1977 IMSA SuperVette Is One Of The Most Brash And Brutal Racing Corvettes Ever Made

The absolutely wild 1977 Chevrolet Corvette race car you’re looking at is up for sale from Canepa and might just be one of the craziest racing (or not) ‘Vettes ever produced.

In 1976, the sanctioning body for IMSA relaxed its regulations to allow tube frame cars to compete in the flagship North American Road Racing series. John Greenwood and designer Bob Riley used these changes to create a pair of striking Corvette race cars.

Just two were built and both feature 2-inch chrome-moly tubing in the chassis. The example in question was assembled by JLP Racing and benefited from bespoke bodywork that aimed to reduce drag and increase its top speed. Highlights of the bodywork include a towering rear wing, huge aerodynamic NACA ducts on both doors, and an elongated nose.

The car was raced by John Paul Sr. of JLP Racing during the 1978 IMSA season. While Paul wasn’t able to secure a race win due to the dominance of the Porsche 935 at the time, he did secure a best finish of 2nd, one third place, and had another top five finishes. Paul sold the car to Tico Almeida and Rene Rodriguez of T&D Racing shortly after the season and the car went on to compete at the 1981 Daytona 24 Hours but sadly failed to finish. 1982 was the final year of competition of the car during which its bodywork was updated.

Since coming into the possession of Canepa, the car has been fully restored to concours-level and features an all-aluminum 500 cubic-inch (8.2-liter) V8 engine built by Ed Pink Racing Engines that is said to produce over 750 horsepower. It also has Porsche 935-sourced magnesium brake calipers and is eligible to race in the historic IMSA.

No pricing details have been shared in the online listing but as they say, if you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it.