While impressively underscored with six hundred and sixteen horses under the hood, the 2007 Callaway C16 Coupe debuted at the 2007 Montreal Auto Show. While impressively fast and well outfitted, she was received with moderate interest and even a few grimaces.
Power isn’t everything, and according to even the most elite LeMans enthusiasts, putting the most powerful technology in less than attractive packaging isn’t the greatest selling point. She has about a 50% approval rating when it comes to her design and her aesthetic quality.
However, behind the wheel many say that they can ignore the potential offended stares as they take her out on the open highway and push her to her thrilling limitations. At a top speed of 200 miles per hour, nobody has time to complain about the packaging when their cheeks are glued back at their ears.
Her ten second quarter mile is impressive enough to sell her on the convenience of her 100,000 mile warranty package. The convenience of having her serviced at the local Chevrolet dealer is equally as appealing. Of course, this means that you don’t mind dropping $120,000 on a car that can’t quite be described as hot. At the Los Angeles Car Show last November, the pre-production Callaway C16 was received with enough warmth that the company proceeded to commence with production as planned.
With the optional convertible feature, the Callaway C16 comes with a heart throbbing 6.0 Litre LS2 V8 and naturally offers a supercharged version. With her 6 speed manual transmission, or the 6 speed paddle shift automatic option, she is built for one thing. Speed. She actually comes with a third option, the 6 speed manual transmission that incorporated the unique design of the Z51 Performance Package with shorter ratios in the first four gears.
The interior underwent a restyling and now features exceptional German leather and of course, Alacantara. Loosely based on the Chevrolet’s signature Corvette, she is the 16th model in a long line of exclusively built Callaway cars. All Callaway models are built exclusion customer specifications.
The positive reviews she has received outline her styling as “arresting, and elusive.” The mixed reviews she has received reject her basic styling, but still give credit to the designers for stepping out and offering her unique body shape rather than flat lining the Corvette body creation. The handcrafted body work has replaced every panel into an integrated design that really works for some people.
They were, however, able to bypass the typical full scale model and take her straight into production, which was not only a significant time saver, but an impressive feat for any car designer.
582 pound per foot ratio on top of her 0 to 60 time of only 3.3 seconds make her one of the top in her class. However most people get their socks knocked off when they realize she comes with 18 city and 28 highway miles per gallon. For a souped up ready to fly off the planet speed technology, this is a very impressive feat. Her worldwide emission compliance make her even more attractive.
The Callaway badging is littered all over the interior. From the German leather to the option harnessing on the Recaro Pole Position seats, each individual car is uniquely plaqued to identify her as an original built to the customer’s styling preferences.
The Callaway/Eibach coil over suspension has created a smooth and almost luxurious ride and handling feel even at top speeds. Ride height, corner weight, and even pitch angle are adjustable. The driver is in control of various features such as the aluminum bodied dampers, with their ten click position compression and rebound adjustability, not to mention their unique independent reservoirs, the driver is completely in control. Whether you are looking for track race stiffness or easing off for the road, the option features that the driver retains control of will literally blow your wheels.
Dymag, which has been the consistent supplier of the original magnesium centered carbon fiber rims since 1986, has delivered once again to Callaway standards. The unique rims are packaged in Yokohama ‘AdvanSport’ tires, 345/25ZR20 in the rear and 295/30Zr19 in the front. Claiming the belief that road handling starts with the tires, Yokohama has been the exclusive specialist tire designer for Callaway giving the car a technological advantage over other vehicle with lesser tires hitting the ground.
The Callaway features 6 piston front and 4 piston rear calipers to bring the Callaway to a stop from its maxed out 206 miles per hour tour. Gripping 355 mm rotors, they fit discreetly behind the lightest car wheel in the industry, proving once again that having your own specialist has its distinct advantages.
In order to get your hands on one of these performance monsters, you have to go exclusively through the Callaway cars distributors. With two factories in the United States, one in California and one in Connecticut, they are considered mildly accessible. However, each one can be taken directly to the Chevrolet dealer for servicing. They also have a factory in Germany and one in Switzerland.
Despite her mixed reviews over her styling, there is no denying that she is a purely original creature ready to take on the best of the best. Her pulse racing capabilities are not for the meek or the mild. She is fully loaded for aggressive and aggravated performance, and performance is what she’s all about.
Even with a few negative reviews concerning her appearance, she has received only accolades for her performance and capabilities. Behind the wheel she is everything you ever wanted in a high performance car, and with her monster aggression, she is sure to please. The race proven technology born to innovative styling, to say the least, this little 2 door 2 seater comes equipped standard with a heart that is pure.
For the last twenty years Callaway has been producing fast monster super cars that please, exhilarate, and plaster most other performance cars to the wall. There should be no doubting that this latest release should do anything else but, and of course the 2007 Callaway C16 coupe aims to please.
© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Ken Leonard for www.sport-cars.org
This article has been viewed 3109 time(s).
