Latest news with #Vette
The Drive
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Corvette C8 Turned Food Truck Is About to Set a Guinness World Record
The latest car news, reviews, and features. There's a Guinness World Record for just about every achievement you can imagine, plus many you've likely never thought about. One of the more obscure records is for the world's fastest food truck, and an entrepreneur from New Jersey hopes to set it with an International-Harvester Metro van. 'That's way too slow,' you say? Not necessarily: This van is pretty much a C8-gen Corvette underneath. New Jersey native LJ Koch built the truck, which he calls the Vettro, from the ground up, according to . He started the project by buying a 1950s Metro van that he found sitting behind a building in Pine Brook, NJ, and paid $400 for in July 2018. His original plan wasn't to build a race car; he simply wanted to restore it while preserving as much of the patina as possible and use it as a vehicle for his catering business. The project was completed a little over a year later, and the reborn Metro made its maiden voyage in September 2019. The van's fate took an unexpected turn when Koch ended up with a Corvette donor car. Fast-forward to 2025, and the Metro and the 'Vette have become one. The van's patina is complemented by LED headlights, wheel arch flares, custom-made side skirts, and a rear spoiler large enough to use as a dinner table. The five-spoke wheels tell the rest of the story: There's a Corvette chassis under the toaster-shaped body. We've seen and written about a lot of custom-built, body-swapped cars, but this is the first time we've stumbled upon a vehicle with both a mid-mounted, 6.2-liter V8 engine and beer taps. The van's interior isn't used for food prep, as the small block takes up a bit too much space, but its rear side panels open to reveal taps on one side (out of a Snap-On tool chest, no less) and a warming area on the other. We'd have to guess that the V8's heat helps keep those trays toasty. Regardless, the Vettro accelerates and sounds like a Corvette. It certainly looks like the world's fastest food truck. Time will tell whether it earns a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Koch will promote the record attempt by taking the Vettro to the Indy 500 over Memorial Day weekend, and the van's first timed run will take place on July 27 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ahead of the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Cup Series race. There's currently no record for the world's fastest food truck. Guinness created the category specifically for Koch, so a bone-stock Chevy Corvair Greenbrier running on half of its cylinders could, in theory, claim the honors. Koch explained that his van will need to hit at least 130 mph in order to set a record and redefine the term 'fast food.' That's well short of the Corvette Stingray's advertised top speed of 194 mph, but the Metro doesn't exactly excel in the aerodynamics department. Got tips? Send 'em to tips@
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Stolen C7 Corvette Gets Battered By Arkansas Troopers
Read the full story on The Auto Wire By this point we don't know what to say to people like the guy driving this stolen C7 Corvette, trying to flee Arkansas troopers. Considering the reputation of Arkansas State Police, we would think by now everyone knows running from them can come with extreme this guy acts like he's in control after the sports car gets pitted out into a semi-truck and he's ordered at gunpoint to exit the vehicle as about a dozen cops surround him. It's almost like he just doesn't want to understand how bad of a decision he's made. The dashcam footage of this chase is quick and brutal. Troopers jump into the ongoing chase with West Memphis Police and put an end to the foolishness as the suspect pushes the Corvette down the highway at triple digits. At first, troopers try boxing the guy in and slowing him down. But this suspect drives extra aggressive, making it clear he'll wreck out troopers and himself just to try getting away. One might think he just has nerves of steel, but his behavior after the PIT helps us realize he's really just a stubborn idiot. When the second box-in attempt doesn't work, the trooper following behind takes advantage as the back end of the C7 Corvette breaks loose a little bit. He just PITs the Chevy out so hard it hits the semi-truck next to it, just glancing off the wheels instead of submarining under the trailer. Thankfully, the trooper already knows this guy won't go down without a fight, because he just keeps pushing the 'Vette sideways down the highway. You can tell the suspect is still trying to drive out of the PIT but the trooper keeps him moving in the wrong direction until it's over. How is it that people keep running from Arkansas troopers? Do they really think they're good enough to get away? Clearly this guy wasn't and he became a K9 chew toy as he refused to get out of the disabled sports car. Maybe that's a clue about what kinds of people test out ASP's skills. Image via Arkansas Chases/YouTube Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Stolen C7 Corvette Gets Battered By Arkansas Troopers
Read the full story on The Auto Wire By this point we don't know what to say to people like the guy driving this stolen C7 Corvette, trying to flee Arkansas troopers. Considering the reputation of Arkansas State Police, we would think by now everyone knows running from them can come with extreme this guy acts like he's in control after the sports car gets pitted out into a semi-truck and he's ordered at gunpoint to exit the vehicle as about a dozen cops surround him. It's almost like he just doesn't want to understand how bad of a decision he's made. The dashcam footage of this chase is quick and brutal. Troopers jump into the ongoing chase with West Memphis Police and put an end to the foolishness as the suspect pushes the Corvette down the highway at triple digits. At first, troopers try boxing the guy in and slowing him down. But this suspect drives extra aggressive, making it clear he'll wreck out troopers and himself just to try getting away. One might think he just has nerves of steel, but his behavior after the PIT helps us realize he's really just a stubborn idiot. When the second box-in attempt doesn't work, the trooper following behind takes advantage as the back end of the C7 Corvette breaks loose a little bit. He just PITs the Chevy out so hard it hits the semi-truck next to it, just glancing off the wheels instead of submarining under the trailer. Thankfully, the trooper already knows this guy won't go down without a fight, because he just keeps pushing the 'Vette sideways down the highway. You can tell the suspect is still trying to drive out of the PIT but the trooper keeps him moving in the wrong direction until it's over. How is it that people keep running from Arkansas troopers? Do they really think they're good enough to get away? Clearly this guy wasn't and he became a K9 chew toy as he refused to get out of the disabled sports car. Maybe that's a clue about what kinds of people test out ASP's skills. Image via Arkansas Chases/YouTube Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Armed Car Thieves Storm Neighborhood, Steal C7 Corvette Z06
Read the full story on The Auto Wire Several men armed with guns returned to a Kansas City neighborhood to finish what they started, stealing a C7 Corvette Z06 from a driveway. According to neighbors, the same men stormed their neighborhood just a week before, firing off shots that hit homes while taking items from parked weird about this story, as reported by Fox4, is that the week before when police responded, neighbors claim officers said the thieves wouldn't come back. Maybe back in the day that would've been true, but it seems many criminals are emboldened these days. In other words, we're sadly not surprised the guys who were just breaking car windows and stealing valuables returned just a week later to swipe a valuable ride. They broke into the 'Vette along with other rides before neighbors yelled at them from their homes, and that's when at least one of them opened fire. The second time around, they apparently triggered the alarm on the C7 Z06. A neighbor of the victim said the men all were armed, pointing their guns at the victim's front door, waiting for him to come out as one of them worked to get the sports car started. We've seen that tactic used over and over: thieves pointing guns at front doors and garages in anticipation of a vehicle owner coming out to confront or stop them. They do this even when a car doesn't have an alarm since many homeowners have security cameras with motion alerts pushed to their phone. The lesson here is if you've had vehicle break-ins or thefts in your neighborhood, you need to be careful. Do all you can to secure your cars, including parking them inside if possible. But ultimately you also need to be smart or you might get seriously hurt, maybe even killed trying to stop emboldened criminals from stealing your stuff. Source: Fox4 News Kansas City/YouTube Image via Fox4 News Kansas City/YouTube Join our Newsletter, subscribe to our YouTube page, and follow us on Facebook.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Excellent Bad Idea: Drakan Spyder
Read the full story on Backfire News If you're looking for a way to cheat death and have a lot of fun on four wheels instead of two, the Drakan Spyder is worth checking out. The little two seater comes with a big V8 and a minimalist body, guaranteeing explosive acceleration for those who dare to climb might remember this little thing when it was shown off on Jay Leno's Garage back in 2016. Made by InoKinetic, repair shop that specializes in tuning Lotus cars, it does adhere to the lightness and simplicity principle which helped make the British brand famous. The wet weight for the Drakan Spyder is just 2,000 lbs. But it also borrows a page from Carroll Shelby's book, shoving an LS3 V8 like what was used in the C6 Corvette behind the seats. Like a 'Vette, it has a fiberglass body, you know, for lightness. That combination of lightness, simplicity, and a thumping engine makes for oodles of fun. Plus, it comes with a stick shift, the transaxle being similar to what a Porsche 996 uses. Not bad for a car that could get you into a whole lot of trouble. Some think the Drakan Spyder is no longer being made. However, InoKinetic dropped an update video recently to make sure everyone knows it's still on the market. We couldn't be happier. Obviously, this car isn't for everyone. People who like comfort, crumple zones, and not getting bugs stuck in their teeth aren't going to have a good time in a Drakan Spyder. While it absolutely would work as a fun track toy, keep in mind the thing is street legal, so you could register and drive it around town. Considering all the distracted drivers in their trucks and SUVs, you might experience some hair-raising moments. But if you're looking to cheat death, that's certainly one way to do it. Plus, with all that power and razor-sharp handling, you might be able to get out of the way in time and have a fun doing it. This is why the Drakan Spyder to us is an Excellent Bad Idea. Images via InoKinetic
