Shaq Will get A Comfortable Match In His New ‘Stretched’ C8 Corvette Z06 : Automotive Addicts

Automotive

For those who’re seven-foot-one and constructed like a Corridor of Fame heart, “every day driver” not often means a low-slung American supercar. But right here we’re. Shaquille O’Neal simply took the wheel of a customized stretched C8 Corvette Z06, and the very best half will not be the unique engine word or the carbon items. It’s the grin. The large man lastly slides in, settles again, and appears genuinely snug in a automobile that usually asks tall people to fold like origami. That alone is value a standing ovation.

Consolation didn’t come simply. Easy Motors took on what most outlets would name unimaginable and lengthened the mid-engine Z06 by a full 20 inches to create house for Shaq’s body, then labored by means of the sort of one-off gremlins that present up when there may be nothing else on the street fairly prefer it. The result’s a Corvette that also appears factory-clean, solely with proportions that allow one of many world’s largest automobile fans truly get pleasure from a supercar cockpit.

The supply storyline had drama. Again within the spring, the phrase was that the automobile could be prepared in a few weeks. Weeks grew to become months. Then, on supply day, each aspect home windows cracked. As an alternative of hiding behind store doorways, Easy rolled the automobile out to Shaq so he might no less than see and drive it briefly whereas new customized glass was reduce. The trade led to some playful “no home windows” banter and ended with a beaming take a look at drive that felt like a buzzer-beater after a protracted fourth quarter.

Watch the video and you’ll virtually hear the reduction over the V8’s soundtrack. Shaq lowers himself in, legs stretch out like they belong there, and the automobile lastly matches the person. One-off builds are likely to shout. This one largely smiles, the stretch built-in so easily that informal observers would possibly miss it till they park subsequent to an ordinary Z06. Then it clicks. The longest Z06 you might be more likely to see simply made one of many largest supercar followers in America really feel at house.

Purists will ask in regards to the soul of the automobile, and that continues to be intact. The Z06 nonetheless packs Chevy’s hand-built LT6 with a flat-plane crank, a screamer of an engine that spins previous 8,000 rpm and delivers a factory-rated 670 horsepower. Stretched physique or not, that sound will increase the hair in your arms each single time.

For those who observe Shaq’s storage adventures, you understand he has a knack for turning automobiles into dialog items. What makes this one really feel particular is the aim. It isn’t a gimmick. It’s a answer. For each fanatic who towers over bucket seats and headliners, this Z06 is proof that, with the correct crew, dream automobiles will be tailor-made to suit actual our bodies. The engineering grind, the persistence, the hiccups with glass and scheduling, all of it melts away the second he rolls into the sunshine and thumbs the throttle.

There’s additionally one thing undeniably candy about seeing a supercar unlock easy pleasure for somebody who’s often bigger than life. The smile will not be about standing. It’s about belonging. Shaq lastly will get to get pleasure from a Corvette the way in which the remainder of us think about it on an ideal Saturday, and that’s a win for the whole automobile group.

So sure, depend this as a feel-good chapter in an ongoing saga between an enormous of the sport and an enormous of American efficiency. For those who spot a Z06 that appears only a contact longer in your mirrors, you aren’t imagining it. That’s the one the place the motive force’s grin says every thing.

Supply: Corvette Blogger

Mike Floyd is a finance government by commerce and a automobile fanatic at coronary heart. As a CFO with a eager eye for element and technique, Mike brings his analytical mindset to the automotive world, uncovering contemporary insights and distinctive views that transcend the floor. His ardour for automobiles—particularly his favourite, the Porsche 911, fuels his contributions to Automotive Addicts, the place he blends a love for efficiency and design together with his skilled precision. Whether or not he’s breaking down business traits or spotlighting rising improvements, Mike helps maintain the location each sharp and forward-thinking.