1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Edition

Description

Before there was a ZR-1, before the Z06, there was the Callaway. You could go into any Chevy dealer in the country, check off RPO B2K, and a new Corvette like this 1988 coupe would be delivered to Callaway's Old Lyme, Connecticut facility. While it was there, it would get a pair of turbos bolted on, plus a variety of suspension, cosmetic, and electronic upgrades, and when it was delivered, it would be bristling with 382 horsepower and a stunning 562 pounds of torque. This beautiful example shows only 63,435 original miles on the clock, and is sure to be a future collectible.

The arrival of the ZR-1 combined with the new LT1 engine in the base car hastened the demise of B2K, but that doesn't mean that they aren't still impressive pieces of engineering. Back in the day, there was nothing faster on the roll than a twin-turbo 'Vette, and thanks to the Callaway's subtle look, plenty of unsuspecting drivers were caught unawares. The glistening paint is factory-issue, and it's shockingly nice. Obviously this car has always been treated as something special and the low-profile look works just as well today as it did two decades ago. Aside from the "Callaway Twin Turbo" decals on the hatch glass, there's really nothing to give away the presence of so much power, so if you're a fan of the sleeper, this Corvette might just qualify.

There are a few unusual features inside this particular Corvette, starting with the tan cloth upholstery. While most Corvettes were sporting slippery leather buckets, the guy who ordered this one knew that grippy cloth was the choice of someone who liked to drive. It's also equipped with the unusual Doug Nash 4+3 manual gearbox which makes this Twin Turbo highly entertaining at any speed. Like the exterior, the interior remains in very good condition with only modest wear and it's still a comfortable, functional place to drive fast. Digital gauges are a remnant of the '80s but they're all part of the Corvette's appeal and besides, when the needle starts to spin on the Callaway-installed boost gauge, you won't have time to look at them. It's loaded, too, including A/C, power windows, power seats, a tilt/telescope wheel, and a lift-off top that probably needs to remain in place lest the torque twist the frame into a pretzel.

The sturdy L98 is hardly recognizable underneath the twin intercoolers up top, but the heart remains the same. Torque, torque, and more torque is the name of the game, and this Corvette accelerates like a catapult at virtually any speed. With enough traction, it burns to 60 in about four and half seconds, which was simply mind-bending acceleration in 1988, and will thunder to more than 190 MPH on the big end. In case you haven't been keeping up, those are numbers that are competitive even today. Callaway beefed up the critical components to ensure they were up to the strain of forced induction, and the L98 seems to shrug off the added horsepower. The suspension is already capable, so it didn't need a lot of tweaks and Corvette brakes have always been famous for their staying power. And those Dymag alloys, which were the Callaway's signature rolling stock, are as stunning today as they were when they were new. They wear recent 275/40/17 Goodyear Eagles all around, although they're easily overwhelmed by the engine's power.

This is #12 of only 400 Callaway Twin-Turbo Corvettes built in 1988, and while they're still building special cars today in Old Lyme, there aren't many that could run with this one, yesterday or today. Call now!