A month and a bit ago, we reported the news that a new Corvette C8 owner had unfortunately been the victim of a drunk driver. His Corvette ended up being declared a total loss and was destined for the scrapyard.
Now, rotary enthusiast and well-known tuner Rob Dahm has bought the title to the wrecked C8, and has a special plan for the car…
Yes, he plans to put a turbocharged 4 rotor engine in the back. However, before he does that, he will do his best to restore the Corvette back to its original, road-legal state, to be able to claim the car as a salvage, and even drive it around with the V8 in it to make sure it at least has “a proper life” before being turned into the project car.
This project is not without precedent, however. There was a Corvette prototype in the 1970s that was known as the Aerovette, or more officially by its prototype code XP-882, and it originally had a 4 rotor engine (under project code XP-895) slated to go into it. Of even more importance, it was the last project that Zora Arkus-Duntov brought to the prototype stage before he retired in 1975.
In honor of that original prototype, Rob Dahm did visit the Corvette Museum as a special guest and was able to see the prototype Aerovette. The Corvette Museum staff were more than happy to talk about it as well.
Much like Rob’s previous project, a 4 rotor AWD Mazda RX7, we’re expecting this project to take quite a while. However, the result should be a great homage to Zora, as well as to the prototype that was supposed to be the basis for the C4, but ended up being hidden away at the GM factory for many years.
