Little do people know this car exist, but That's what I'm gonna discussed here, its kinda strange for me at first, but after reading it throughout-ly, it was a good reading after all, so here how it goes. The project started in late 1960s — 1969 to be exact where Zora Arkus-Duntov's engineers created two prototypes with a code XP-882 (eXperimental Project-882) equipped with mid-engined, transvere-mounted, V8 small-block engine. Unfortunately, Chevy's General manager at that time, John DeLorean, announced that the program must be cancelled as it was too costly but realized that it was a bad idea when Ford decided to sell DeTomaso Pantera through Lincoln-Mercury dealers so he demanded one XP-882 to be prepared for 1970's New York Auto Show.
In 1972, John DeLorean authorized the next stage of Aerovette development and given the new code called XP-895. There's also a company named Reynolds Aluminum Company creates one car with aluminum body and given the nickname "Reynold's Aluminum Car" that has an appearance close to the Aerovette itself. What makes the XP-895 unique is the usage of Chevy Vega's rotary engine combined resulting a 4-rotors GMRC Engine producing 420 horsepower but another prototype codenamed XP-897GT sport 2-rotors engine instead first shown in 1973 at Chicaco and Paris motor shows.
At that time, an energy crisis occured therefore GM decided to put an end to the rotary program and it's been decided to put the car to the warehouse for three years. The car was "rescued" by GM design chief Bill Mitchell and his staff and swapped the rotary with 6.6L small-block V8 engine, lobbied GM chairman at that time, Thomas Murphy, approved the Aerovette production and will be held on 1980. But then, the supporters of the Aerovette program such as Duntov, Mitchell, and Cole retired before the year of production giving place for David McLellan and decided to terminate the program forever and decided to sell "conventional" Corvette instead, not wanting to take big risk to sell mid-engined layout cars. To prevent the XP-897GT concept from death, in 1997 Tom Falconer decided to buy the car and putting a 13B 2-rotor engine from Mazda — to keep the original intention as a "Rotary Corvette".
Wow, I'm astonished just as you were while reading and decided to put a good writing about it, its just.. Really bizarre but its succeeded to catch my attention, like really.. I do really need an interesting reading material lol. So that is it, maybe, just maybe I had more to discuss.
Be sure to check out the related sources in;
AMcar, GMheritage, and cardesingnews
