The Chevrolet Corvette is the all-American sports car, and over the past six decades has transformed into a mid-engined exotic that is capable of taking on cars at triple its price. We've all seen the new C8 Stingray take on and finish off much more powerful cars. And we simply cannot wait for the new Corvette C8 Z06 to hit the streets sometime in July 2022 with a flat-plane V8 and serious power figures. Still, it would be irresponsible of us to ignore fast Corvettes of the past. Just take this 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway SledgeHammer that's on sale at Bring a Trailer. This wild machine is the 51st Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette for the model year and was specially selected to break production car speed records.
In October of 1988, this Corvette was taken to the Transportation Research Center's 7.5-mile oval track in Ohio where it managed an incredible top speed of 254.76 mph. That is Bugatti Chiron territory. In 1988. The SledgeHammer managed this incredible achievement thanks partly to a hand-built twin-turbocharged and intercooler 5.7-liter V8 that sends 880 horsepower and 772 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels via a ZF six-speed manual transmission.
The engine features a blueprinted block with align-bored journals, a Cosworth crankshaft, four-bolt splay-design bearing caps, a dry-sump oil system, an MSD ignition system, and two Turbonetics T04B turbochargers. A custom Centerforce clutch system manages the power to the solid rear axle.
The exterior of this beast features a Silver Metallic paint job and an ultra-cool aero body kit designed by Paul Deutschman which features a closed-off nose and grille, functional fender and quarter panel vents, a rear spoiler and wider door caps. The car rolls on a set of Dymag 17-inch, one-piece magnesium wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle ZR40 275/40 tires specially designed to handle speeds of up to 300 mph.
Dual-piston front brake calipers grip onto 13-inch rotors in the front. The interior features luxuries such as power-adjustable seats in black leather, automatic climate control, and a Bose cassette stereo. Added safety gear includes a fire suppression system and a five-point harness. This rare gem is currently bidding at $425,476 and the auction ends in ten days.