Ares Modena S1 Elevates The C8 Corvette Into Supercar Status

Sep. 11, 2023 6:10 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz Supercars / 27 Comments

Available as either a Gullwing Coupe or an open-top Speedster.

The humble 2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray has just been injected with a dose of European flare, courtesy of Italian coachbuilder Ares Modena. Introducing the Ares Modena S1, a Corvette-based supercar that is available as a Speedster or a Gullwing. Ares takes the mid-engined Detroit hero and turns it into an Italian grand tourer with Le Mans hypercar styling. This is the company's first series production car, but it has built other incredible creations like the Huracan-based Pantera Evo and a Bentley Muslanne Coupe.

The S1 uses the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated LT2 engine from the Stingray, not the flat-plane crank V8 from the Z06. It's been beefed up though, so it now delivers 600 metric horsepower (591 hp in Murica numbers) with 470 lb-ft of torque. A standard Stingray produces 495 hp and and 470 lb-ft with the Z51 Package.

All that power still goes out to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Ares says the S1 will hit 62 mph in around three seconds and go onto a top speed of around 184 mph. That's actually lower than the advertised top speed of a Corvette Stingray (194 mph), likely because the Ares S1 has body with more downforce.

"With its low, cab-forward driving position, wraparound windscreen, top-mounted exhaust, active aerodynamics and rising wheel arches, the Ares S1 is our own unique take on an endurance racer for the road," said Gianluca Condua, Head of Design at Ares Modena. "Created using the latest bespoke coachbuilding methods and equipped with cutting-edge technology inside, the S1 showcases Ares Modena's unmatched capability in designing and developing some of the most exclusive performance vehicles on the road."

From the outside, it's tough to tell that this car is based on a Corvette. That's a strong compliment for any coachbuilder.

Stepping inside, there are few elements carried over from the Corvette's cabin. The Vette's oddly shaped steering wheel, push-button shifter, drive mode selector, and air vents are all dead giveaways, but the other surfaces don't look like they came out of a GM parts bin. There's a ton of leather, carbon fiber, and Alcantara throughout, and Ares added a nine-inch touchscreen in front of the passenger. Even the center screen is larger than what's in the Corvette (9.5 inches). It's extremely difficult to disguise a car's underpinnings in the modern coachbuilding process, but Ares Modena did an excellent job both inside and out.

Pricing will reportedly start at around $600,000 with the option of the Targa-roofed Speedster or the Gullwing.