2000 Callaway Corvette C12

The Callaway C12 Corvette was produced from 1997 through 2001, production cars built to compete in the GT2 class at Le Mans with one example taking pole position at Le Mans in 2001.

The C12 was constructed with the assistance of German engineering and development company IVM. It was fitted with a 346 cubic-inch dual overhead cam aluminum V8 engine capable of producing 440 horsepower. There had a six-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel Alcon disc brakes. There was an independent suspension via traverse leaf springs, coil springs, and tubular shock absorbers. The aerodynamic bodywork was formed from carbon fiber and Kevlar. The interior was completely new.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2009

The first Callaway to make a real impact on the automotive scene was called the Sledgehammer. It was based on a 1988 Corvette, and accordingly was introduced at a time when the speed scene was a little different. Most personality-starved cars of the 1980's had little in the way of performance. Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche all offered enough speed to throw drivers back in their seats, but there weren't many underdogs around to turn to for a performance alternative.

In 2009, when even a stock Accord can keep pace with a late ‘80's 911, the choices are greater. There are still hyper-fast Lambos and Ferraris, but now folks like Koenigsegg and Bristol, to name a couple, all offer obscenely powerful and quick machinery. The reigning king is Bugatti's $1.4 million Veyron that Car and Driver managed to squeeze 253mph out of. If Callaway had been founded yesterday, there wouldn't be much to make the company really stick out. Speed can now be had from many nameplates and from cars that the average person will likely never see, or even hear of, in his or her lifetime. Callaway predated this plethora of performance, though, and has for that reason become a legend.

Just how fast was the Sledgehammer? The '88 Corvette derivative was piloted by John Lingenfelter all the way up to an absolutely astonishing 255mph. Over twenty years later and an '09 Bugatti contents itself at 253. The kind of unfathomably awesome performance offered by the Sledgehammer made Reeves Callaway as sacred a figure as Alois Ruf, and it's worth mentioning that Callaway's Sledgehammer was way faster than Ruf's monumental Yellowbird of the same era.

For those with the necessary funds, the C12 was well worth the entrance fee. Conceived by Callaway with help from German engineering firm IVM, the C12 was such a thoroughly revised car as compared to the stock Corvette that Callaway was able to gain the production car status it needed to compete successfully in racing. Its redesigned Kevlar-composite skin offered a stunning shape free of the garden variety Corvette's quad-taillight and pop-up-headlight clichés. The interiors, though similar in design to the stock Corvette, offered superior workmanship and quality of materials. The massaged LS1 was good for 440bhp and put its power down through a 6-speed stick with a lightened flywheel and upgraded clutch. The C12 was wider than the standard Corvette, and came complete with a wholly revised suspension. Every detail of the ‘Vette was reworked and improved.

Designed by Paul Deutschman, the C12 looked like a well-dressed LeMans racer. Actually, it was a well-dresses LeMans racer. The C12 was aimed directly at GT2 competition in LeMans, and in 2001 it took pole position for its class. Once again, Callaway was able to oust Ferrari and Porsche as it had with the demonically fast Sledgehammer.

Callaway is still active, producing performance upgrades for Corvettes as well as the built-to-order successor of the C12 called the C16. The company's website details every C12 ever built, a task made possible by the C12's ultra-exclusive production run of just 20 cars. They may not have the name recognition of some other supercars, but for those who tire of their ubiquitous Astons and Ferrari Maranellos, the C12 should be a perfect companion.

Sources:

'Callaway C12 (1997-2001).' Callaway Cars Web.30 Apr 2009. http://www.callawaycars.com/callaway/main/contentpages/projects/c12.htm.

Shaw, Kevin. '1999 Callaway C12 Corvette Coupe - Never Enough.' Corvette Fever Web.30 Apr 2009. http://www.corvettefever.com/featuredvehicles/corp_0701_1999_callaway_c12_coupe/index.html.

By Evan Acuña