When Dodge, Ford, and Chevrolet reimagined the designs of their ’60s pony cars, the Challenger, Mustang, and Camaro for the modern day, they found a way to marry retro design with modern bulky vehicles. Now, a French company called NewRide wants to give the Chevrolet Corvair that same treatment.
Dubbed the Corvair 2020 (it was initially supposed to debut at SEMA that year, but the event was canceled), the car is a modern interpretation of a second-generation Corvair Coupe that’s based on a 2018 Chevrolet Camaro.
Unfortunately, that means that the marquee characteristic of the Corvair, the thing it was best remembered for, is not true here. The engine, a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 that powers this car, is located at the front, not the back. Although that may make Ralph Nader happy, it may not please fans of the Corvair.
Read: C8 Corvette-Powered Chevy Corvair Would Be The Ultimate Restomod
From the outside, though, it’s hard to deny that this car looks like a modern-day Crovair, even if the proportions of the hood and trunk are a little off. That has required a lot of work and, although the windshield and the frame are from the Camaro, pretty much everything else has been changed. Carbon fiber body panels help make the body look more classic, and the roof has been reworked, too.
Then there are the smaller details. The headlights, for instance, are from a Dodge Challenger Hellcat. They are useful not just because they’re round, but because they let air into the engine on this grilleless homage.
The side mirrors, meanwhile, are borrowed from a Volkswagen Polo and the taillights, again because they were round, were borrowed from the back of a Ferrari 812 Superfast. Custom carbon fiber bumpers and light surrounds, meanwhile, help the car look a little more old school.
Inside, much is borrowed from the Camaro, albeit with a few improvements, like the carbon fiber steering wheel. Overall, like many small-scale retromods, the car looks impressive, if a little odd.
If, however, you are impressed by this modern interpretation of the Chevrolet Corvair, there’s good news. Motor Biscuit reports that NewRide is setting up plans to produce the car in Orange County, California, with convertible and sport wagon body styles joining the coupe, too.
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