New car news

22 July 2009 - 10:00

Taking it to the Competizione

When Italian coachbuilders get their hands on a Corvette, the results can be, er, varied.

On the one hand, it might end up like that terrifying Castagna Aznom we saw a couple of years back. But on the other, it might end up like this rather lovely SV 9 Competizione, a Corvette C6 reskinned with a whole bunch of added Italianicity.

OK, there's a bit of a game of ‘spot the design influence here' - plenty of Alfa 8C Competizione about that back end and the wheels, and would it be fanciful to suggest a little Nissan GT-R in the flank? - but it's a nice-looking thing nonetheless.

And it's quick, too. SV has tweaked the power of the C6's 6.2-litre V8 from a weedy 321kW to a nice round 335kW.

Along with a sticky new set of Pirelli P Zero tyres, that's good for a 0-100km/h time of four seconds flat - a third of a second quicker than the stock C6 - and a 12-second time for the quarter mile. It'll also generate 1.3 g of lateral grip and brake to a stop from 100km/h in just 31 metres.

SV has big plans for the Competizione: it wants to build a full 1,000 cars, with prices starting at around $123,000 AUD. Anyone tempted?