|
Price |
|
-- |
Production |
|
-- |
|
Engine |
7.4
liter 454 V8 |
Weight |
-- |
|
Aspiration |
natural |
Torque |
601
lb-ft @ 5500 rpm |
|
HP |
639
hp @ 6500 rpm |
HP/Weight |
-- |
|
HP/Liter |
86.4
hp per liter |
1/4 mile |
-- |
|
0-62 mph |
-- |
Top Speed |
-- |
(from Roadster Shop
Press Release) Roadster Shop – 1967 Innovator Nova.
Being content with a
pre-existing ‘genre’ or existing set of aesthetic standards was
never the goal for this vehicle. Armed with a belief that true
progress in design can only come with taking risks and stepping
outside comfort zones, the Roadster Shop knew this car had to be
like nothing else that ever came before it
When car owner Alex
Covington came to the Roadster Shop with his 1967 Nova build, he
knew this shop was the right choice. With their first Street Machine
of the Year award in 2009 with their ‘C1RS’ 1962 Corvette already in
the bag, Roadster Shop owners Phil and Jeremy Gerber were eager to
push the envelope even further. This Nova was to become that car.
The direction for the
car was to turn the plain-Jane grocery getter into a high tech
showpiece of not just the design and fabrication potential of the
shop, but as an example of where the hot rod and custom industry
could possibly head in the coming years. - An exercise in taking
advantage of the most current manufacturing, design and prototyping
trends available while pushing the industry forward. Thus the
‘Innovator’ was born.
Hailed as more ‘concept
rod’ than hotrod or custom, almost every single piece on the vehicle
has been either hand fabricated or purpose made for the car. The top
was chopped ¾ of an inch, the fenders were re-profiled, the main
mid-section body line was completely removed and new accent lines
were created over each wheel opening. New bumpers were made along
with rocker extensions and front and rear diffusers. Air is fed to
the 693hp GM LSX motor via functional plenums on either side of the
re-shaped hood and through the custom machined headlight openings.
As with the floor, trunk and interior, the engine bay has been
completely hand made from sheet metal to achieve the Roadster Shop’s
specific vision. Extensive use of 3D software along with CNC
machining allowed for limitless possibilities in the creation of
many of the details of the car. Everything from the gauges and
bespoke digital readout interface, to the knobs and vents in the ac
system, to the custom made wheels and the completely asymmetrical
layout of the layered grille design and paint graphics, every detail
on the car has been scrutinized and thought about.
All this bespoke
fabrication sits atop the foundation which the shop is well known
for; performance chassis and suspension. With a few modifications
performed on the production version of the Roaster Shop’s FAST TRACK
Nova Chassis to accommodate some of the specifics on the car, the
Innovator was set to perform and handle too. Proving that this was
not just a styling exercise, the car blazed to the top of the Street
Machine of the Year contender times at the Goodguys Columbus
autocross track.
The performance and
styling package came together as one when the Innovator stood up to
the judge’s scrutiny at the 2011 Street Machine of the Year
ceremony, where it took the top prize. Since then, the car has also
gone on to win the 2011 Optima Batteries Raybestos Performance and
design award and be nominated as a finalist in the 2011 Mothers
Shine awards and Grand Turismo Award at the 2011 Sema show.
More information about
Roadster Shop available at their
website.
Technical Specifications
Engine – GM
LSX 454
Built by – Shafiroff /Mast motorsports
Output - 693hp@6500rpm, 601 lb/ft tq@5500 rpm
Transmission – Tremec T-56 Magnum
Chassis – Roadster Shop FAST TRACK
Suspension (Front) - Roadster Shop FAST TRACK IFS with
Afco Pro-Touring remote reservoir shocks.
Suspension (Rear) - Custom 3-Link w/Afco Pro Touring
remote reservoir shocks.
Brakes – Baer 14” rotors with custom 6-piston ‘Innovator’
calipers.
Wheels – Custom machined 18”x10” front and 20”x12” rear
Tires – Michelin Pilot Sport 275/30R18 Front and
335/30R20 rear
