2006 Callaway C16

The look may be familiar, but the Callaway C16 is anything but just another Corvette. The latest in a long line of products from the well-regarded “tuner,” the C16 makes some significant changes to Chevrolet’s two-seater, including a complete redesign of its body by Canadian stylist Paul Deutschman.

Under the sleek new skin, Callaway supercharges the base, 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 – the first time the tuner has used a blower, incidentally, rather than a turbocharger. The result is an engine making an impressive 616 horsepower and 582 lb-ft of torque, more than enough to launch the C16 from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds, and to hit a rated top speed of 206 mph, a wee bit faster than the new Ferrari F599 GTB Fiorano. Surprisingly, Callaway founder Reeves Callaway noted, the C16 still gets a rated 18 mpg in city driving, 28 on the highway.

The modified ’Vette features a unique, “Double-D” exhaust system. The brakes have been beefed up with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. The 19-inch Dymag wheels are not only aggressive-looking, but also extremely lightweight, using an unusual approach to manufacturing, with a carbon-fiber rim and magnesium spokes. That shaves off about 40 percent of the weight of a comparable aluminum-alloy wheel.

The C16 will be sold through a network of Callaway dealers in the U.S. and Europe. Here in the States, the car will carry a sticker price of $119,865.

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