modifications such as
roll cageA roll cage is a specially constructed frame built in the cab of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured in an accident, particularly in the event of a roll-over. Roll cages are used in nearly all purpose-built racecars, and in most cars modified for racing...
.
Driven by
John LingenfelterJohn Lingenfelter was an NHRA driver, engineer and legendary tuner....
, the car reached mph at the Transportation Research Center,
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
and was driven back to Old Lyme.
The Aerobody would become commercially available this would become the first of the partnerships with Deutschman, in which he also designed its later models such as Speedster, SuperNatural, C7, C12 and C16.
Performance Stats
- Horsepower: 898 bhp / 669.6 kW @6200 rpm
- Torque: 772.2 ft·lbf / 1047.0 Nm @6200 rpm
- BHP/Liter: 157.54 bhp/Liter
- Power to weight ratio: 0.565 bhp/kg
- Top Speed: 254.8 mph / 409.9 km/h
- 0 - acceleration: 3.9 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 10.6 seconds
General specifications
2001 VX GTS MODEL. Flagship High Performance Model. Callaway HSV C4B 300 kW V8 engine, 0-100 in 5.1 second. Premium brakes and performance suspension package. Hydratrak differential, 19 inch alloys, performance sports seats.
Price auto: N/A
Price man: $95,500
Body: SEDAN Made in: MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA
No. of Seats: 5
Warranty: 3 Yr 100,000 km
TECHNICAL - STANDARD GTS 300:
Type : sedan
Amount of the Doors : 4
The Place Seatings : 4
The Place Seatings 5
Sizes and mass : Mass, kgs : 1780
Type of the engine : gasoline
Preparation to air gas :13.0:1
Design of the engine : V-8 90 degree
Amount cylinder : 8
Volume of the engine, sm3 : 5700
Maximum power: 300 kW / 405 bhp
Frequency of the rotation under maximum power: 6000 rpm
Maximum turning moment, Nm : 520 (420 ft·lbf)
Gearbox : 6 speed manual T56
Brakes : 4 spot caliper drilled & slotted discs on all four wheels.
Runaway before 100 km/ch, sec. : 5.1
Standing ¼ mile elapsed time: 13.1 seconds / 172 kp/h / 107 mph
Maximum velocity, km/h : 280 km/h (175 mph)
Consumption fuel in town cycle, l/100 km :
Consumption fuel in country cycle, l/100 km :
Consumption fuel average, l/100 km :
Volume of the tank, l. : 75 litres
Type fuel : 95 octane
TECHNICAL - ENHANCED GTS 300:
Type : sedan
Amount of the Doors : 4
The Place Seatings : 5
Sizes and mass : Mass, kgs : 1780
Type of the engine : gasoline
Preparation to air gas : 12.8:1
Design of the engine : V-8 90 degree / LS1 Callaway C4B re mapped ECU
Amount cylinder : 8
Camshaft: Cam specs. 224 /230 Lift int. .581” exh. .588” o/lap 114
Volume of the engine, sm3 : 5700
Maximum power: 375 kW /503 bhp
Frequency of the rotation under maximum power: 6700 rpm
Maximum turning movement, Nm 640 (460 ft·lbf)
Brakes : 4 spot caliper drilled & slotted discs on all four wheels.
Gearbox : 6 speed manual T56 w/ Harrop quick short shift.
Runaway before 100 km/h,4.5 seconds. Standing ¼ mile elapsed time:12.5 seconds /184 kp/h (115 mph)
Maximum velocity, km/h : 312 (194 mph)
Consumption fuel in town cycle, l/100 km :
Consumption fuel in country cycle, l/100 km Consumption fuel average, l/100 km :
Volume of the tank: 75 litres
Type fuel : 100 octane
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