The one that started it all. The first Callaway Corvette - a 1988 C4. Things just got better from here. We’re going to take a quick peek at three of the most memorable Callaway Corvettes of the last 30 years. All images courtesy callawaycars.com. Words: Mike Aguilar.
It’s hard to believe, but Callaway Cars has been in operation for 40 years. Reeves Callaway started the Callaway Car Company after winning a National Championship in the SCCA Formula Vee series. Although he was looked upon as one of the most promising drivers of the time, he simply didn’t have the money to continue his very promising driving career. Ex-racer Bob Bondurant took him on as a driving instructor driving BMW 320i sports cars. Shortly after this, he “accidentally” started Callaway Cars and ten years later, the company began working their magic and producing Callaway Corvettes.
The Beginning of the Callaway Car Company
One of the early C$ Callaway Speedsters.
During the time he was teaching the use of the 320i, Callaway took notice of how anemic its performance was and knew that he could improve on it with a little work. When the demo tour ended, Reeves was given permission to take one home with him to work on. After a bit of tinkering he developed a prototype turbocharger for the car, which Car and Driver writer Don Sherman found out about. Sherman got to test drive the car and was so impressed with its newfound power that he wrote a glowing report on the car in the magazine. The rest, as they say, is history. Although Callaway was in no way ready to begin production of the components he had built on any scale, orders began to pour into his “company headquarters” - the garage at his home in Connecticut. The company now has offices in Old Lyme, Connecticut, Temecula, California and Leingarten, Germany.
Callaway Has Become Synonymous with Extreme Corvette Performance
The Callaway LM with driver Boris Said.
Callaway began production of their Corvette line in 1987 with the Callaway B2K Corvette, model number 1987-001. The next year saw the introduction of the Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette, which was followed by Series I and II Speedsters, LM-bodied variants and more. Many of these rocket-mobiles were powered by a twin-turbo package which became so popular that it became a Chevrolet RPO (special order factory option). Callaway Corvettes grew so popular that 20 years later, in 2008, Reeves Callaway was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame.
Callaway’s Project Sledgehammer Topped 250 MPH in Testing
The car that owned the street legal speed record for 25 years - the 1989 Callaway Sledgehammer Corvette.
1989 saw Callaway hit a huge milestone with his Project Sledgehammer C4 Corvette. This twin turbo baby hit a max speed of 254.76 MPH while remaining completely street legal. The car held this record for an amazing 25 years, which made it the longest speed record holder of all time. John Lingenfelter drove the car from the Callaway plant in Connecticut to the Transportation Research Center in Ohio for the record-setting test run.
Car and Driver cover photo of the original Callaway Corvette that started a legend.
This engine combo, using a NASCAR-spec four-bolt main bowtie engine, was hand-built to produce a stunning 898 HP and 772 lb-ft of torque. Mahle pistons and forged connecting rods were used. In order to make the car drivable on both the street and the track, a specially-designed cam was installed. Brodix aluminum heads were bolted up top for max power and added durability. The tight Corvette engine bay was modified to accept a pair of Turbonetics TO4B turbos with matching intercoolers.
An homage to the original Callaway B2K RPO Corvette - the 2012 B2K RPO Corvette.
The interior of the car is mostly stock, including the stock stereo system and air conditioning. The only exceptions to this are the added fire safety system, roll cage and safety harnesses. Paul Deutschman Design worked the Callaway Aero body to help give it excellent high- and low-speed driving characteristics. Carrol Smith tuned the suspension for performance at any speed on and off the track, lowering the ride height by an inch and installing Koni shock absorbers.
Project Sledgehammer was Preceded by the Top Gun Corvette
Reeves Callaway with his Top Gun Corvette.
Callaway’s Top Gun Corvette was Callaway’s first extreme speed demon. This car went on display and competed in Car and Driver’s 1988 “Gathering of Eagles” event, a gathering of extreme demons. The Top Gun Corvette was the undisputed King of the event, easily besting the rest of the competition with a top speed run of 231 MPH. Because it was so quickly eclipsed by the Sledgehammer, there isn’t much information on the Top Gun Corvette available.
Callaway SuperNatural Corvette was First LT1-Powered Callaway
A Callaway SuperNatural Corvette.
Chevrolet moved the Corvette to the LT1 engine package. There were major changes to this engine from the older L98 engine package. These changes prompted Callaway to move from playing with positive manifold pressure (turbocharging) to increasing the engine’s displacement to get more power. This was the introduction of the SuperNatural Corvette Series.
These models started out with engines that developed 425 horses. This was soon bumped up to 435, and then 450 horses for the LT1 and LT4 cars. At this time, Callaway was also designing SuperNatural Corvettes using the ZR1 Corvette as a starting point, using the LT5 engine. These models were introduced with 475 HP. Optional header cats bumped that up to 490. Other options such as modified brake packages, body mods, wheel and tire combos and suspension upgrades were also available.
More Callaway Corvettes Past and Present - Gallery of Images