By Noah Joseph, Autoguide.com - Some will invariably debate their authenticity, but as far as we're concerned, there's no arguing with the quickening of our pulse when we gaze at such examples of retrofitted classics as the Eagle E-Type Speedster or the Singer 911. But if you've been wondering why European sportscars have been getting all the old-meets-new attention, wonder no more, and feast your eyes on the Pogea Corvette.German tuning house Pogea Racing -- whose customized Abarth 500 we reported on back on 2010 -- has taken an original '59 Corvette roadster and given it a thoroughly modern makeover. Starting with the chassis itself, Pogea went back to the drawing board and built a new tube frame to which it has mounted a new suspension, brakes and powertrain.
The latter comes courtesy of a modern 6.2-litre Corvette LS3 V8 engine, upgraded with new injectors, camshaft, intake and exhaust to drive 485 horsepower and 431 pound-feet of torque through a five-speed manual with ceramic clutch to a Dana 44 differential. Modern Corvette-sourced ventilated brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-pots in the rear were fitted to keep the power in check, mounted behind 19-inch modular wheels on low-profile Bridgestone Potenza rubber.
Pogea also widened the track, fitted LED tail lights in the shape of the originals, and refurbished the interior with fresh leather and carpeting. Cobra buckets, Vallelunga wheel, Alpine stereo with sat-nav and upgraded electronics. The result is a stunning package that has all the charm of the original (minus, perhaps, the rear quarter vents ...), but with a 3.9-second run to 62 and a 288 km/h top end.
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