While we’re all waiting to meet the Z06 incarnation of the Corvette Z06 in the flesh—the official launch is on October 26—this has as much to do with its devilish flat-plane-crank V8 as it has with the hope that the styling will look more impressive in person. Naturally, when one is not in love with the current design trends of a carmaker, looking into the past can bring a solution and we’re here to do just that, with the help of a rendering portraying a modernized C3 Corvette.
The design of the Stingray dates back to the 1960s and while you can still enjoy plenty of the original styling cues here—the pixel creation is instantly recognizable as a C3—the Chevy’s look has been taken into the future via a multitude of elements.
When one talks about a six-pack, especially in conjunction with retro machines, we can expect a trio of dual-barrel carbs, but, as dictated by the said transformation, the six elements protruding through the hood seem to involve some sort of alternative propulsion—factor in the larger piece adorning the rear deck and you end up with an unconventional(-looking) electric setup.
And while we can expect such deep changes to bring immense power and torque numbers, it looks like the rest of the virtual build is up to the task. As such, the C3 has been gifted with a bit of a supercar profile, from the blade-style elements adorning its sides and the hood scoop to the air scoops lurking behind the side windows.
Given the current preferences for generous ground clearance, the jacked-up nature of the Chevy only comes naturally, even though its Falken rubber means this is mostly a road animal.
The pop-ups cater to the needs of nostalgics, while the sleek rear light clusters are part of a more complex LED treatment that makes this ‘Vette an unmistakable presence at night.
The chiseled lines seen here indicate an experienced hand and that’s because the CGI work comes from Salvatore Ville (a.k.a. il.salva), whose business hours are spent in the service of Tata Motors, the Indian auto giant who owns Jaguar Land Rover, among others.
And since the artist has dubbed this proposal “PROTO1” (the nickname in the title is on us), we might expect to see the concept being taken into new directions in the future. For the time being, though, you can choose your eye candy flavor, since the dominant yellow version is accompanied by a silver one.
