1991 Shinoda-Mears Corvette

Although some Corvette traditionalists are initially put off by the styling of this car, after you look at it for a while, the design becomes more appealing. Which shouldn’t be surprising, as it’s hard to imagine that the guy credited with the timeless design of the C2 would be too far off the mark.

In collaboration with Rick Mears, Larry Shinoda created this design by using some of the styling cues from the C3 (a design that was also credited to him). Based on the C4 production Corvette, he softened the hard edges somewhat to give the redesign, in his words, some “sex appeal.” For example, the sculpted treatment just above the rocker panels echoes the same styling on the C3s. Shinoda was said to be most proud of the 5 inch rear spoiler, which was both functional and aesthetic.

The Mears Special Edition cost over $55,000 in 1991, roughly a $19,000 premium over a base Corvette. This does not include drivetrain modifications for around $10,000 available in ‘92 to boost the 300 hp stock output to 390 hp. Only a couple dozen Shinoda Corvettes were ever built, and only eleven convertibles were produced.

The few Shinoda cars on the market were selling a couple years ago for around $40,000.

So… What is YOUR impression of this car?