Corvette 2-Rotor
Written by Bill Bowman
Ed Cole, president of GM, who had become an ardent rotary engine advocate, ordered up a sports car concept designed around the developing two rotor GMRCE (General Motors Rotary Combustion Engine). Coded XP-897GT, this 1973 Chevrolet Corvette concept was designed by GM’s Experimental Studio and built on a modified Porsche 914 chassis, with a Pininfarina steel body. It was powered with a 180 horsepower, transversely mounted rotary engine mated to a new automatic transaxle being developed for the forthcoming X-body Chevrolet Citation.
The Corvette 2-Rotor made its show debut at the 1978 Frankfurt Auto Show. After its career on the show circuit GM decided to cancel the rotary engine program, due to poor emissions and mileage problems. The car minus engine and transaxle was put in storage in the UK after its British Motor Show debut.
In 1982, Englishman Tom Falconer, a car collector, heard the XP-897GT was scheduled for the car crusher and was able to convince Chuck Jordan, head of GM styling, to let him save the car. He installed a four cylinder Vauxhall Cavalier engine and automatic gearbox just to get it mobile. In 1997, it was fitted with a Mazda 13B rotary engine matched to a Cadillac front-wheel drive automatic gearbox.
Today the car is on display in Tom’s showroom in the town of Snodland, Kent, England.
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