Bad Boys of Rock ‘n Rolla
SUPERCARSAFARI: Episode I
words by Alessandro Marrone
Photos by Galapago Photography
Tell me if there’s something more pure, hard, raw and racing of a Corvette? Sports car of substance that have not succumbed to modern trends made of infotainment and cup-holders, but that exude sportiness from every pore, with that natural touch of indomitability typical of a powerful stars and stripes muscle car. When you see one, you can almost hear Springsteen begin the sing “Born in the USA”, eagles flying in the sky and glasses full of beer crashing together in a sign of brotherhood, a brotherhood that unites all the owners of this car which are not only simple pieces of metal, but expressions of their passion. This is one of those beautiful tunnel from which it’s very hard to get out, an adrenaline drug that always want more speed, more noise, more old school rock ‘n roll, without unnecessary frills that would try to tame a beast born for real men. It is with this background that these Bad Boys intend to steal the show, at the expense of passionate Italian supercars and the armored German battalion.
It is a Sunday morning in late January and the Temple of Speed opens its gates for a track day apparently just like many others. The paddock area begins to fill with Chevrolet, Dodge, Mustang, but also some English car (as the theme of the morning is USA/UK); then, working like a very noisy Swiss watch, the American delegation of SupercarSafari shows up and is ready for the final preparations before putting their tires on track. The sun, meanwhile, made its way through the clouds, and begins to heat the asphalt of a day which seems almost taken from the Spring season; lap after lap the 3 Corvette drink liters of petrol as an Irishman on the edge of breakdown. Obviously such a generous V8 is thirsty, but try to provoke it and it will answer properly. Each blast on the long straight of Monza is the result of how much noise and dust these supercars can raise when they finally vent all their anger and violence, too often held back due to the roads of the old continent. It takes a great road for such a big car, but it takes space and safety conditions for being able to stretch properly engines like these, and the Autodromo of Monza is the ideal playground. Here the asphalt smells of motorsport, where simple men became champions and great champions have become legends: it is a privilege to walk on the same ground that has seen incredible names become part in history of racing. Laps follow each other and it is time to return to the pits and to cool brakes and engines. The friendly staff allows us to have some good shots in the pits and in this context we can understand how this triptych is at ease just a few meters away from the checkered flag and the curbs.
Glorious history that of the Corvette that despite some ups and downs episodes and the many charges for using materials not at the levels of European competitors and especially a drivability still too distant from the needs of the most pretentious drivers, they have, in a way or another, persevered with the production of these versatile sports cars, suitable both for long trips (perhaps along the US Highways) and for the coexistence in everyday life. And given that also the eye wants its part, echoing a classic line that has evolved finding its best episode with the latest C7, in addition to being incredibly close to the pre-production Concept Car, it manages to pay homage to the legendary C2 Stingray, one of America’s best cars, loved by fans and collectors: we can safely argue that today, here, nothing is missing.
Matteo is very young, but he always had clear ideas, he was looking for a sports car with a sexy line and with a powerful engine, also able to entertain and offer a driving experience worthy of being called such. These are the main reasons that led him to lay his bottom on this 2007 C6 Convertible, model with a generous 404HP 6.0cc. Rear-wheel drive and being able to drive with hair in the wind are the icing on the cake that does not make you think of the fuel consumption, a little bit higher than usual. But a Corvette is like a mature woman: it is able to make grown men fall in love, but also young boys can’t resist to its charm. Moreover, havingn a considerable amount of horsepower and an insane love for oversteer, who would be so boring to not wanting one? Today there is plenty of choice and for special occasions, it takes special locations, and so we access the RAV (the high speed straight), usually prohibited to cars (rumors say that from 2015 to date, the only persons to have had access here with their cars, are a certain Sir Stirling Moss, Lewis Hamilton, Tim Burton (known British youtuber) and we at Auto Class. If the thrill of driving on the modern F1 track is strong, driving the old straight and approaching the iconic Parabolica corner is something magical, very much like a dream journey. The road begins to bend and the stability sensors blink like Christmas trees. Then you realize that the force of gravity is a perfect science, as you’re starting to be pushed to the bottom: to open the door without wearing a seat belt would be an ideal way for trying suicide in style, but it’s not the case. After having some dynamic shots, the more daring venture towards the top side guard-rail, but then climbing down happened to be an acrobatic situation. God if the Corvette feel at home here. Watching the only Callaway registered in Italy, with that hump on the hood that makes the supercharger breathe, is a pure incitement to violence. You’d want to step on the gas as a madman and shout those 630 horses, awakening from hibernation any animal within ten kilometers, but thankfully Giuliano manages to resist (however, some donuts on the flat pavement were compulsory). It is not every day fact, at least for us Europeans, to have a so valuable and rare piece: Callaway is synonymous with uncompromising extremism, while the manual transmission and the sport exhaust make a better idea of what awaits the driver and passenger, the precise moment they decide to jump into the cockpit and push hard on the throttle. A race between the needles of the tachometer, speedometer and fuel gauge, which apparently might seem to deal with a broken tank, but reality is that the 6.3cc loves to lift the elbow.
The third star of today has been Daniele’s C7 Z06: a jewel to be admired and to drive. The new C7 has made everyone’s eyes-rolling and the angry Z06 version looks like a butcher ready to slice the German and Italian opponents. No marketing moves, but facts. These facts are dressed with a supercharged V8 capable of delivering 660hp and 880Nm of torque, a manual transmission that download on the rear wheels (any doubts about that?) this damn power and finally suspension and a chassis up to handle corners at high speed. Daniele has a heavy right foot and for that reason he has already thrown away the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires which came as standard and had to mount new tires that were able to travel more than 5,000 km at outlaw-like pace. The carbon-ceramic brakes are another significant upgrade and allowed to grind better lap times than supercars such as the Porsche Turbo and the 458 Italia. An American muscle car finally able to raise its voice even when the road is not straight and perfect, a car to drive and for being driven, especially with the knife between the teeth. The aesthetics has been made even more aggressive thanks to new spoiler and splitter made of carbon fiber and the angular lines that make it seem coming out of the last “Transformers” movie. A riot: the C7 collects an important legacy and launches it into a new world of hybrid technologies, lightweight materials and #thelistcouldgoonforver. It does this by maintaining a price/quality ratio that only the Nissan GTR can offer, it does that with an aggressive 8-cylinder that is always ready to leave two strips of tire on the asphalt, with a modern and finally less plasticky interior. In short, it does great things and allows you to evaluate the previous models in terms future classics. And if at performance level, on fast tracks and winding roads, the C7 Z06 is the host, the two C6 can defend themselves greatly. It is not a clash, but a team game and that’s what makes the strength of these Bad Boys. A concert made with V8s and American muscles that play a song still in the hit parade since 1954 (with the Corvette C1) and that still lives in the hearts of young and less young fans.
Forgive me if I do not dwell with useless lists of numbers that can only confirms that “many horses = high speed”, ‘cause at those rather sterile figures I prefer emotions, and today, at the track, we have experienced intense ones. We met great people, that with our simplicity cultivate a pure passion that has as its sole objective the ultimate way for having fun. It’s a matter of investing your time and money on items that will not only satisfy when put to rest in the garage, but know how to tear a smile, maybe after a controlled drift or even after you’ve turned 360° unscratched, these are moments that make you realize that you’re doing it right. And then you can’t wait for the week to fly away quickly, in order to get back behind the wheel again, to open the sunroof or your windows, give fresh air to the heart that beats beneath that long hood, with so much love as the appetite for fun that requires you to step on the gas pedal for letting the rear tires spinning. This may seem rough and raw, you can be seen as Bad Boys, but deep down, we all have an innate love for something, in this case, it’s all about two flags crossed each other.
A special thanks to the guys at the Autodromo of Monza who made this fantastic day possible. Next episode with our friends at SupercarSafari on our next issue. Do not miss that.