Concept of the Week

Chevrolet

The funny man adds some green speed to his garage, with a customized, ethanol-powered Corvette

Jay Leno's Green 'Vette

By Stuart Schwartzapfel

An absurd level of customization is a common theme throughout the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Assn.) show, held in Las Vegas from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. Among the many one-off, customized vehicles spread across 2 million square feet of exhibit space, one shimmering black Corvette stood out. In conjunction with engineering firm Pratt & Miller, Tonight Show host Jay Leno modified a Corvette to enable it to run on E85 ethanol.

Leno's eco-friendly C6RS supercar is powered by a custom, 8.2L (500-cubic inch), all-aluminum, small-block V-8 pumping out nearly 600 hp and 585 foot-pounds of torque. The customized Z06 engine is built around a single block of billet aluminum and developed by Katech Engines, the company that builds engines for the Corvette C6R racing program.

On the outside, the black C6RS emulates the styling of C6R racecars, with wider front and rear fenders and a wider rear fascia with an integrated spoiler on top and a racing-style diffuser at the bottom. A C6R-style hood, rocker panels and lower grille opening further distinguish this special, one-off Corvette. All of the car's front-end panels are made of carbon-fiber, including custom brake air ducts routed through the front fenders.

Forged aluminum BBS wheels (18-inch front and 19-inch rear) feature racing-type locking center hubs and ride on massive Michelin P295/30ZR18 and P345/30ZR19 tires, respectively.

The verdict: Another toy for Leno; more drooling for the rest of us.

Schwartzapfel, a certified car freak, has studied the automotive marketplace and worked as an advertising/marketing strategist for major manufacturers. He does not write about any car brands for which he currently works.

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