Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Spada Codatronca concept.

We knew it was true, but we still can't believe it. The Spada Codatronca is slated for production, with 20 examples due to be built in the near future and priced somewhere north of £200,000. As reported previously, the Dark Knight's weekend driver is packing a supercharged LS7 V8, producing 600 hp in "entry-level" TS guise and can be upgraded to a track-ready version producing 700 hp and dropping 0-60 times to a mind-boggling 2.7 seconds. Unfortunately, we've yet to see any photos of the "production" version that was unveiled at the Top Marques show this past weekend, so we'll just have to wait and see if the sinister sled makes a successful transition from concept to production.


[Source: Top Gear]

Click to view in the Spada Codatronca in high resolution

The Spada Codatronca is one of those cars you just have to see from all the angles. Unfortunately, Autoblog doesn't need the kind of tax shelter Monaco provides to its wealthy residents, so we won't be on hand when the production version of the car is unveiled there next month at the Top Marques show, which the angular coachbuilt supercar will be headlining. Its creators – father-son team Ercole and Paolo Spada – have, however, been kind enough to bestow upon us a pair of new high-resolution images, which we've added to the gallery below (and the full press release after the jump) for your viewing pleasure, in the hope that we get another eyeful soon after the car's unveiling.


[Source: SpadaVettureSport]

Sometimes the past deserves to remain in the past, but once in a while the automotive industry reaches into its history to resurrect something worthwhile whose demise was regrettable and whose return is welcome. The return of coachbuilding is one example of an industry trend we're glad is making a comeback.

Coachbuilding was popular decades ago among the extremely wealthy for whom the ordinary offerings of the automotive industry weren't anywhere near exclusive enough, so they had special bodywork fitted to regular cars to make them their own. Contemporary coachbuilt motors follow the same formula: an existing car fitted with new bodywork, and often customized mechanicals, for the most discerning and obscenely wealthy clients. Results have varied, but variety, as the saying goes, is the spice of life. Here we've chosen our ten favorite examples.

Did you think the Castagna Aznom was an odd little duckling? Then you've clearly forgotten about the Codatronca, the likewise Corvette-based Italian coachbuilt limited-edition supercar, initial details of which we brought you several months ago. SpadaConcept, the Italian design studio that cooked up the concept, has now released more details on the distinctive tailfinned sportscar.

For all you technophiles out there, we've got all the dimensions and specifications. Based on the Corvette C6, the Spada Codatronca places the engine in a front-mid layout, driving through the rear wheels. Starting with the aluminum LS7 7-liter OHV V8, Spada fits twin Rotrex superchargers, dual intercoolers, an eight-quart dry-sump lubrication system, titanium valves and connecting rods, sequential fuel injection and a boosted compression ratio of 11:1. All that nets an impressive 600 hp at 6,300 rpm and 790 Nm of torque at 4,600. The power is channeled through the rear wheels via a short-throw 6-speed manual.

(Details continue to astonish after the jump.)

[Source: Italiaspeed]

click above image for high-res pics of the Spada Codatronca

Believe it or not, we passed over spy shots of this car being development tested because we didn't believe it was a legitimate model that would one day see production. We were wrong on that one, as today news has come from Italy that the car we once thought was a joke is actually the SpadaConcept Codatronca.

This new supercar was designed and produced by the Italian design house SpadaConcept in conjunction with the tuning firm UK Garage. You may recall that SpadaConcept is resonsible for designing such classics as the Aston Martin DB4, Fulvia Sport Zagato, and more. Ercole Spada and his son, Paolo Spada, who is the company's new design director, drew influences from their original 1965 Alpha Romeo TZ that also featuered a fin-like rear called the "Kamm tail coda tronca" design. The new Codatronca is based on the Chevy Corvette, which might also explain the heavy Mako Shark infuence in the front end design. One thing we can't quite figure out is the digital readout on the vehicle's rear, which seems to display the car's current mph and perhaps even more info on its rump. While it might be a fun feature to rub your speed in the faces of those that get passed, we imagine police officers would also appreciate your velocity being public knowledge.

UK Garage was tasked with updating the Corvette mechanicals and has tweaked the suspension and engine. Three powerplants will be available for the Codatronca customer, including 512-hp version in the TS "Sport Tourism" model, a 513-hp version in the TSV "Fast Sport Tourism" model (that one horsepower apparently makes a big difference), and the big beast, a 700-hp version in the TSS "Super Sport Tourism" model. Performance numbers include a 3-second 0-60 run and a top speed around 208 mph. Clearly, the Spada Codatronca is no joke.

[Source: Motor Authority]