Become a premium member for just $35/year and get ad-free access!
Reeves Callaway has always had a dream of competing a Corvette of his own at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, France. The idea begin with the body work for a street version, but one thing led to another, and a full race version was completed as well. The street version is almost identical to the race version because the hood, tail, rocker panels, and lower door halves, are all made of carbon fiber, just like the race version.
The Callaway C7 was a completely new, purpose-built car designed to embody the company’s motto: “Powerfully Engineered Automobiles”, carrying on the visual tradition of design by Paul Deutschman and offered in a limited production series. The C7 was the first complete, bespoke Callaway Automobile. This sportscar was equipped with a carbon chassis, front mid engine/rear transaxle design, 650 horsepower SuperNatural engine.
When Dick Guldstrand introduced the GS80 series in 1986, the car was targeted specifically at Pro-Solo and autocross enthusiasts. He knew all about the needs of these groups, as he was a longtime provider of performance upgrades for the C3 and a direct supporter of a small team of racers from the Western Council of Corvette Clubs. Up to this point, Dick had basically been a tuner. With the intro of the GS80 he was venturing into the realm of small-volume manufacturing.
As early as the late 1990's, San Francisco based coach-builder SV Motor Company envisioned a car that took the raw performance of a Corvette and refined it with a touch of Italian flair.  Their vision was to infuse many of the design elements found in the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (from which the SV 9 clearly drew its inspiration, as well as its name) with a 2009 Chevy Corvette.