Vette Videos: Callaway Corvette vs RUF 911 Porsche vs Jeremy Clarkson

Dateline: 8.25.11
A snarkey look back at late ’80s – early ’90s supercars.

I must admit that before watching this I did NOT know who Jeremy Clarkson was. That’s because I really don’t watch very much TV. So, I may well be the last person in America to know who this bloke is. Clarkson is the “presenter” for the TV program, “Top Gear” and he’s quite a character.

The video starts with a piano being dropped on a 911, and other 911 being dropped from a crane. Then a helicopter gun ship fires on an early C4 Corvette. Clarkson savages the 911 first on a race track, but hoots a squeals when the turbos kick in on the 3.4-liter RUF 911. He goes straight after the obvious – at normal speeds, the 911 feels very, well, VW Beetle-like. (Are you allowed to saw such a thing? You can HERE!) “KRIKEY-MOSES!” is what he has to say when the tubros kick in. Back in 1990 the 911 RUF had a top speed of 211-MPH! In the end, he says, “What’a CAR!” The final shot of the 911 RUF is from behind and you get to see some flames popping out of the rear exhaust. Pretty cool!

To start the Callaway portion of the video, Clarkson gets the back end about 45-degrees on the first turn. After dissing the stock suspension and brakes Continue reading “Vette Videos: Callaway Corvette vs RUF 911 Porsche vs Jeremy Clarkson”

Vette Videos: 1988 Callaway SLEDGEHAMMER!!!

Dateline: 8.24.11
A crash course on what it takes to build a 250-plus-MPH C4 Corvette

Yesterday we told you about the ASTONISHING 254.76-MPH twin-turbocharged Callaway Corvette. The below video is an excellent presentation of this impressive machine. Reeves Callaway and project manager Tim Good take you on a full tour of the Sledgehammer project. You’ll get to see the Sledgehammer blast the Transportation Research Center in Ohio and even the late John Lingenfelter has a few words to say. Watch this and you WILL be a fan!


The 250-MPH Club has very few members. The astonishing $1,705,769 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport that holds the Guinness average top speed record of 267-MPH, but is based on an architecture originally designed to be an all-out race car, not a platform designed in 1980 as a mass-produced sports car. Then there’s the $650,000, 1,287-HP Ultimate Aero built by Shelby Super Cars that’ll do 270-MPH. Granted, the Bugatti and Shelby do things Continue reading “Vette Videos: 1988 Callaway SLEDGEHAMMER!!!”