Callaway Cars has been tuning and tweaking Corvettes for decades and, in 2013 the company announced it might consider producing a “shooting-brake” C7 and cash in on the returning trend. Since then, it has been developing the design while evaluating market appeal.
On Friday, Callaway officially announced its Corvette C21 AeroWagen package and the vehicle’s debut at the Michelin NCM Bash at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. An interesting idea, perhaps, but I am not in love with the execution. Callaway’s close ties to General Motors makes you trust the fit and finish will be factory quality, but fifteen grand is still a lot of money for owners to spend on potentially ruining the back half of a Corvette.
Let’s talk about reward visibility first — does the AeroWagen have any? With a slab of carbon fiber stretching from behind the driver’s seat to a just few inches above the taillights, I would imagine the tiny porthole of glass to offer Lamborghini Countach levels of non-visibility. So, no, not really.
It also doesn’t seem to add much in terms of practicality, an unwelcome surprise on a “shooting-brake.” Callaway’s kit for the Corvette will not provide any additional seating in the rear — the chassis and running gear configuration won’t allow it. While it might require the substantially larger financial commitment, Ferrari’s GTC4Lusso T does offer the added practicality of four seats.
The kit uses OEM seals, hinges, and latch mechanisms and won’t interfere with your targa top. Calloway says the conversion can be easily undone too, handy for when you have it installed and begin immediately hating yourself.
If you are uncontrollably drawn to the vehicle in these photos or find yourself fetishizing old Greenwood Sportwagon Vettes, the package starts at $14,990 and painting the new body work to match your car costs an extra $1,500.
Callaway Cars is taking orders now and you can examine for yourself at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from April 27th through the 29th.
[Images: Callaway Cars]
Sexy! How much of it opens for cargo access? if the opening isn’t a mail slot it should add a decent amount of practicality to the car. The better for those long weekend getaways with the Trophy Wife.
But who one Earth thought the black A-pillars on the Corvette were a good idea?? Ruins the looks of the car.
I say fake. No pics of the hatch opened.
I do like it. I’m not a Corvette guy, but I certainly respect and admire what GM has done with it. Its always pretty damn good for its time, price, etc. The most consistently good *car* GM makes.
I do like this idea, the execution could be better.
Take the E out of Wagon. That only works if you’re VolkswagEn.
According to MotorAthority, it does actuality add “trunk” space, and is easily removable like the roof panel. And, they call it “AeroWagOn”.
http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1087340_callaway-aerowagon-corvette-shooting-brake-first-look
On one hand, I am like “please take my money!” (if I had that kind of cash for a 2 seat weekend car). On the other hand, it’s like, ewww, burn it with fire. Still not sure how both can be activated simultaneously.
To each his own but I find that hideous. At least it can be undone. You don’t need to do this for space reasons; the coupe has plenty of room in the hatch area for a sports car.
I’m with you on the hideous. $16,500 to make your Corvette this ugly? Why, did you lose your $10 hammer?
It’s actually a good investment, for those with the money and the space to store it. Buy one, pack it away, and sell it on 30 years.
If there’s a world left to sell it in.
Yes, but its a way to make it unique, and if the room is usable, maybe some would prefer/could actually use more room than what’s typical for a sports car.
I could see it being a great touring car, drive it all over the U.S. with your significant other, keep enough clothes, snacks/whatever for the long trip. Not as limited as to what you can take, I’m thinking.
Callaway couldn’t possibly ruin the back half of the Corvette, GM did it already.
The current ‘Vette looks like a generic car from the rear, like something Hyundai might use on the autoshow circuit.
Unfortunately, this conversion doesn’t do much to address that.
I see the C7 haters have wasted no time today.
Callaway made the right call. I’d never go for it,but I’m also kidless and unmarried.
I’d rather drive this: https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/02/family-fun-amg-e65-s-wagon/
I’m, obviously, with you on this.
I’m not one to judge relative beauty. I’m not sure I know it when I see it.
I’ll also never own a Corvette.
I really don’t care whether a Corvette owner wants one of these or not.
“I’ll also never own a Corvette.”
My sentiments exactly; primarily ’cause I’ll never be able to afford one, and secondly I would not be able to get in and out of one.
But I do not find the styling offensive. Other automakers, like Jaguuuuuar have prominently featured the “shooting-brake” design before.
I never understood the whole “shooting-brake” terminology. Don’t even know what is shooting or brake about it.
But the styling is not offensive to me. The terminology is.
“I would not be able to get in and out of one.”
Yabbut if you thought a *Smart* exposed the young ladies’ privvies to your lens…. you gotta map-out female C7 owners!
LOL! Have never seen a lady in any Corvette in my area. Or anywhere’s else come to think of it.
But, yes, a nice looking young woman driving up in a ‘vette would focus attention, especially if she wore a short skirt, or even short-shorts.
Not many people with that kind of disposable income for a toy in my area. But we see a lot of two-ton Terrys tumbling out of pickup trucks and minivans.
Those who do have that kinda money in my area tend to be older and want to project “class” instead of “second childhood.”
I’ve seen a number of “kept” women in my area, some of them renters of ours in the mountain properties, who drive a C-class Mercedes or a 3-series BMW, presumably given to them by their older Texas lovers as a form of gratitude for the sexual favors these young women bestow on them.
Also, I’ve see a number of young students at UCSD, NMSU and UTEP who drive nice new cars, presumably each given them by their sugar daddy.
Check out “sugar daddy” to see how YUUUUUUGE of a movement that is.
Lisa Ling did a documentary on sugar daddy parties and arrangements. There’s a market for everything. All it takes is money and a willing partner.
But I’ve never seen a young woman in a ‘vette.
OMP,
I don’t think he realizes that you are teasing him for being such a disgusting pervert for his upskirt porn. He simply doesn’t get it, here in Trump’s America.
Around these parts, 3 series and C class are dime a dozen, and hardly exude “class”. Come to think of it, do any cars make one “classy”? One would think something like a Rolls or a Bentley might, except that many who find newfound wealth find themselves buying these types of cars. Hell, one of the “Jersey Shore” reality “stars” bought one. So much for class, lol. But yeah, what gives with the dopey term shooting brake?
Vogo,
Nobody else here besides you and Lou appears to find his boasting about lurking for snatch pix objectionable so HDC is having fun brazening it out.
I think his implying that this occurs only among his own kind at Walmart parking lots is an ameliorating factor for others.
More lefty circle-jerkin’ on a Sunday evening…
“so HDC is having fun brazening it out.”
Thank you!
And everything I wrote is the truth. I’ve never lied in any of my comments.
“More lefty circle-jerkin’ on a Sunday evening…”
LOL! Yup, more lefty circle-jerking from the pivot guys.
So, Cat… having safed this site for perverts you gonna let us in on your preteen conquests?
The little girls in your world grow up fast, no?
Coolest thing is that at our age it’s easier to hide our hobbies from The Missuss.
No more “Honey, where’d all our Kleenex go?!”.
No such proclivities for me. Been married to the same woman for more than 50 years and she satisfies ALL my needs.
She’s solid German stock, born in Cloudcroft, NM, all-white, 5’8″, a natural blond, slim and slender, looks like an older version of Diane Kruger.
What’s not to like?
Her aspirations in cars are not Corvettes, but a 2016 Sequoia. And I like that!
Swing and a miss. This needed to be a Kamm-tail, like the Ferrari ‘Bread-van.”
Dear world, please don’t buy ANY of these things so no one else will repeat this messy mistake. I love SB’S. I think the ‘vette is cool. This is neither, and seems as if it was designed by someone who didn’t approve of the basic idea.
+1 I too think most cars would be better with a shooting brake style, like the Miata for example where extra space is needed. However this is so stupid – its ugly and doesn’t add any usable space. Please kill it with fire already.
Meh… call me when someone grafts a Pacer greenhouse onto one.
Removable?
This is nothing but American rice. Callaway found out how to get people to spend $16K on the equivalent of a fart can. Of *course* it’s Corvette owners.
Seems silly.
Want a seriously powerful wagon? Find a CTS-V wagon. I drove one was and the power is fantastic…it’s almost a bit too composed.
Of course, if I was dropping serious dime on a wagon, it would be from across the pond.
If someone wanted to convert a Corvette into a Corvettamino, would making it into a wagon first make it any easier?
Seriously, though, this looks like a Corvette got the Malibu Maxx treatment.
Azvette.
But even someone loved the Aztek.
I dont hate it but it seems to be that is just a plastic shim that sits between the OEM glass and the glass opening giving you a few inches more space… for what end?
Its not appreciably increasing the room. Its not nothing but its close to it.
The automotive equivalent of a retractable awning for your back porch.
It would look good with a Bohemian stripe pattern.
Makes me think of leaving the back of a union suit unbuttoned as a fart flap. There when you need it!
Love the concept, but the result is too low in the rear. Thumbs up on those multi-spoke rims.
Well, it’s not AWFUL…but I still don’t see the point.
I don’t know what to say.
The price and look are not outrageous and I’ve given up trying to decry niche vehicles because they have their purpose whether or not they appeal directly to me or make economic sense.
Seems to be the answer to a question that nobody is asking.
So long at the whole hatch opens up (not just the tiny rear window), and the rear visibility isn’t too compromised, I like it. The C7 was already an ugly car, so why not embrace the weird?
That said, it looked much better on the conceptual images of the dark silver car, than this real life example. I’d be curious to see other shades, to see if the colour is the problem, or it just hasn’t made the jump to reality successfully.
Judging from the looks, it must be the famous Bowling Green Massacre. I seem to remember the prototype looked somehow better?
Callaway practically REINVENTS the sportscar, but someone with their knickers in a twist goes all Consumer Reports on them and imagines they might not be able to see out the back.