ICONIC CORVETTE GRAND SPORT REBORN

Glories of yesteryear were conceived when General Motors licensed a Californian specialist sports car partnership in early 2009 to resume production of the iconic Corvette Grand Sport, arguably GM’s most prestigious track racer ever.

 Duntov/Superformance LLC lost no time in turning opportunity into reality, and Duntov immediately began production of the race version of the 1963 Grand Sport, which has already raced and won a number of events this year.

 Now the street version of this popular 1960’s muscle car will follow with the series production of a Turn Key Minus chassis by Superformance.  The original Grand Sport – intended to be a “Cobra Killer” – was built by General Motors under the watchful eyes of Zora Arkus Duntov, GM’s chief engineer at the time.

 The value of a continuation model and that of a historic original is encapsulated in its authenticity. Superformance went to great lengths to ensure that the new street version would be as like the original Grand Sport as two peas are in a pod, having acquired the original blue prints and molds off the original #2 Grand Sport.

 With only five originals ever built, the Superformance Grand Sport will give buyers the opportunity to own a piece of GM’s rich history. What makes this street version an even more valuable product is that it is licensed by its originators and that is not only meant to be raced, but is equally at home as a daily driver.

 The SPF Grand Sport will be available in a roadster or coupe version and the technical originality is ensured by the legendary discipline and precision that has made Superformance products the leading fully assembled rolling chassis in the world.

 Each SPF Grand Sport will be professionally engineered, custom crafted and professionally assembled in the largest and most modern privately owned specialist automotive manufacturing facility in the world.

 The design of the Grand Sport chassis enables owners to select their drive trains from virtually any General Motors crate option available. The first completed street version rollers will be available in the US in mid 2010.

Source: Duntov/Superformance LLC Press Release

DropTop Customs 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible

This year’s feature project is the Chevrolet Camaro convertible.  With the talk of GM offering their own version of the Camaro convertible sometime in the future, you may wonder why a conversion company such as Convertible Builders llc. would take on this endeavor. Jeff Moran , owner of Drop Top Customs by Convertible Builders llc., explains it like this.  I do not believe it would be a sound business move for GM to take on a project that has greater potential to lose money than to be profitable. If you compare the numbers for the last Camaro in 2002, there were approximately 40,000 Camaros built; of those roughly 8,000 were convertibles. I don’t see even at those numbers the project being profitable for a company the size of GM. I also don’t think that anyone anticipates the car market to be nearly as strong within the next two years as it was in 2002. And who from GM will stand up in front of the Car Czar and say we want this project bad enough to risk more government money?

 That does not mean that there will not be a desire for a quality Camaro convertible, the numbers will just be smaller. That is where Drop Top Customs by Convertible Builders llc can fill a market niche, much like we did with the Cadillac Eldorado convertible, and are currently filling with the Dodge Challenger convertible.

Being true to the lines of the car, Convertible Builders made the top line much as the factory would have, complete with a working glass quarter window. Not only does this enhance the limited rear seat visibility this car in known for, it stays true to the line the car. We believe this to be a significant factor. While we all love to drive our convertibles with the top down, you should not be ashamed of the car when the top is up.   So when you make the decision to have your car transformed by Drop Top Customs, not only do you have a structurally solid car that looks great with the top down, it looks as it should with the top up.

The Camaro convertible conversion that will make its debut at SEMA, will run you an additional 18k over the hard top. Orders are currently being taken for the Camaro Convertible so you too can say Transformation Complete.

Photos courtesy of Eyespike

Drop-Top Revenge R/T Challenger is Ready for Vegas Baby!

With the International Motor Show taking place this week, leaked photos and debuts from Frankfurt are common place. Here is the first of 2009 SEMA Show photos to be released. LuxuryAutoDirect.com is proud to be the first to get our hands on the images of the “Drop-Top Revenge” R/T Challenger by Droptop Customs (A division of Convertible Builders, LLC) that will make its debut at the 2009 SEMA Show. If it is anything like its 2008 sister car which won the Chrysler Design Excellence Award, it will be the Crown Jewel of the 2009 SEMA Show taking place in November at the Las Vegas Convention Center .

2009 represents a year of financial turmoil that spread like a wild fire across the globe. Chrysler, not unlike many other organizations was not immune to the chaos and soon joined GM as both giants were ushered by our Congress into bankruptcy. With a change of leadership and forced intervention by the US Government, Chrysler reorganized and quickly moved out of bankruptcy. Those faithfully following the recently reintroduced Challenger saw rumors of introducing a 2009 convertible crushed and the masses watched intently for signs of Dodge pulling out of further production and ending what will likely be this generation’s last great pony car war. Instead, America and the rest of the world got a glimpse of better times and witnessed the resurrection of a Mopar icon!!

Special ordered from the Brampton factory by Chrysler of Cortland, N.Y,  Drop Top Revenge represents 1 of only 450, Deep Water Blue Pearl, 2009 Challengers built with a 6 speed manual Tremac  transmission. The basic design that comprised the early Project N96 concept actually occurred months before the order was placed.

Using scrap paper during hospital visits and later, the time associated with the many sleepless nights that followed a life threatening motorcycle accident; from the Shaker Hood and the custom graphics, to the Hurst Shifter the intent up to this point was to bring back the Classic look of a 1970 Dodge Challenger, with an eye for new and modern electronic technology. 

As a S.E.M.A. attendee for numerous years, the research associated with building Project N96 brought forth a certain show stopping car that won the Chrysler Design Excellence Award and had become the talk of the 2008 show.  It was a Snake Green Creation that the Chrysler Corporation commissioned to be built by a company called Coach Builders Limited (now called Drop Top Customs) A company who has the reputation of being the oldest convertible conversion company that specializes in OEM look, fit, and finish. This car was also featured in the February/March 2009 issue of Luxury Auto Direct Magazine.

What happened to this award winning show machine? After S.E.M.A. this car was quietly scrapped by the Chrysler Corporation! 

And so the final piece of the build fell in place…to cut a perfectly good roof from the car…and re-create the legendary look of the Dodge Challenger Convertible!  The factory order was changed….the car was re-routed to Gainesville Florida instead of to his hometown dealership in Cortland.  Having flown down to Gainesville to witness the first “cut”, here this build took its second and final turn!  Hidden in the corner of the shop, under cover and away from prying eyes…the wheels!   The wheels that were from the Original Drop Top Convertible of the 2008 S.E.M.A. show car.  They sat on a pallet.  You see, Chrysler did not own the wheels…so they were saved from the crusher! 

It was decided then, between the owner and the builder, that this was to be more than a convertible, this would become a tribute to a car whose life ended just as it had begun to live.
The Foose Challenger Classic “shoes” and the addition of Snake Skin Green highlights as well as the custom Katzskin Leather Seats are a tribute to the “Big Brother” of this little Hemi that there is nothing little about.

The addition of Green Halo effect lighting creates an effect that catches onlookers by surprise.  As though it stirs from within.

As though something lives within it.  Perhaps the spirit of Drop Top has been re-awakened.

This vehicle represents all muscle car enthusiasts who are aware of the story of Drop Top,  and it fills their need for…..REVENGE!

Photography and Graphics by Eyespike Design